Matsoni Yogurt (aka Caspian Sea Yogurt) Starter Culture

 
$11.99
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Matsoni yogurt starter (aka Caspian Sea Yogurt) contains live active bacteria and cultures at room temperature on the counter--no yogurt maker required! One packet of yogurt starter can be used to make unlimited amounts of homemade yogurt as it can be serial cultured--a small amount of yogurt from the current batch is then reserved to inoculate the next batch of homemade yogurt. With care, this yogurt culture can be used to make homemade yogurt indefinitely. No more having to continually buy yogurt starter!  Click here to learn how you can save money by making your own yogurt.

Description: Originating in The Republic of Georgia, Matsoni yogurt (pronounced Madzoon) is also known in Japan as Caspian Sea Yogurt. A slightly tart yogurt, Matsoni is excellent sweetened with a bit of honey or served over fruit. Matsoni yogurt has a thick viscous consistency.

 

Click here to compare our yogurt starter cultures for taste, consistency and yogurt making method.

 Matsoni yogurt starter contains the following active lactic acid bacteria: L. lactis subsp. Cremoris and Acetobacter orientalis.

How to Make Matsoni (aka Caspian Sea) Yogurt: As a mesophilic yogurt culture, this yogurt starter cultures at room temperature. To make a batch of homemade yogurt, the yogurt culture is simply added to milk, stirred and then allowed to culture on the counter before being placed in the refrigerator. The yogurt starter can be serial cultured--a small amount of homemade yogurt from the current batch is then reserved to inoculate the next batch of homemade yogurt. With care, our Matsoni yogurt culture can be used to make homemade yogurt indefinitely.

Customers wishing to use raw milk to make homemade yogurt will need to take additional steps to ensure a pure starter is maintained. Additional instructions concerning the use of raw milk will accompany each order.

 

Full instructions for making Matsoni Yogurt can be found here and will be included with your order.

Using alternative milks: Matsoni Yogurt starter may be used with alternative milks (soy, coconut, etc.) but is unlikely to reculture beyond the first few generations. Therefore we strongly recommend keeping a back-up dairy-based culture on hand for making yogurt with alternative milks. Matsoni yogurt starter can be used with goat milk although due to the lower fat content of goat milk, the resulting yogurt may be significantly less thick than yogurt made with whole cow milk. We do not recommend using UHT (aka ultra-pasteurized) milk when working with any starter culture.

Shipping Information: Our Matsoni yogurt starter is shipped in a barrier sealed packet as a dehydrated yogurt culture in a dairy carrier. Please keep it in a cool dry place until you are ready to make your first batch of homemade yogurt. We ship enough dried yogurt culture to make two batches of yogurt starter. We recommend that you reserve half of the yogurt starter in a safe place to use as a back-up.


This item is available for international shipping.
 
Each Packet of Matsoni (Caspian Sea) Yogurt Starter Contains: Live active yogurt culture containing lactic acid bacteria in a dehydrated dairy carrier to culture one cup (8 oz.; 250 ml.) of yogurt.

 

Detailed culturing instructions will be included with your order and can also be found here.

 

Matsoni (Caspian Sea) Yogurt Starter Frequently Asked Questions:

Q. Do I need a yogurt maker to make Matsoni Yogurt?

A. No, this yogurt starter cultures at room temperature on your counter.  No yogurt maker or other heating device is required.

 

Q. How do I make Matsoni Yogurt?

A. Simply add the starter culture to milk (straight from the refrigerator is fine), mix thoroughly, cover the container with a towel and allow the mixture to sit at room temperature (70-78 degrees) for 12-18 hours.  Once the yogurt is set, place the yogurt in the refrigerator.  The yogurt will be ready to enjoy after 6 hours in the refrigerator.  Be sure to set aside a small amount of yogurt to use as the starter culture for your next batch of yogurt.  Full instructions will be included with your order.  Please note, the method for making your first batch of yogurt (from the dehydrated starter culture) will vary slightly from these instructions listed here.  In addition, if you wish to use raw milk, you will need to take a few additional steps.  Click here to view our instructions.

 

Q. How much Matsoni can I make each week?

A. Our starter cultures are reusable, that is a small amount of each batch is used to inoculate the next batch of yogurt.  Therefore you can theoretically make unlimited amounts of yogurt with our starter cultures.  To make yogurt, you will need one tablespoon of yogurt from the current batch for each cup of milk you wish to turn into yogurt in the next batch.  We recommend making yogurt in containers no larger than 64 ounces to allow the yogurt to culture evenly (larger containers may have a harder time keeping an even temperature).  However you can certainly culture multiple 64 ounce jars at once.

 

Q. What supplies do I need to make yogurt?

A. A few supplies are handy for making yogurt:

  • Yogurt Culture
  • Milk and/or Cream (whole milk is best but you can use low fat milk for a thinner consistency yogurt; use an amount of milk equal to the amount of yogurt you wish to make)
  • A wooden spoon for mixing in the yogurt starter
  • A container for culturing the yogurt (canning jars work well)
  • A lid for storing the yogurt once it's finished culturing
  • Sweetener or flavoring for your finished yogurt (see below)

 

Q. Can I use non-homogenized milk to make Matsoni Yogurt?

A. Yes, you can use use non-homogenized milk.  The only difference will be that you will see a yellow cream layer on top of your finished yogurt.

 

Q. How often do I need to make yogurt to ensure my yogurt culture stays viable?

A. We recommend making a new batch of yogurt at least every seven days.  If you make yogurt less often, the culture won't perpetuate properly and will weaken and perhaps parish.  If you need to take an extended break from making yogurt, we recommend using the extra dried starter culture that will come in your packet.

 

Q. Can I sweeten or flavor my yogurt?

A. Absolutely!  We recommend honey as sweetener but sugar or stevia are also options.  You can also use fruit, jam and flavor extracts (e.g. Vanilla extract) to flavor your yogurt.  Be sure to reserve a small amount of yogurt to use to make the next batch prior to adding any sweetener or flavorings.

 

Q. How much money can I save making my own Matsoni Yogurt?

A. Yogurt purchased from the grocery store generally costs approximately $.09 - $.19 ounce while making your own yogurt (once you've purchased a starter culture) is just the cost of milk, about $.04 ounce (prices will vary by geographic region).

 

Click here to view more Yogurt Starter FAQ's

 

Click here to view our Yogurt Starter Resources including recipes for using your homemade yogurt

 

Value Package
Matsoni Yogurt Starter (aka Caspian Sea Yogurt) for Homemade Yogurt + Cultured Buttermilk Starter
Buy Buttermilk Starter and get Matsoni (Caspian Sea) Yogurt Starter at an additional 20% off our everyday low price.
Total Price: $23.98
Price for the Bundle: $21.58
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This Item: Matsoni (Caspian Sea) Yogurt Starter
Buttermilk Starter
Customer Reviews
Overall:
Name:
Ashley
Date:
06/25/2010
Review:
This is a great starter. I got this starter as my first yogurt culture. It has been super easy to make and really cost effective. I like the mild yogurt flavor. It's a nice starter culture as it doesn't require special equipment.
Rating:
Name:
Emily
Date:
05/19/2010
Review:
I love it! The flavor is great. We have used it in lots of recipes from sweet ones to savory and it works well for either. And of course is good just to eat too. I love how easy it is, I don't even really measure amounts just use a quart mason jar and put in some yogurt then fill with whole organic milk and mix. I put it in the cupboard above our fridge and about 24hrs later have great yogurt.
Rating:
Name:
Mariya
Date:
05/11/2010
Review:
After making a Greek type yogurt for many years, I decided that heating and cooling the milk was really getting too much work and wanted to try a counter top starter.

The starter from here is very vigorous and set my very first batch, which I used to start the next batch. The taste is not at all like the yogurt we're used to, but it is not unpleasant. However, I used to eat plain yogurt and with the matsoni, I find that I need to add a little bit of flavoring.

The other issue I had was with the thickness of the yogurt, but this was solved by using half&half rather than whole milk.

These things are to be expected since the different types of yogurts are made with different bacteria, but I definitely look forward to trying some of the other countertop yogurts to find the perfect flavor/consistency combination.
Rating:
Name:
Melissa Coppin
Date:
04/01/2010
Review:
I tried this starter, but as it was my first time, and I live in a warm climate, I kept killing the culture. I plan on trying again though. It definitely needs cooler temps...
Rating:
Name:
Jen B
Date:
03/20/2010
Review:
This starter is fantastic! I love how easy it is to make - just mix it up in a jar at night, then forget about it until the next day. It was much better than culturing from commercial yogurts, which I used to do. The yogurt made from this culture was delicious, and my daughters loved it, too. It would have lasted indefinitely, except I let it go while doing an elimination diet. Now that I know dairy is OK for me, I'm ordering some more starter!
Rating:
Name:
Julia
Date:
11/11/2009
Review:
I just made this and I like the taste, it is not very sour and almost sweet. I bet people who don't like sour things would like this. The only thing is that I hoped it would be thicker/creamier/smoother it is a little too gloppy, and then when I mix it it becomes liquid and drinkable. So I will have to keep experimenting with times and temps. But thank you for a starter I can use with raw milk :)
Rating:
Name:
Judy
Date:
10/27/2009
Review:
This is a great room temperature yogurt starter. I like the tarter taste that the Matsoni offers, and I love that there is no heating of the milk required. I use raw milk to make the yogurt, but pasteurized milk to maintain the starter and this system works great. Our home can be drafty, so I simply put the yogurt in the oven to sit where it is nicely protected from drafts and reaches a nice temperature. I did have a few questions about the process, and I want to add that customer service was excellent. Julie replied to all my email questions very promptly and was most helpful.
Rating:
Name:
Kaitlin Hansen
Date:
10/21/2009
Review:
This yogurt was really easy to make! I used Organic whole milk, and just finished my first batch. I think it got a little warm (the yogurt is very thin) but I will continue to experiment with different locations in the apartment! Even if it stays this thin, the taste is amazing!
Rating:
Name:
Renee
Date:
10/17/2009
Review:
This starter produces a wonderful yogurt...I've barely eaten any because my kids just love it and they eat it all! I would suggest that it be stated on the printed instructions that come with the starter that you should not use ultra-pasteurized milk. I did not know this until further research online and most organic milk sold in grocery stores are ultra-pasteurized. When I did make it with low pasteurized organic milk, it produced a lovely yogurt. It is a bit runny after stirring but adding dry milk does help.
Rating:
Name:
Cara
Date:
10/15/2009
Review:
These starters are very temp. sensitive! I would make sure that you can maintain the proper temp in your home before buying them (unlike me!). That said, the one batch that sorta worked tasted wonderful :) ... I wish I lived in a better insulated house with heating and air conditioning.
Rating:
Name:
Kelly S
Date:
10/13/2009
Review:
I bought this starter to replace one from a different source that would never get creamy. I use raw milk so I started it up using the boiling directions provided. Once I got the culture up and running it was beautiful and thick and creamy with a wonderful taste. I also discovered that I do not need to keep boiling the milk for a mother culture and it works just wonderfully on my raw milk. I did reserve some of the powder just in case my culture goes bad but it has been several month with no contamination in sight. I think the culture is stable enough to overcome the enzymes in the raw milk. So easy, yummy and healthy, I couldn't be happier.
Rating:
Name:
Maria S
Date:
10/12/2009
Review:
This starter makes yogurt just like matsoni I'm used to being native Georgian. It is tart and light, and if using whole milk, gets a nice cream top. I also experimented with heating up milk method, but that resulted in tarter yogurt. Thank you for carrying this culture.
Rating:
Name:
Stuart Page
Date:
10/10/2009
Review:
The Matsoni Yogurt Starter makes a pleasant yogurt that is tart and creamy. I used raw milk and the process could not have been easier! If you are a raw milk user that has made yogurt that turns out watery and thin, by comparison you will love the consistency of the Matsoni Yogurt.

I am very pleased with the starter and will be purchasing others in the near future.
Rating:
Name:
Jeanmarie Todd
Date:
10/09/2009
Review:
I love this starter. I actually made up the whole starter at once (I ended up with two orders, but that's a long story). The taste is mild and delicious, the yogurt is pretty thick and creamy. I used whole Strauss organic milk (available in Northern California) with some added cream for a "cream top" effect. Yum! I've just finished making my second batch and am about to dig in. It's nice not having to heat up milk to a certain temp, then cool it to a certain temp. I did warm mine slightly just so it wasn't chilled to start. I've used other cultures (from other makers) before but this is by far the best I've ever made.
Rating:
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