Matsoni question

[Rainbow2911]

Can any one tell me what it is supposed to taste like? I bought some matsoni culture and it doesn't smell too good. It isn't very thick yet but it smells cheesy and strong - similar to kefir. Not at all tart like yogurt or buttermilk. Is this how it is supposed to be? Does it need to be recultured a few times to get it tasting good?
Love any input from people who have tasted this!

[tinuviel_k]

Mine definitely has a "sweet and cheesy" taste and scent to it. It is not anything like yogurt or buttermilk, which tend to be tart. I find that I do not enjoy it plain like I do yogurt, but LOVE it in smoothies!

[425lisamarie]

We dont' like it. I really was disspointed with the description of it when I purchased one. Sometimes too good to be true really is true! It's a bit gluey to me and I'd rather not eat yogurt if it's not incubated

[Rainbow2911]

Darn. : I'll just have to hope the kids like it when it is thickened up. Think I'll stick with buttermilk.

Thanks for your help!

[LPBC]

I bought it a while ago, tried it and didn't like the taste at all, so I ended up ditching it. I followed the guidelines and initially thought I did something wrong, but the taste was just not nice. I am also not really a fan of kefir, but DP is, so we will start doing that again. My last culture didn't survive our move to Switzerland, so I am restarting water and milk kefir.
Kombucha is more hardy and did survive :-)

[dogmom327]

It funny because I'd say most people who try Matsoni don't like it but there are some people who absolutely love it and I haven't quite figured out why. Because from the feedback I get, I'd love to figure out a way to tactfully steer people to our other yogurt starter options. I think most people would be happier with a different culture such as the Viili or Fil Mjolk if they want a room-temperature yogurt starter. I get almost no complaints on those two.

To the OP, I would recommend letting it culture the entire period (including the period in the fridge) before being too concerned as the smell, texture, etc. do change a bit over the culturing period.

Couple things Matsoni is really good for (if you don't enjoy eating it as is): smoothies and frozen yogurt. I have an awesome frozen yogurt recipe on my blog that my good friend came up with using her Matsoni culture (http://culturesforhealth.com/blog/?p=96). It tastes really great with raw honey too (making it really TF friendly when made with raw milk) but you have to experiment a bit with the amount of honey.

[Rainbow2911]

Ooh that frozen yogurt sounds delicious. I must try that! Thank you.

I will wait and see what the matsoni tastes like when it is finished. I gave it a sniff when I went to see if it was thick yet and the cheesy smell seems to have mellowed a bit. Just hope it turns out ok!