Honey, why is there bad milk in a bowl on the counter?
In case there is anyone who thinks I am a culinary genius, rest assured that I am not. I am a perpetual student who loves to experiment and who wants to find out what I can create that is both delicious and inexpensive.While pursuing that goal over the last few days, I tried to make my own yogurt. I envisioned a thick creamy Greek-style dish would emerge from my efforts of fermenting milk (yogurt, is a Turkish word for “fermented milk”) in a bowl on my kitchen counter. I wound up with something that looked and tasted more like thick cottage cheese.
Of course, we as Americans are more used to the whipped, sweetened version of yogurt we buy at the store. Even the organic versions of yogurt are sweetened in some way. So, in some respects, my efforts were probably successful, though crude. A couple of dollops of raw honey made the recipe a bit more like what I had expected, but I believe a few more attempts could render a better treat.
Still, I thought I would share the recipe from the book From A Traditional Greek Kitchen by Aphrodite Polemis (published by The Book Publishing Company, which I will review here in the next few days). You have to have a little patience to attempt this recipe, but it could be a great way to save money and to know exactly what goes into that yogurt you’re eating.
Give it a try. If nothing else, it’s a fun experiment in the kitchen.
Yogurt
1 quart of low fat milk
3 tablespoons of plain yogurt to use as a starter
3 tablespoons of plain yogurt to use as a starter
· Bring milk to a boil and simmer for 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly Pour into an earthenware or porcelain bowl and let cool. If a food thermometer is available, it should read 130º. If a thermometer is not available, test a drop of milk on your wrist; it should be lukewarm, Cold milk will bring unsuccessful results.
· Mix a few tablespoons of the warm milk with the yogurt and stir the mixture back into the milk. Cover the bowl; wrap snugly in a towel or blanket and allow to stand undisturbed in a warm, quiet place for 4 to 12 hours or overnight.
· If you wish to have a really thick yogurt the way Greek mountain or island people do, cut a square of clean muslin and make a bag about 6” X 12”. Spoon the yogurt into the bag and hang over a bowl placed in the kitchen sink. The bowl will collect the whey, the liquid that drips out, which is a very healthy drink.
· Instead of making a bag, you can line a colander with muslin or layers of cheese cloth Place the colander in a bowl and spoon the yogurt into the cloth liner. Every half-hour or so, pull up the four corners and squeeze the yogurt to encourage the whey to drip out.
· When the yogurt is ready, place in a bowl or glass jar and chill. It can be kept in the refrigerator for more than a week. Be sure to save some yogurt to start the next batch.
· You can also make yogurt in individual bowls using a teaspoon of “starter” per bowl.
· Mix a few tablespoons of the warm milk with the yogurt and stir the mixture back into the milk. Cover the bowl; wrap snugly in a towel or blanket and allow to stand undisturbed in a warm, quiet place for 4 to 12 hours or overnight.
· If you wish to have a really thick yogurt the way Greek mountain or island people do, cut a square of clean muslin and make a bag about 6” X 12”. Spoon the yogurt into the bag and hang over a bowl placed in the kitchen sink. The bowl will collect the whey, the liquid that drips out, which is a very healthy drink.
· Instead of making a bag, you can line a colander with muslin or layers of cheese cloth Place the colander in a bowl and spoon the yogurt into the cloth liner. Every half-hour or so, pull up the four corners and squeeze the yogurt to encourage the whey to drip out.
· When the yogurt is ready, place in a bowl or glass jar and chill. It can be kept in the refrigerator for more than a week. Be sure to save some yogurt to start the next batch.
· You can also make yogurt in individual bowls using a teaspoon of “starter” per bowl.
