Yoghurt – First Trials

We have now made three lots of yoghurt in the new gadget

Lynne kindly sent me some notes on what to do with it :)

I should do some sums and work out how much I have to make before the yoghurt maker pays for itself – actually I can’t be bothered, after all how do I cost the whey which I can use  to bake bread?   Can’t buy that anywhere locally..

  • No 1 with easi yo packet plus water  to fill up jar ( a litre in all) – this one split into curds and whey. Why?  Think it’s not supposed to be made in an electric yoghurt maker but in the easi yo kit.  Made some fabulous whey and labneh from it all the same.
  • No 2 with a litre of UHT full cream milk plus 2 spoons Marvel skimmed milk powder plus 2 teaspoons of live Yeo Valley yoghurt  – perfect set but a bit bland. The easiest method as it doesn’t involve heating milk.
  • No 3 with a litre of  fullcream organic milk (heated and left to cool and forgotten about for 6 hours)  plus 2 spoons Marvel plus 2 teaspoons of live Yeo Valley yoghurt – a little more whey but a good set

Brian preferred the UHT and I preferred the almost organic one – don’t know if one can buy organic skimmed milk powder somewhere but I will look around.

What I’ve learnt so far….yoghurt making is much easier than making bread…..

Do not use more than two teaspoons of starter yoghurt to a litre of milk, it’s very similar to leaven in that regard.  Less is more.
Do not mix it up too much, it doesn’t need it.
Don’t joggle it about while it is setting, it likes to be left alone.

To turn it into yoghurt cheese  – labneh –  rumoured to be lower in calories than cream cheese – line a sieve with muslin, and let the yoghurt drain through for a day in a cool place. I made little balls of cheese rolled in a mixture of zaartar, salt and pepper – sweet paprika – oregano to go with last night’s supper of salad, fried almonds, and Ottolenghi’s legume and noodle soup from The Guardian.

Eaten for breakfast with honey and hazelnuts and a couple of slices of the legendary delicate milk loaf!

What do you do with your yoghurt?

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  Ooh look I’ve just found how to do a slideshow….. :)

Here is one I made a while ago –  the one I wanted to take the picture of was whipped away by my neighbour  – she came with three baby tomato plants to trade me for a fresh loaf on Sunday morning.  I think I get a pretty good deal.  The bread is a Golspie Loaf made from a Dan Lepard recipe in the HandMade Loaf with a rye leaven starter and a soft oat coating.  I get asked for this one over and over, it’s baked in a springform tin and is easy peasy!

Garden and Woodland Pics for Celia

There are so many little things I want to show you in the garden- here are a few for now.

Celia asked for pictures but I hope anyone else dropping by will  have a quick look!

Snakeshead Fritillary  – my favourite native spring bulb! (fritillaria meleagris) Extraordinary and unique as far as I know

Fritillaria meleagris

Apple blossom any day now – three different sorts on the family tree

From Maureen's garden!

Primroses from my neighbour’s garden. We trade plants and bread!

The Buddha sitting next to the brunnera ‘jack frost’ contemplating irises in leaf

AND down in the woods….

allium ursinum

Swathes of wild garlic (allium ursinum) for Celia!  No bulbs but you can pick the leaves and the white flower heads when they appear in a couple of weeks time.

Celandine and Wood Anenomes (don’t ask me which sort!)  are everywhere right now too!

Oh to be in England now that Spring is there! Or in an Australian garden too, where there will be chocolate cake I am sure :)