Tuesday, August 25, 2009

Yogurt

Ingredients to make yogurt:
  • 3 1/2 c. milk: Use any of the following in any combination: fresh whole milk, fresh skimmed, raw milk, powdered milk, canned milk, soy, rice, or goat milk. 
  • Optional: 1/2-1 c. additional powdered milk. This makes a thicker yogurt.
  • 2 T. culture: Use plain yogurt from the grocery store, or buy a powdered or fresh culture.
  • Heat source: You need to be able to maintain a steady temperature of 110-120 degrees. Options: place quart jar or crockery in the oven with the oven light burning; place crockery or quart jar in insulated container; cover saucepan with towels or blanket after heating the milk; use food dehydrator; use yogurt maker.
Directions for making yogurt:
Bring milk to a boil. Remove from heat and allow to cool to 115-118 degrees. Stir in yogurt culture, shake well in a quart jar. 

Place yogurt in container near heat source and leave undisturbed for 6-8 hours.

Uses of yogurt:
  • Sweeten:  To sweeten: add cut up fruit, a spoonful of your favorite jam, canned fruit, a drizzle of honey. A generous sprinkling of cinnamon also adds sweetness
  • Use as a sour cream substitute on baked potato, baked apple, in salads. Stir it into casseroles that call for sour cream, at a low temperature at the last minute.
  • See salad recipes that use yogurt as a salad dressing in this blog. Delicious in fruit salads.
  • Make cream cheese substitute, by draining yogurt in a cloth-covered sieve for 30 minutes.
  • Use in baked goods to substitute for eggs. See the Chocolate Yogurt Cake in this blog.
  • Fruit smoothies. To a blender bowl add 1/2 c. yogurt, 1/2- 1 c. berries or fruits of your choice. Blend for 30 seconds. Stir. Blend until you get the desired consistency. Add a drizzle of honey, syrup or sugar to taste.