Our Bulgarian starter culture makes a rich and creamy homemade yogurt.  The Bulgarian variety of yogurt is perhaps the most popular variety of yogurt in the world.  It is easy to make and the culture perpetuates from one batch to the next making it an economical variety to use for homemade yogurt.  It is best made with whole milk and will be even more decadent if made with one part cream to three parts whole milk.  Low fat milk can be used but will result in a thinner consistency.  If you are looking to replicate the taste of commercial yogurt at home, this is an excellent yogurt starter.

Our Bulgarian yogurt starter culture contains live active bacteria. No need to continually buy yogurt starter!  One packet of yogurt culture 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. In addition, making yogurt at home is an economical option (click here for more information).

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

Bulgarian starter culture contains the following active lactic acid bacteria: L. Bulgaricum, S. Thermophilus.

How to Make Bulgarian Yogurt: Our Bulgarian starter culture is a Thermophilic yogurt culture and cultures with the aid of a yogurt maker or similar heat source (click here for alternatives to a yogurt making appliance). Our Bulgarian starter culture 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, our Bulgarian culture can be used to make homemade yogurt indefinitely.

This 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.

Full instructions for making yogurt using our Bulgarian starter culture can be found here and will be shipped with your order.

Shipping Information: Our Bulgarian starter culture 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.

Shipping Information: This item is available for international shipping.

Each Packet of Bulgarian Yogurt Starter Contains: .16 oz. (4.5 grams) Bulgarian Yogurt starter in a dehydrated format.

• Ingredients: Organic milk, live active cultures
  
• Lactic Acid Bacteria: L. Bulgaricum, S. Thermophilus

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

Bulgarian Yogurt Starter Frequently Asked Questions:

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

A. Our Bulgarian yogurt starter does work well with a commercial yogurt maker but having one is not required.  Many customers instead use a slow cooker (aka crock pot), cube-shapped food dehydrator (e.g. Excalibur or Sausage Maker brand) or even a very low temperature heating pad.  Ultimately, culturing Bulgarian yogurt simply requires keeping the yogurt at 110 degrees for 5-7 hours.  Regardless of what heat method you choose, we do recommend testing your method at least once an hour to ensure that the proper temperature range is maintained (too cool and the yogurt will not culture properly, too warm and the heat will kill the culture).  Ideally, try a practice run using just water to test the temperature of your yogurt making device prior to making your first batch of yogurt.

Q. How do I make Bulgarian Yogurt?

A. Making Bulgarian yogurt is easy.  Simply heat your milk to 160 F (71 C) degrees and then allow the milk to cool to 110 F (43 C) degrees.  Add the yogurt starter and incorporate the starter culture thoroughly into your milk. Cover the container with a loose lid or towel.  Allow the yogurt to culture at 110 F (43 C) degrees for 5-7 hours (see above for methods of keeping the culturing yogurt warm).  Once the yogurt is set, allow the yogurt to cool for about 2 hours then place the yogurt in the fridge.  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 for making yogurt 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.

Q. How much Bulgarian Yogurt 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 teaspoon 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 32 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 32 ounce jars at once.

Q. What supplies do I need to make Bulgarian Yogurt?

A. A few supplies are handy for making yogurt:

• Bulgarian Yogurt Starter 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 pan for heating the milk (stainless steel is best but not required)
  
• A wooden spoon for stirring the milk while heating and for mixing in the yogurt starter
  
• A thermometer for monitoring the temperature of the milk
  
• 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 Bulgarian 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 and you the top portion of the yogurt (where the cream settled) may be a bit thicker.

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 can even die.  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!  Honey, maple syrup, sugar or stevia can be used.  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 Bulgarian 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