Homemade Yogurt

I'm not too adventurous when it comes to making new things, like yogurt, for example. My husband had the idea and decided to try it. It turned out awesome, so now that I have the bug I think yogurt-making may become a regular activity around here. I'll just give you the link to the site that we followed.

http://www.melskitchencafe.com/2013/01/diy-homemade-yogurt.html




Okay, so here are three tidbits for you with your homemade plain yogurt.

1) Remember Michelle's post on Creamy Vanilla Frozen Yogurt that she posted in January? It calls for plain Greek yogurt. Greek yogurt is just a thicker yogurt than regular. If you want to make thicker yogurt to make Michelle's frozen yogurt, let the whey strain for longer. We actually strained our yogurt overnight (put a lid on the strainer if you do this) and in the morning we had lots of whey and very thick yogurt. We added some whey back in and stirred it up well to get a good consistency. But that's how you can make the thick yogurt.


2) Use your homemade plain yogurt as a substitute for sour cream. It's a great healthy substitute that still adds creaminess to your recipes.

3) Make your whey useful instead of discarding it like Mel mentions in her instructions. Whey is the liquid part strained out from the yogurt in the last step. It is actually very healthy and useful. It contains all the water-soluble vitamins and minerals from the milk. There are lots of things you can use it for. I put some in my oatmeal this morning, and I've found a list of other things you can do with it. I'll share some of those with you so that good healthy whey won't go to waste.


USES FOR WHEY
1) Substitute it for any recipe that calls for water (or milk). I'm going to try it in my bread recipe next time.

2) Freeze it for later use. I ended up getting a lot of whey, so I'm planning to freeze half of it and use it in recipes later.

3) Use the whey to cook rice, pasta, or beans.

4) Use it as a substitute for broth or stock in soup and stew recipes.

5) Use it when you make fruit smoothies or milkshakes.

6) Use it as a marinade by adding spices to it to soak your meats in.

7) Dilute it a lot with water in a separate container and water your plants with it. Straight whey could "burn" your plants.



Anyway, the sky is the limit on uses for whey. I just googled different ideas and shared my favorites with you. Enjoy your homemade yogurt and whey!