FERMENTED MILK 495 



present in any normal milk, and it is only necessary to provide 

 conditions favoring their growth to obtain them in a state of 

 purity. 



This may be done by following the directions on page 1 1 for 

 obtaining cultures for making buttermilk on a large scale. 

 When the culture is obtained, it will not be necessary to carry a 

 small culture to inoculate a larger amount. 



When the culture is obtained, proceed as follows : 



(1) Heat 1 quart of milk, which may be skimmed, in a 

 double boiler for at least one-half hour. 



(2) Allow the milk to cool to about 75 or 80 F. 



At this temperature the outside of the container will feel 

 warm to the hand. Add one teaspoonful of the fresh culture, 

 transfer to a bottle or covered fruit-jar, and put away in a 

 warm place. One of the vacuum- jacketed bottles will be 

 found very convenient for this purpose, because the milk can 

 be held at a nearly constant temperature favorable to the 

 growth of the lactic acid bacteria. 



(3) On the following day shake the bottle thoroughly to 

 break up the curd and put the product on ice to cool. 



(4) Repeat the process, using a teaspoonful of the freshly 

 curdled milk to inoculate the heated and cooled milk. 



Butter-makers in the Northwest make a very refreshing and 

 nutritious drink by adding sugar and lemons to buttermilk. 

 As the casein is already precipitated, the acid juice of the lemon 

 has no effect. Slightly more sugar and lemon juice are neces- 

 sary than in making ordinary lemonade, and the mixture should 

 be well iced. 



Kefir 



Fermented milks have evidently been extensively used for 

 many centuries by the people of southern Russia, Turkey, the 

 Balkan countries, and their neighbors. The natives have no 

 records and few traditions of the origin of the milks they use, 



