you don’t need to babysit it. Go read a book. Or write a grocery list.)
Step 3: Adding the Culture The culture is good bacteria that spreads throughout the milk and turns it into, well, yogurt! If this is your first time making yogurt, add a cup of plain storebought yogurt to the milk (not vanilla, fruit flavored or with choco bits). If you’ve made yogurt already, you can use a cup from your previous batch to make a new one. Stir lightly so that the yogurt culture is spread throughout the whole gallon. Then, pour the milk into your quart jars and twist lids on.
you like your yogurt very thick and Greek-like, you can strain it through a cheesecloth to get rid of excess liquid (called whey).
Optional Step 5: Adding Your Personal Touch If you’ve never tasted plain yogurt before, you may be put off by the first lick. Adjust it to your preference by adding a bunch of goodies. Try drizzling honey or date syrup for a natural healthy sweetener, or add a handful of granola for extra crunch. You can add a variety of chopped or blended fruit like strawberries, blueberries, mangoes, bananas, etc. FEELING CONFIDENT with your yogurt-making skills? Maybe it’s time to cut out another item from your
Step 4: Incubating the Yogurt You’ll want to make sure the jars are nice and warm for a few hours to let the culture do its job. You can try one of these options: A) If you have a cooler, place the jars inside and fill ¾ way up with water that’s 120 degrees. Shut the cooler and leave it for three hours. B) Place jars onto the rack in the oven and close the door. No need to get the oven going! Simply put the oven light on (ideally 60 watts to keep temperature at approximately 110–115 degrees) and allow to sit overnight. C) Simply wrap the jars in a warm, thick blanket and leave it on the counter overnight. With any method, keep in mind that the longer it incubates, the tangier the taste will be. Transfer jars to refrigerator. The yogurt should be fairly firm at this point. It will firm up more in the fridge, though, so don’t panic if it’s still a little sloshy. If
One minute. Why are you even buying yogurt? Don’t you know you can make the most delicious versions in your very own kitchen for a fraction of the price?
grocery list. Try your hand at cream cheese! This first version is so easy to do, you’ll wonder why you ever bothered buying cream cheese before. Add a bit of salt to your homemade yogurt and pour it into a large cheesecloth or thin cotton cloth. Tie a knot on top to form a bag, and hang it overnight to dry. (You can tie it to cabinet knobs.) Make sure to put a bowl under the bag to catch all whey drippings. In the morning you’ll have a delicious creamy cheese waiting to be slathered over crusty bread! (This will yield a slightly tangy cheese, similar to sour cream.) This second version, a simple and easy farmer-style cheese, comes together quickly and is an excellent way to use up extra milk. Pour a gallon of milk into a heavy-bottomed pot and bring to a boil. When boiling, immediately reduce the heat to low, and stir in ½ cup vinegar. You will see it separating into curds and whey. Pour the mixture into a colander lined with cheesecloth and rinse curds gently with cool water. Sprinkle 2 teaspoons fine sea salt over the curds and tie it up into a bag. Hang for 1–2 hours, then open it up and chop it coarsely. It will last in the fridge for up to a week. Now, use the time saved on grocery shopping and make a cheesecake!
May 17, 2017 / THE MONSEY VIEW / 131 www.themonseyview.com / 845.600.8484