How come mere water buffalo milk and lemon juice mixture turn into yogurt?
Yogurt is produced by the fermentation of lactose in milk by the bacteria of yogurt-ferment. Without those bacteria it is not possible to make yogurt.
But surprisingly, water buffalo milk and lemon juice mixture turns into yogurt without any third ingredient. You may first boil the milk to sterilize it; the result doesn't change. The milk must be water buffalo milk, cow milk or another animal's milk doesn't make yogurt this way. One of my relatives made yogurt this way, so this is not a myth (if you didn't hear this before). Unfortunately I couldn't find an English recipe to share with you here.
Can you please explain to me this chemical phenomenon? Is fermentation involved in this process? Is this resulting "yogurt" actually a yogurt by definition in the perspective of cooking and chemistry?
Best Answer
This is not yogurt per definition, you are making a fresh cheese. You can actually use other types of milk for such a cheese, but the mouthfeel and taste will be very different and won't be as similar to yogurt.
There is a large class of acid-curdled cheeses, including paneer, tvorog, quark and many others. I don't know if yours has a specific name. I know that there are people who for some reason can't tell the difference in taste betwen quark and yogurt. But it is still cheese, even if it tastes similar to yogurt.
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Quick Answer about "How come mere water buffalo milk and lemon juice mixture turn into yogurt?"
Yogurt is produced by the fermentation of lactose in milk by the bacteria of yogurt-ferment. Without those bacteria it is not possible to make yogurt. But surprisingly, water buffalo milk and lemon juice mixture turns into yogurt without any third ingredient.Why did my milk turn to yogurt?
The more lactose they convert into lactic acid, the more acidic the milk becomes. Once the milk sufficiently becomes acidic, caseins (proteins found in milk) begin to clump together, which changes the consistency of the milk to form a thicker substance: yogurt.Does milk and lemon make yogurt?
You can't make yogurt. But you can make 'cheese'. Most cheeses use rennet (which is taken from the beeve's stomach) to curdle the milk, but ricotta, paneer and some cottage cheese is made with lemon juice or vinegar.What is water buffalo yogurt?
Water buffalo yogurt is higher in milk fat, calcium and protein than cow's milk and lower in cholesterol. Because buffalo milk has a low water content and high total milk solids, the yogurt is naturally thick without the need for any other additives, thickeners or straining of whey.Can lemon ferment milk?
Acidification, which gives the milk a tart taste, is achieved either through bacterial fermentation or through the addition of an acid, such as lemon juice or vinegar. The acid causes milk to coagulate and thicken, inhibiting the growth of harmful bacteria and improving the product's shelf life.Mixing Milk and Lemon Juice
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