Ryazhenka

Ryazhenka (Russian Ряженка) is a traditional Russian fermented milk product. It is made from baked milk by lactic acid fermentation. Fermentation usually takes from 3 to 6 hours. It is milk coffee-coloured and a traditional taste of farmed milk products. Practically it is one of varieties of yogurt without congener. Like scalded milk, it is free of bacteria and enzymes and can be stored safely at room temperature for up to forty hours. Home-made baked milk is used for preparing a range of cakes, pies, and cookies.

Analogous products are varenets (in Russia) and qatiq (in Turkic countries).In ryazhenka there is almost the same mixture of substances as in baked milk, but the difference is that with this fermented milk product these substances are digesting much better. Ryazhenka has vitamins A, B, C and PP, also it has many health-giving mineral substances: macro- and microelements (iron, calcium, sulphur, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium and sodium).

Benefits of ryazhenka. It is proved that hand in hand with gastronomic qualities of ryazhenka the main benefit for human is a strong concentration of calcium. In one cup of this fermented milk product is ¼ of calcium essential daily intake, also there is 1/5 of phosphorus essential daily intake.

Besides, albumen, which is in this product, is able to digest much better, then, for example, in milk. That is why if one start taking ryazhenka regularly it appears in better appetite, improvement of kidneys and gastrointestinal tract functioning.

Except benefits this product also has contra-induction. There is a possibility of changing health for the worse in case of drinking this fermented milk product if one has ulcerous diseases of stomach or gastritis with peracidity.

Recipe.

- about 1.2 lt or 2 pints of whole milk (ideally organic and unpasteurized)

- 3 to 8 tbs of sourcream

At the beginning to turn the oven to 140 (if fan assisted) or 160 C. Put the milk into a heavy, thick bottomed casserole or saucepans and put in the oven for a couple of hours. The mixture will form a brown skin after a while. Then to stir it in a couple of times and the skin gives additional flavour to backed milk. After 2-2.5 hours the mixture will take on a creamier, slightly more tanned colour. Cool it. Then add the sour cream and mix (it can be added only 2-3 table spoons, the more concentration of sour cream would be, the thicker ryazhenka would be).Then cover the pot and wrap it in a blanket or several towels, put somewhere non draughty and let to ferment over night, anything from 8 to 24 hours.

References.

https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%A0%D1%8F%D0%B6%D0%B5%D0%BD%D0%BA%D0%B0