🥣 How to Make Clabber from Raw Milk

🥣 How to Make Clabber from Raw Milk

A traditional, probiotic-rich way to use aging milk naturally.

Clabber is a thick, tangy, yogurt-like cultured milk product that forms when raw milk is left to ferment at room temperature. It was a staple in kitchens before refrigeration and pasteurization—and it’s incredibly simple to make.

🧾 Ingredients:

• Raw milk – fresh or older is fine (ideally under 7–10 days old)

• (Optional) 1–2 tablespoons of clabber from a previous batch or a purchased mesophilic culture for your first time

🥄 Instructions:

1. Pour your raw milk into a clean glass jar or bowl. Fill no more than ¾ full to allow room for expansion.

2. (Optional but helpful:) If this is your first batch, you can stir in a small amount of clabber from a trusted source or a store-bought mesophilic culture to kickstart fermentation.

3. Cover the jar with a clean cloth, cheesecloth, or coffee filter, and secure it with a rubber band. This lets it breathe while keeping dust out.

4. Leave it on your kitchen counter at room temperature (ideally 70–75°F) for 24–48 hours.

5. Check it after 24 hours. You’ll start to see it thicken and separate into curds and whey. It should have a pleasantly sour, tangy smell.

6. When it’s thick and custard-like, it’s ready! Spoon off the thick clabber and refrigerate to stop further fermentation.

🔁 Keep It Going:

Save 1–2 tablespoons of your finished clabber to inoculate your next batch—just stir it into fresh raw milk and repeat the process. This helps build strong, consistent cultures over time!

🧡 How to Use Clabber:

• Eat like yogurt with honey or fruit

• Add to smoothies or dressings

• Use in pancakes, muffins, or biscuits

• Start homemade cultured cheese

⚠️ Notes:

• If it smells putrid (rotten or foul, not just tangy), it may have been contaminated. Compost it and try again with fresher milk.

• Do not attempt this with pasteurized milk—it will rot, not clabber.

That’s it! A simple, no-fuss way to turn aging raw milk into something nourishing and traditional. Your great-grandparents would be proud!