Acidophilus Milk

acidophilus milk

Activating Acidophilus Milk Starter Culture

1-liter whole milk
1 packet acidophilus starter culture

Heat milk to 185° F on the stove in a stockpot; hold for 10-20 minutes while stirring constantly. Hold longer to produce a thicker texture. Remove pot from the burner and allow milk to cool to 104-113° F. Once the milk has cooled, add the contents of the acidophilus starter culture packet; mix well. Place in pint jars, cover with lids, and place in an incubator or yogurt maker set at 40-45° C for 12-24 hours or until pH drops below 4.6. Refrigerate immediately for 3-6 hours before re-culturing.

Re-culturing Acidophilus Milk

1-gallon whole milk
1 cup activated acidophilus milk or 1 cup commercial plain yogurt

Add milk to stockpot and heat to 185-200° F; hold for 10-20 minutes, stirring constantly. Hold longer for a thicker product. Remove pot from the burner and allow milk to cool to 104-113° F. Once cooled, remove 1 cup of milk and add 1 cup activated acidophilus starter culture (previous batch) or commercial plain yogurt; mix well. Combine with remaining milk mixture and then pour milk into sterilized pint jars. Place jars into an incubator set at 40-45° C for 5-8 hours. Once the milk has reached a pH of 4.6 or less, refrigerate immediately and use within 1 week; reserve 1 cup to re-culture weekly to maintain good microorganisms.

Use as a milk substitute or thicken to produce a delicious yogurt substitution.

Creamy Acidophilus Mac N Cheese

2cups uncooked macaroni noodles
2 1/2– 3 cups acidophilus milk
1/4teaspoon garlic powder
1/2teaspoon onion powder
1tablespoon butter
1/2teaspoon pepper
1/4cup water
2tablespoons cream cheese
1cup shredded cheddar cheese

In a saucepan combine a pinch of salt, acidophilus milk, garlic powder, onion powder, butter and water. Bring to a boil. Add in macaroni noodles, reduce heat to low. Continue to simmer stirring frequently until noodles are cooked (about 20 minutes). Watch to make sure the liquid doesn’t completely evaporate. You can add extra acidophilus milk 1/4 cup at a time if the liquid is low. Once the pasta is cooked, ensure the noodles are not dry. Pasta should be as moist before adding cheese. Stir in cream cheese until melted. Remove from heat and stir in cheddar cheese.