Thank you all for your advice on my dilemma last week. I have decided on my next challenge. As I am struggling so much with limiting and organising my stuff, in the end I decided to go with the option which did not involve buying any new kit or any ingredients which would need to be stored. For yoghurt, I have everything I need already in the house except the milk, which is easy enough to pick up.
After much reading, I decided to try incubating the yoghurt in the oven overnight. I had a slight mishap when I added the yoghurt starter while the milk was still over 80 degrees... Funnily enough the starter separated and didn't look yoghurty anymore. I realised my error, and prepared another starter which I added after the yoghurt had cooled. The jar spent the night in a slightly warm oven wrapped in a towel, and I popped it in the fridge in the morning. And lo! it had set!
Please excuse me while I do a happy dance... This has rather made my day, it's been a long, stressful, busy, hectic couple of days and very far from either simple or slow. I've also been rather cross and crabby, and a bit snappy at everyone, so I'm pleased to discover that checking on my jar of yoghurt has raised my spirits and put me in a more positive frame of mind for tomorrow.
The real test is of course the taste - I have't opened the jar yet but will let you know the verdict when I do. I've also realised that I have unintentionally made more than twice as much yoghurt as I normally eat in a week, so I might just have to make some cheese to use up the rest. (Sigh. It's a hard life.)
Please excuse me while I do a happy dance... This has rather made my day, it's been a long, stressful, busy, hectic couple of days and very far from either simple or slow. I've also been rather cross and crabby, and a bit snappy at everyone, so I'm pleased to discover that checking on my jar of yoghurt has raised my spirits and put me in a more positive frame of mind for tomorrow.
The real test is of course the taste - I have't opened the jar yet but will let you know the verdict when I do. I've also realised that I have unintentionally made more than twice as much yoghurt as I normally eat in a week, so I might just have to make some cheese to use up the rest. (Sigh. It's a hard life.)
Good on you!! I use the Easiyo thermos for mine, but you have really done it the traditional way! The yogurt cheese is just yummy and I even use watered down yogurt for my bread making in place of water -a very soft well risen loaf. Glad you are having fun with it.
ReplyDeleteI did look into using a thermos but as we don't actually own a thermos, it would have been another thing to buy... Using some in bread is a great idea, I was thinking of baking over the weekend. Thanks!
DeleteI completely understand having your spirits lifted by a pot of set yoghurt - same thing happens to me!
ReplyDeleteIt might be worth hanging on to the extra yoghurt rather than making cheese from it - having had visitors for the past few weeks, I had got into the habit of making a double quantity of yoghurt. Now that we are back to just two, I forgot and made the same quantity. Today I opened a jar that I'm sure I made a week ago and has been languishing in the fridge - still set & still delicious, not too sour as I had expected. I'll probably just continue making a double batch each time now as it seems to last for ages.
Hope yours tastes good!
Interesting... This is unfortunately one big jar, but I should definitely making two or three smaller ones next time and see if it lasts a week or two, would be rather less work than trying to make yoghurt every week.
DeleteHow exciting. Yoghurt will stay fresh for quite a while. I make three litres at a time. Just as easy to make three litres as 1/2 and then you don't have to do it so often.
ReplyDeleteI like the sound of mega yoghurt making! Who wouldn't want three litres of homemade yoghurt in their fridge?
DeleteOoo can't wait to hear how it tastes! xxx
ReplyDeleteI tried some this morning, it's nice and definitely a success for my first attempt! I recommend it, even if just as an experiment.
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