Skyr

  When I was in Iceland, I discovered something called Skyr.  I'm not sure if its actually a soft cheese or a thick yogurt.  What I do know is that it is thick and really good.

According to what I've read it is a cheese but it looks like yogurt.  I think one reason some say its similar to yogurt is that you can use a bit of the previous batch to make a new batch before being strained just like yogurt cheese.

According to an article in the Iceland Magazine, Skyr has been around since the 9th century.  In the past its been eaten as breakfast after being sweetened with cream and brown sugar but now its used in items such as Creme Brulee.

I've seen an assortment of recipes from using rennet to make it solid to using a bit of the previous batch to setting a bowl of milk out in the air and letting wild bacteria settle in to start it.  The original Skyr does not taste like the modern version.  It should be tangy not super sweet.

If you are interested in making it and you already have Skyr with live probiotics, you need to heat a liter of skim milk in a non stick pan to about 200 degrees F and keep it there for about 10 minutes.  The 10 minutes is extremely important and be sure to stir it so the liquid does not burn or scorch.  Once the 10 minutes is up, remove the pan from heat and cool to 102 degrees F.  Whisk in 1 tablespoon of Skyr into the liquid.

Cover with a towel for 12 to 15 hours until until it thickens like Greek Yogurt and the whey separates  from the curds.  At this point, you can stir the two together to make it a thinner texture or drain it for something thicker.

If you do not have any Skyr, you could heat the milk just like above, let it cool completely before placing outside until the wild bacteria inoculated it and it thickened.  Once you've gotten your first batch, you have enough to start additional batches.  The Skyr from wild bacteria has a tarter flavor.

I plan to try making some later this week from scratch.  I'll let you know how it works out.  Let me know what you think.