Effect of addition of wild garlic (Allium ursinum) on the quality of kefirs from sheep's milk.

BACKGROUND Sheep’s milk has a high content of total solids, which qualifies it as a very good raw material for the production of fermented milk drinks. Currently, there are commercially produced kefirs and yogurts from sheep’s milk in the countries of the Mediterranean region. The growing interest in the consumption of these products is justified not only by their taste merits, but also because of their health-promoting proper- ties. The aim of the present study was to determine the effect of the addition of 1% of lyophilized wild garlic powder on the properties of kefirs from sheep’s milk. METHODS Sheep’s milk was pasteurized (85°C, 30 min), cooled down, enriched with 1% of freeze-dried wild garlic powder, inoculated with a Commercial VITAL kefir culture and fermented for 16 hours (26°C). The influence of wild garlic on acidity (pH, °SH), syneresis (%), texture (TPA test), colour (L*a*b*) and the sensory profile of kefirs was conducted. RESULTS Wild garlic could be used as a taste and flavour modifier in the production of kefir from sheep’s milk. The addition of 1% of freeze-dried wild garlic slowed down the fermentation of kefir, changed colour and reduced syneresis. CONCLUSIONS Wild garlic could be used as a valuable supplement and a modifier of taste and flavour in kefir from sheep’s milk.