How to make fat profits from mursik and other milky products

Mursik expert Ester Kemboi taking trough the process of making quality and health Mursik before serving on the table with Ugali at her rural home in Chirchir, UasinGishu county

Dairy consumption in Kenya has been increasing, but product trends are moving away from fluid milk to processed dairy products. Consumers are interested in locally produced products as well as specialty products.

Farmers and investors have capitalised on an opportunity to market milk and its products such as cheese, ghee, long life milk, yoghurt, ice cream, butter among others.

The volume of marketed milk increased from 682.3 million litres in 2020 to 801.9 million litres in 2021, according to Economic Survey 2022. Dairy production in 2021 registered a significant growth of 10.8 per cent compared to a negative growth of 6.7 per cent in 2020. The growth was mainly due to increase in production of processed milk.

Production of processed milk and cream increased to 510.5 million litres from 457.9 million litres over the same period. Similarly, the quantities of processed butter and ghee, and cheese increased by 7.1 per cent and 11.6 per cent to 1,025.8 tonnes and 176.4 tonnes, respectively, in 2021.

According to Jane Chebet a dairy farmer, there are many reasons for starting a value-added milk business.

"First it's great for financial sustainability of your dairy and if you have a passion for dairy products it provides a business opportunity for future generations," says Chebet.

Chebet makes mursik, cheese, butter and ghee from milk. She sells her products on orders and at the farmers' market.

She says there are a wide range of milk and dairy products that can be explored, it all depends on ones capability and interest.

She adds that milk, cheese and yoghurt are naturally full of important nutrients such as calcium and protein. The unique package of vitamins and minerals they provide means these dairy products pack some pretty important health benefits. Here are the main value added products from dairy products.

Cheese

To make cheese, you need milk as your main product.

"Use good quality fresh whole milk with a low bacteria content. Do not use milk from cows with diseases nor colostrum. Use clean equipment.

Reduce the fat content by allowing the milk to stand for about one hour, and then skim off the top layer.

Heat the milk to about 85 degrees celsius to destroy the bacteria present and increase yield through the precipitation of the whey protein (byproduct of the cheese-making process).

Dilute lemon juice with an equal quantity of clean water so that the lemon can be distributed uniformly. Add about 30 ml of lemon juice per litre of milk. Stir the milk while carefully adding the lemon juice. The curd precipitates almost immediately.

Continue stirring for about three minutes after adding the lemon juice.

Allow the curd to settle for 15 minutes. Separate the curds from the whey by draining through a sieve or a cloth (use a cotton cloth folded twice).

While draining the whey, stir the curd to prevent excess matting (coagulation).

Add salt to the curd at the rate of about four grams (about a level tea spoon) per 100ml of curd and mix thoroughly.

"The amount of salt may be varied to cater for different consumer tastes and preferences. Transfer the curd to a mould lined with cheese cloth. The mould may be cylindrical or square shaped and may be made from metal, plastic or wood," explains Chebet.

Cover the curd by folding over the cheese cloth. Fit a clean wooden board, cut to neatly inside the mould, to enable the curd to be pressed.

Press the curd overnight using metal weights placed on top of the wooden shape. Press with twice the weight of the cheese (for every kg of cheese use two kg press). Press for one to two hours then take the cheese out of the mould.

Store the cheese as it is or cut it into suitably sizes for sale. Coat the cheese with a thin film of butter to enhance the appearance.

Ripen the cheese on clean wooden shelves for at least four weeks at a temperature of 12 to 16 degrees. During the ripening, take the cheese off the shelves every three days, put vinegar on a cloth and wipe the cheese.

"This process prevents growth of fungi. The longer you ripen the cheese the stouter the flavour," says Chebet.

100 grams of cheese cost Sh270 and 250 grams goes for Sh550.

Ghee

Ghee is 100 per cent butterfat and is derived from butter. It is golden-yellow and carries a nutty aroma.

It is prepared by completely separating the fat from the water, milk solids and sugars found in butter.

"What is left is fat-soluble components like amino acids, proteins and fat-soluble vitamins. It is more concentrated than butter since the milk solids have been removed," she says.

While you can find ghee at the supermarket, it can also be made at home by cooking butter slowly over very low heat until it melts.

The water begins to separate from the fat and milk solids as (the butter) cooks. Once the water is completely gone, the milk solids will settle to the bottom.

You can either stop once the milk solids have settled or continue cooking the butter until the dairy pieces turn light reddish brown, which will give your ghee a rich caramel flavour.

After the dairy components have separated, let the mixture cool slightly. Once done, strain the molten ghee through cheesecloth and store it in clean and dry jars.

Ghee, is particularly ideal for people who avoid lactose, which is removed during the preparation process.

500 grams of ghee costs about Sh400.

Mursik

This is a traditional milk delicacy that is an integral part of the Kalenjin culture and heritage. It is made from fermented milk preserved in gourds lined with specially ground fine charcoal from select trees that gives it a unique smoky flavour. To give it a twist, sometimes animal blood is added to it.

Materials needed

Gourd, a knife, palm tree branches, cow urine, clean water, dry ash, cow hide, several dry sticks from a milk preserving tree species (preferably Cassia didymobotrya), a bow shaped palm stick (sosiot) without bristles, fire, milk in a clean container with a lid and water.

Steps

Preparing the gourd: Cut the top of the gourd systemically using the machete or knife. Remove the seeds and pour a mixture of water and ash into the gourd. Cork the gourd and put it aside for a few days. Pour out the water in readiness for cleaning and treating the gourd.

Cleaning the gourd: Take some branches of the palm tree and hit them on a firm surface such as a tree trunk until the edges form brush like bristles. Using the stiff bristles remove the inner lining of the new gourd in order to ensure that the milk does not acquire the bitter taste of the gourd.

"Pour some cow urine into the gourd and put it aside for a few days for curing and seasoning. Pour out the cow urine and use a bow shaped palm stick (sosiot) to clean the gourd again," explains Chebet.

Treating the gourd: Take a few sticks from the selected milk preserving tree species and burn the tips into charcoal. Put the burning embers inside a clean and dry gourd, shaking it to avoid burning. Using the bow shaped palm stick grind the embers by pressing them against the walls of the gourd using the sosiot in a methodical, circular in and out movement of the hand. Repeat the grinding movement until the inside of the gourd is evenly covered with fine dust. Pour out any large particles and excess coal dust and allow the gourd to cool down.

Preparing and treating the gourd lid: Prepare a well-designed, tightly fitting lid for the gourd using animal hide or skin. Test the lid to make sure it its tightly into the mouth of the gourd.

"Treat the inner side of the lid with charcoal dust using the method for cleaning and treating the gourd," says Chebet.

Milking, boiling and cooling the milk: Milk the cow and boil the fresh milk immediately. Cover the boiled milk to avoid contamination and allow it to cool.

"Usually the cow was milked directly into a treated gourd and the milk would be mixed with some blood and stored in a cool place to ripen. But, this practice has since died because of change in lifestyles and widespread awareness of the need to improve hygiene standards," she says.

Fermentation: Pour the milk into the treated gourd. Cork it tightly with the treated lid. Store the mursik in a cool dry place for about one week to allow it to ripen until it achieves the consistency of sour milk.

Serving the mursik: Before you serve it, shake the mursik well to ensure it has a smooth and uniform consistency. After thorough shaking, good quality mursik is a clear liquid with a sharp taste that is almost bitter.

Mursik is best taken during the dry season or on a sunny day and served cold with hot ugali.