Types and Benefits of Fermented Milk Products

The beneficial properties of fermented milk products are widely known throughout the world. They have a favorable effect on the digestive and cardiovascular systems, in particular, and the entire body in general. Dairy products help boost immunity and improve metabolism.

On modern store shelves, you can find a huge variety of fermented milk products and even bacterial cultures to prepare healthy treats at home. In this article, we will talk about the types of dairy products, their benefits, and how to prepare homemade yogurts and kefirs from bacterial cultures.

Types of fermented milk products

How does milk turn into the delicious yogurt, kefir, and sour cream we know in their finished form? For this, various lactic and acetic bacteria are added to the milk. Live microorganisms, upon entering the milk, transform it into a completely new product, changing its taste and properties.

Fermented milk products are classified by the type of bacteria added for the fermentation process. There are two main types:

• lactic fermentation products;
• products of mixed fermentation – lactic and alcoholic.

Lactic fermentation products are obtained when milk sugar breaks down under the action of bacteria. This creates lactic acid, which causes the casein protein to coagulate. The resulting drink from this process is 60% better absorbed by the body than regular milk.

Lactic fermentation products include:

• yogurt;
• ryazhenka (a type of Ukrainian and Russian soured milk);
• acidophilin (a type of fermented milk product);
• curdled milk;
• cottage cheese;
• smetana (sour cream);
• katyk (a type of fermented milk drink).

Products obtained by mixed fermentation are characterized by the fact that, in the process of fermentation, along with the acid, milk sugar forms carbon dioxide, alcohol, and other substances. Mixed fermentation fermented milk products are even better absorbed than lactic fermentation products.

Mixed fermentation produces:

• kefir;
• koumiss (a fermented dairy product from mare's milk);
• shubat (a fermented camel milk product).

If you want to do your own little chemistry experiment, prepare yogurt or kefir at home with a starter culture. You won't need special skills or kitchen utensils, and the resulting products will be tasty and fresh.

Benefits of fermented milk products

Products obtained by the fermentation of lactic bacteria are absorbed much better than pure milk: 90% versus 32%. In addition, they contain a high concentration of amino acids, vitamins, and trace elements (vitamins A, B, and D, arginine, lysine, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, zinc, and others).

Thanks to their valuable composition, fermented milk products have a very favorable effect on the human body:

• they are able to quickly restore body energy, as they are a rich source of protein and therefore are great for nutrition during intense physical activity;
• due to the large amount of vitamins and amino acids in their composition, fermented milk products can improve metabolism and normalize the motor function of the intestine;
• they are ideal for children's diets due to the high content of calcium and phosphorus – these substances in fermented milk products have a very good ratio, which means they are absorbed much better, helping the growing body strengthen bones and teeth;
• they normalize the intestinal microflora in dysbiosis and during antibiotic treatment, increasing the number of beneficial bacteria;
• probiotics from fermented milk products reduce the risk of stomach, breast, and colon cancer by activating the synthesis of immunoglobulins and creating beneficial macrophages.

In addition, low-fat fermented milk products are suitable for almost all weight loss diets. During milk fermentation, part of the lactose is converted into lactic acid, so the amount of lactose in fermented milk products is significantly less than in milk – these products are much easier to digest for people with lactose intolerance.

Types of starter cultures for fermented milk products

To get fresh fermented milk products, you no longer need to go to a farmer's market or a store and look for the expiration date on packages for a long time. Now you can easily prepare your favorite yogurt, cottage cheese, or ryazhenka at home with starter cultures.

There are five types of fermented milk starter cultures. They differ from each other in their microflora – the active bacterial composition.

1. Starter cultures with thermophilic lactic acid bacteria are used to prepare yogurt, ryazhenka, and curdled milk. The microflora composition of these cultures includes thermophilic streptococcus and Bulgarian bacillus.
2. Fermented milk starter cultures based on mesophilic lactic streptococci are used to make cottage cheese and sour cream. Their composition includes homofermentative streptococci, aroma-producing heterofermentative streptococci, and aroma-producing leuconostocs.
3. To prepare products like kefir and koumiss, multi-component starter cultures of kefir grains are used, which consist of lactic acid rods, aroma-producing streptococci, mesophilic lactic streptococci, and kefir yeasts.
4. Starter cultures of mesophilic and thermophilic lactic streptococci are used to prepare hard and soft cheeses.
5. Starter cultures with acidophilic rods and bifidobacteria in their composition are most often used to prepare medicinal and prophylactic fermented milk products, such as acidophilin, acidophilic baby formulas, bifidogurts, and other healthy treats. These products should be stored in the refrigerator, as they sour quickly.

Products

Let's take a closer look at what fermented milk products you can prepare at home with bacterial cultures.

1. Ryazhenka. To prepare it, you will need baked milk, because if you use regular milk, you will make yogurt. You can buy it ready-made at the store, or you can make baked milk yourself. To do this, you need to put boiled milk in the oven, preheated to 100 degrees, and let it cook for 3 hours. After the milk changes color to a light beige, you need to take it out of the oven, cool it to 40 degrees, add the starter culture, and mix. After that, wrap the container with the future ryazhenka in a towel and leave it in a dark, draft-free place for 6-8 hours. Before consuming, it is better to cool the ryazhenka.
2. Yogurt – one of the most popular products for home preparation. To prepare it, you will need milk, a pot, a towel, a starter culture, and 15 minutes of free time. The preparation principle is the same as for ryazhenka: heat the milk in a pot to 40 degrees, add the starter culture, mix, wrap the pot with a towel, and place it in a dark, warm place for 6-8 hours. Your homemade yogurt is ready! For Greek yogurt, it may take a few more hours – base it on the consistency. For Greek yogurt to be thick, strain it after fermentation – this will remove excess moisture. Don't forget to cool it before consuming.
3. Cottage cheese – preparing it at home is easier than it seems. From one liter of milk, you will get up to 200 grams of fresh homemade cottage cheese, and one sachet of starter culture is enough for 3 liters of milk. To prepare cottage cheese, measure the required amount of milk, heat it in a pot to 40 degrees, add the starter culture, mix, wrap the pot in a towel, and leave it in a warm, draft-free place for 8 hours. When the milk curdles, heat it over low heat until cheese curds form. After that, pour the resulting product into a cheesecloth, sieve, or cheese bag to separate the whey. Your homemade cottage cheese is ready!
4. To prepare homemade kefir, you will need a starter culture with live kefir grains. Kefir is prepared at lower temperatures than yogurt, but the fermentation time is much longer. Pour the required amount of milk into a pot and heat to 30 degrees. Add the kefir starter culture, mix well, place in a warm, draft-free place, and leave for 20-24 hours. For convenience, you can prepare kefir directly in the packaging.