PIIMA:

One PIIMA starter kit is inexpensive and lasts for years:

Unlike Kefir which only makes 5-7 transfers from a starter packet, PIIMA can go on indefinitely as long as the temperature and cleanliness protocols are followed. After making PIIMA from the starter packet, to make a subsequent batch, just take a tablespoon from the most recent batch (preferably one week old or less, but not more than 10 days old) and add it to fresh milk. With proper handling, PIIMA is a SELF-PROPAGATING culture. You can use the most recently made, fresh PIIMA indefinitely, as long as you keep it clean and pure. Make sure only clean spoons are used. (No double dipping!) We have found that the longer you use the culture, the milder it tastes.

PIIMA is part of the normal flora family of bacteria:

PIIMA is another source of flora. We have been told that there are five “buddy” type cultures that convert sugar and fat into “B” vitamins. Since it is not heated, enzymes and other nutrients in the milk are preserved. The colony of favorable bacteria help crowd out the undesirable bacteria. You can eat PIIMA anytime, especially when taking antibiotics.

Where did PIIMA come from?

Legend tells us PIIMA was discovered several thousand years ago in the Scandinavian countries. A northern European wild plant called Butterwort, when at its ideal growth in the pastures, had the ability to specially clabber the milk of the cows that had grazed upon it. This made their milk curdle and turn to PIIMA.

MAKING PERFECT PIIMA:

Do not heat your PIIMA. Do not use a yogurt maker as this is far too hot and will kill your PIIMA. There are 5 types of organisms in PIIMA that maintain their balance when it is cultured between 72ºF and 80º F. (It is ideal if you can check the temperature of the area where you will culture it with a thermometer.) If it gets too warm, above 80º F you will have separation into curds and whey, if it gets too cold, below 72º F it will become stringy and slimy. If your kitchen is cooler than 72º F, try culturing it in your oven just using the pilot light or electric light bulb as the source of heat. Use a thermometer to check the temperature. You may have to prop the oven door open to achieve the desired temperature. You can also try on top of the refrigerator (toward the back), in a closet, or near a hot water heater.

Use the freshest and best quality milk possible. Whole, raw milk is ideal. The next best is pasteurized organic, but homogenized, half and half and even dried milk have all been reported to make PIIMA.

ONE PERSON IN 1,000 HAS A FAILURE IN MAKING PIIMA:

During culturing, avoid contamination with airborne bacteria. This is probably the most common cause of failure to produce perfect PIIMA every time. Keeping the lid on (loosely) should avoid this problem.

Use GLASS jars . Research has shown that a hormone-like chemical seems to be leaching out of various types of plastics that are in contact with food and any time you can use glass you are better off. Make sure both your jars and lids are absolutely clean. If in doubt, sterilize them by boiling them.

After PIIMA is cultured, then refrigerate and it is ready to eat. Try not to shake or agitate it. Agitation may cause it to separate into “curds and whey” where the consistency is both lumpy and runny. You can still eat it, use the curds as a starter, or use the whey for fermented fruits and vegetables, but it won't be smooth like a thick, creamy custard.

HOW TO BEGIN MAKING PIIMA:

Pour one cup of fresh cows' milk into your jar and add the contents of the foil package. Stir until it is mixed well. Put the lid on the jar, cover with a tea towel (to exclude light), and place it in your culturing area.

The first batch from the packet takes 24 – 48 hours before it coagulates. Check 24 hrs. later to see if it has coagulated. If not, keep checking every few hours or so until it has (up to 48 hrs.). Subsequent batches only take 12 – 24 hours to coagulate (when you tilt the jar slightly to a 45º angle, it will not be a runny liquid). The warmer the room temperature, the less time it takes.

When the PIIMA is coagulated, store it in the refrigerator. It will thicken it a bit more.

It is now ready to eat, but before you do , take a tablespoon off the top (take the more "formed" PIIMA, not the liquid whey) to use as a starter for more PIIMA. Place that TBSP. of PIIMA in a clean jar (or you can make up multiple jars). Now you can add up to one pint of milk (although the bigger the jar and the more milk you add, the more apt it is to separate). Stir well with a spoon, place lid on jar, place in culture area and check it 12-24 hours later. Each TBSP. of this PIIMA and all successive PIIMA that you make will serve making another pint of PIIMA.

Note: PIIMA improves over the first 3 generations from the freeze dried starter before the thickness and taste are ideal.

HOW MUCH MILK TO USE FOR EACH BATCH?

You can use up to one pint of milk for each TPSP. of PIIMA starter culture. Keep in mind that the more you dip a spoon into the jar, the more you agitate it, the more it may become curds and whey (again, it is still edible and can also be used as starter or for fermentation). Because of this, many people make smaller quantities. Also, the cultured PIIMA is best eaten within 7 – 10 days for freshness. The starter packet can stay refrigerated indefinitely.

MAKING PIIMA WITH GOATS MILK:

If you wish to make goat's milk PIIMA from the dried starter, dissolve the powder from the foil packet in ¼ cup of goats' milk and proceed with time and temperature directions as with cows' milk. To make the next batch and all future batches of goats milk PIIMA, use ¼ cup of culture starter to each pint of goats' milk.

CURDS AND WHEY:
To make "whey" for recipes in Nourishing Traditions, by Sally Fallon with Pat Connolly and Mary G. Enig, Ph.D., culture the PIIMA at or above 80º F.

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.
This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.