Abstract: Shelf-stable low-fat cultured dairy products, prepared through fermentation, have essentially natural characteristics in plain and flavored varieties, which characteristics are retained over an extended period of time, without refrigeration. A low-fat dairy culture composition is sterilized and cooled; a food starch is blended therein; the blended product then undergoes a syneresis step at a temperature within the approximate range of 100.degree. to 150.degree.F., which temperature is below the pasteurization temperature of such blended product and below the temperature at which the food starch will set; after the syneresis step, the product is homogenized; the homogenized product is adjusted, if necessary, to a pH of 4.5 or less, filled into containers and sealed therein; and the containerized product is pasteurized.