Yogurt- the Remix. Plus my current obsession.

As I mentioned in the original post, my first attempt at yogurt came out tasting delicious, but lacking in the texture department. For my second attempt, I integrated some of the changes I mentioned earlier, and the result was amazing! Thicker, richer, possibly even more delicious. Here's what I did:

1. Poured 1/2 gallon milk into heavy pot. Snapped on my candy thermometer.

2. Heated on medium-low, stirring occasionally, until it hit 180 degrees. Meanwhile, heated oven on "warm."

3. Pulled pot off heat, put on the lid (as best I could, given the thermometer).

4. Waited for the milk to cool to 110 degrees. Meanwhile, turned oven off and allowed to cool a bit.

5. Removed some milk using a large measuring cup, stirred in a couple tablespoons of yogurt.

6. Returned mix to pot, whisking thoroughly.

7. Removed thermometer, replaced lid. Made sure oven was below 110 degrees (to protect my culture), turned on oven light to help keep it warm.

8. Wrapped thick towel around pot (including lid). Placed covered pot in oven. Allowed to rest overnight.

Here's the finished product, scooped into the Bell freezer jars I mentioned earlier. One of them actually tipped over in the fridge and yet didn't leak. These are perfect for the job.

What to do with all that yogurt? We are currently obsessed with the mango lassi. Here's what to do:

1. Drag out your blender.

2. Pour 1 cup of yogurt, 1/2 cup of milk, fruit and juice from 2 mangoes, and your preferred sweetener in the blender. I've been using a bit of agave nectar, Brett likes good ole' sugar. My new mango secret: after you cut out the pit and scoop out the flesh, squeeze the pit over the blender with your hand. This ensures you get all the juicy mango goodness around the pit and decreases waste.

3. Whip until smooth.

4. Top with ground cardamom and enjoy! These are even better if you let them sit in the fridge for a bit to get really cold.

My Kitchen, the Laboratory: Part 2- Yogurt

After my successful experience with kefir-making, I decided to experiment with making yogurt. I'd heard that it was possible to make yogurt in a crockpot, so that's what I did. Here are the steps I used, which are a mash-up of the techniques described in both the link above and my Wild Fermentation book:

1. Pour 1/2 gallon milk into crockpot (I used whole, unhomogenized, organic milk and a 4 quart crock). Put on lid and set on low for 2 1/2 hours. You're aiming for the milk to hit 180 degrees (this is both for pasteurization and thickening purposes- although some folks claim heating the milk to this temp is unnecessary).

2. Turn crockpot off, insert thermometer, allow to cool until milk reads 110 degrees.

3. Remove one cup of the milk. Stir in 2 tablespoons live-culture yogurt, and pour back into the crock. Whisk thoroughly.

4. Put the lid back on the crock, wrap in a heavy towel, and allow to rest for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight (8+).

5. Scoop yogurt into cups (I found these great Ball freezer jars on Amazon- they are stackable, pretty leak-proof, BPA free, and dishwasher safe) and refrigerate.

6. Enjoy! From what I've found, these should stay fresh for a week or more, but may become more sour over time. We've been enjoying our yogurt with granola and fruit, as well as in mango lassis. Yum! I can honestly say that store-bought yogurt (even my $2/carton splurge stuff) doesn't hold a candle to what I made, taste-wise. Remember to save a bit to start your next batch with.

I'm still working on tweaking some of the steps, mainly in regards to the crockpot temp. My yogurt came out a bit runny, and that's mainly because I got impatient with waiting for my milk to cool. It seems the crockpot heated the milk much hotter than was necessary. This week I'm going to try heating the crockpot on "warm" while I heat the milk on the stove. Then I'll turn off the crockpot, pour the milk in, mix in the culture, and continue with the rest of the steps.

One extra tip: Save a bit of the yogurt and don't jar it. Line a colander with cheesecloth, put a bowel underneath, and pour the yogurt over. Allow it to drain for a few hours- you'll be left with a yummy, thick, cheese-like spread that's great on toast (among many things.)

My Kitchen, the Laboratory: Part 1- Kefir

A few weeks ago I had a revelation: most of the foods I spend the most money on are also the healthiest. But last time I checked, there aren't many coupons out there for things like kefir and kombucha- and many of the brands I prefer are small organizations, not the type to offer sales.

Still, I'm not willing to give those things up. I'd rather spend more money on food and know I'm giving my family, and myself, the best food possible. Luckily, I found another option- make them myself.

That's right- it turns out that three of my bigger "indulgences"- kefir, yogurt, and kombucha- are all pretty easily (and cheaply!) made at home. So my next few posts will explain how I've started on this journey of producing more of our food at home.

I started with kefir. For those of you who are unfamiliar, kefir is defined by Wikipedia as, "A fermented milk drink that originated with shepherds of the North Caucasus region, who discovered that fresh milk carried in leather pouches would occasionally ferment into an effervescent beverage." Kefir can be flavored or unflavored, sweetened or unsweetened, and the amount of time it ferments for influences how sour it is. Think of it as a stronger, more sour version of yogurt.

What's cool about kefir is that you can only make it with kefir grains- a mix of bacteria and yeast that combine with lots of other scientific-sounding things to create colonies that look sort of like califlower. So, essentially, you can't just manufacture it- you have to obtain the grains from somewhere first. Some of the grains still used today have been around for hundreds of years, passed hand-to-hand around the world. Cool, right?

My kefir grains.

Anyway, the kefir you buy in the store is a far cry from the real stuff. And it's expensive- about $4 for a 32-oz bottle. Because the demand isn't very high, it's processed to give it a longer shelf life. You know what that means- a lot of the bacteria and other organisms that make kefir so great for you die off. Lucky for me, I have friends who make their own kefir and were willing to share. Please keep in mind that there are many different approaches to making kefir- the following description is simply how we make kefir at our house.

1. Start with whole, organic, unhomogenized, and preferably raw milk. You'll also need a clean quart jar with lid, kefir grains, something to strain the kefir with, and any additions you want to make- we add fruit.

2. Pour milk into the jar. Make sure you don't fill it more than 2/3 of the way full.

3. Add kefir grains. The recommendation from my copy of Wild Fermentation says 1 tablespoon per 3 cups of milk, but I say just eyeball it.

4. Put the lid on the jar, shake it around, put it on your countertop, and wait approx. 24 hours. How long you let it ferment is a matter of taste. The longer it ferments, the more sour it will be. Make sure to shake it a couple times throughout the day.

Jar of kefir- notice the cream on top.

5. At this point, strain out the kefir grains. They can be store in fresh milk in a container in the fridge until you're ready to use them again.

6. Put the lid back on the jar and stow it in the fridge. You can enjoy as is, or like we do (below).

7. When it's good and cold, pour it into a blender. Throw in some fruit (we use frozen mixed berries) and whiz.

Finished product- doesn't it look delicious?

8. Enjoy! We tasted our first "homebrew" tonight, and it knocks the socks off the store-bought stuff. Ahhh...saving money tastes *extra* good.

9. Store leftovers in fridge.

Junie at 4 months.

I took Junie to her well-baby visit this week, and she's doing great.

13 lbs, 1 oz

24.5 inches long

She rolls from back to tummy, but not tummy to back yet. Junie is a very happy baby, and spends most of her time smiling, laughing, and "talking" (emphasis on *most*). She's still exclusively breastfed, and generally takes 2-3 bottles while I'm at work. We won't start solids for a couple more months. Junie gets tons of attention from her older sister, who enjoys changing her clothes, attempting to brush her "teeth," and removing and re-inserting her pacifer. I'm starting to wear her on my back now, which she really seems to enjoy- and it definitely boosts my productivity as well! Junie also enjoys sitting in her Bumbo seat, and is getting steadier every day.

Nearly-Wordless-Wednesday.

4-10-2011

First Half-Marathon: Pensacola, FL

2 hrs, 43 minutes

16 weeks postpartum

Wordless Wednesday.

It's my birthday!

Nothing says "birthday" like going to work early, right? At least we had a Breastfeeding Support Group meeting today, so that made the day go quickly. After work, I picked up the supplies for the shrug that's going to be my next knitting project, and I went for a quick run.

Brett and I had the nanny come over for a bit so we could go to dinner- first time we've had dinner all by ourselves in almost a year (what's a date night?!?!?). We put Lucy to bed before we left, and Junie was about to nap, so I was able to bypass mommy-guilt for the time being.

We headed to McGuire's- our fave Pensacola restaurant. Brett forgot his wallet, so not only was he unable to drink, but I got to buy my own birthday dinner- wahoo! Anyway, our meals were delicious as usual, and we had a good time, even if we talked mostly about the kids.

I especially enjoyed all birthday wishes, the chocolate-covered strawberries that arrived at work, and my spankin' new Kindle. Thanks, everyone!