Homemade Greek Yogurt: Cheap, Simple, Delicious!

I was excited when I found Susie E's recipe for "Foolproof Crock Pot Greek Yogurt" on the "one good thing by Jillee" site.  I didn't think it could get any easier than that but
IT DID!
                                                                                                  
As I read her instructions I got hung up on the stated precise temperatures apparently necessary for the perfect finished product.  I got frustrated when testing my crock pots' temperatures to find they varied greatly.  I was afraid to continue but wanted to succeed so I returned to the Internet.

In my search I found what the "official" difference was between pricey regular yogurt and very pricey Greek yogurt! And several suggestions from others. Hopefully my efforts will save you effort.

After looking at other sites and their methods and reading the zillion suggestions and comments that accompanied them I found the comment that was right for me when one responded that her grandmother was from the old country, where yogurt has been made forever, and her grandmother's temperature directions were "stinging" when you put your finger in the pot for the 180-190 degree range and "comfortable" when it had dropped to the 95-115 degree range.

Using "Grandma's" temperatures ---- (and comments I found on further simplifying from others) you can make Greek Yogurt in simple steps

• Milk 
• 6 ounces approximately(a small tub) commercial Greek yogurt that contains live cultures
• Powdered milk, if desired

1. Pour 8 cups of 2 percent milk and almost 2 cups of powdered milk (I don't think you need to use that much) into a large heavy pot, whisking until the dry milk was thoroughly combined.

2. Heat, over low heat, it until it "stings" your finger (which when measured with my old candy thermometer was about 185 degrees)

3. Remove pot from stove and let cool until it feels "comfortable" to your finger. (Again, as a first time precaution, I checked it with the thermometer and it was in the right range)

4. Thoroughly whisk in the commercial yogurt.

5. Pour into sterilized* jars (whatever sizes you wish, but always one small jar to hold for the "starter" for the next batch so you only have to buy the commercial product once.) *I don't have a dishwasher so I dip them in boiling water and swish them around to sterilize) and put on lids.

6. Put the jars in a small hard plastic cooler*, fill the container about half way up the jars with hot tap water, close the lid, wrap a towel around the whole thing, and let it sit for about 8 hours.  (*Others used Styrofoam or soft-sided coolers. Some put the jars in the  crock pot, others in the oven with the light on, some on heating pads, some wrapped them in blankets, and others used a combination.)

Once again, they did it simply in the old world, showing us the process is very forgiving.


I discovered :

• Greek yogurt has greater protein than regular yogurt --- thus making it healthier.
• The increased protein is the result of draining regular yogurt.
• Adding powdered milk to the liquid milk further increases the protein content of the finished product.
• The drained liquid (whey) is good to use in baking, enriching soups, etc.
• This basic yogurt, without sweeteners or flavorings, is a good sour cream substitute, and if drained for a longer period of time---cream cheese.

I also learned:

• It is easy to adjust the ingredients to make smaller or larger amounts.
• It will keep in the refrigerator for about a month.
• You keep some yogurt from each batch to use in making the next batch.
• Any "percentage" of milk may be used -- skim, 1 or 2 percent, or whole milk, even powdered.
• There were disagreements on the outcome when using soy, almond, goat, etc. milks. Some said ultra pasteurized milk worked while others said it didn't.  
• If you add powdered milk the protein is increased and the product is thicker. 
• A variety of sweeteners, natural and artificial, can be successfully used.
• Most individuals preferred making the plain basic recipe and adding any extras to individual servings just before eating, allowing for more versatility. 

Once again, they did it simply in the old world? Apparently the actual process is very forgiving.

Most of the "quick" recipes I found call for straining the yogurt to separate the whey making the yogurt very thick. Adding powdered milk eliminates that need.  Where some indicated they poured off a lot of whey, reducing the amount of finished product, I only had about one teaspoon of whey.

When I tipped the jars I could tell the mixture had set up, so I moved them to the refrigerator to chill. Apparently different batches may not thickened/set up the same, and will continue to thicken in the frig. If, for some reason, a batch doesn't thicken, you can use it in smoothies!

I love it when I am able to recreate---usually significantly healthier and cheaper---a commercial product. Even if I don't continue to make it on  a regular basis (which is rare for me) I know I can do it when I want to -- or need to!  

I strongly feel that it is wise to learn how to be as self-sustaining as possible as insurance against a time of need. Learning how to do now, when supplies are readily available, can save experimenting and frustration when the need is there and abundance is not.

'till we eat again,
            Simply, Gail

Healthy Cold Drinks for Hot Days

Our long Winter is finally over 

Our Spring was fleeting 

Summer is in full Blast

Dave volunteers at a horse ranch in the therapy portion of a program for addicted boys. 

Since I have never mentioned horses on this blog before (except for the rocking horse cake which you can find in the cookbook sidebar) I will answer the question before you even ask.  

No, Dave didn't know anything about horses before he started helping out but----he did know a lot about addicts!

He comes home hot and thirsty.  I have been raiding our freezer* for refreshing beverage combinations.

It has been fun coming up with winning combinations on my own --- using what we have on hand.

In their seasons, when fruits and vegetables are readily and cheaply available, both from our garden and those of friends,  local farmer's markets or fruit stands,  I  freeze some for future use.  

Our freezer currently contains 

Banana slices -- both very thinly sliced and sliced about 1/3 inch thick. 

Peach and cantaloupe chunks

Watermelon puree

Grapes  

Blueberries

Orange slices

Lemon slices

Raspberries

Tomato puree

Pomegranate seeds

Spinach leaves

Kale leaves

Cilantro-stuffed ice-cubes

Also a variety of green, red and yellow green peppers, zucchini, etc.

Plus a five-pound of pebble ice (the type that is used in meat section displays) that I have divided into 2 cup portions in zip-lock-type freezer bags.

Note: I forgot to add that I usually include one or two large dollops of my simple and foolproof homemade Greek yogurt in each of our drinks.   You can find that recipe here.  http://thecreativecheapskate.blogspot.com/search?q=greek+yogurt

We have just started making full use of our bounty in this way and the possibilities are endless.

Banana slices, cantaloupe chunks, orange slices, apple juice with chia seeds blended in for extra nutrition

Cantaloupe chunks and apple juice, garnished with a few frozen grapes dropped in the glass before serving.

A blender is necessary ---- make sure the lid is on tight! I usually keep a hand on the lid also . . . just in case.

Use whatever combinations and measurements appeal to you.

I look at this next one as an occasional treat that doesn't sound so sugary when the blender full is divided among several glasses.

Lemon Cooler --- Wash one large lemon. Remove a slice from the top and bottom of the lemon and discard. Remove 1/2 to 2/3 of the rind from the lemon and discard it, leaving the rest of the rind intact. Cut lemon into thin rounds and remove seeds. Place slices in blender container. Add 1 cup granulated sugar. Fill container with crushed ice. Add cold water to fill container 3/4 of the way. Put on the lid, holding it firmly in place, and blend on high until smooth. Serve immediately.

My next attempt will be a V-8 (vegetable) type drink.  I imagine (and hope) it will turn out like a gazpacho smoothie!

I offer more simple drinks  under  beverages  in the cookbook sidebar. 

Side note:  44 years ago I wanted a blender for Christmas.  Dave felt it was one of those "things" that would sit on the counter and collect dust but he indulged me.  

'Nother note: It is not necessary to buy one of those $300+ Cadillac models.  Most reasonable blenders will do the job.

'til we eat again,

           I am Simply, Gail ---and I try to keep everything simple

It's Best to Tell the Truth and . . .

It has happened again! I have forgotten how to add the recipes from several posts to the cookbook list that runs down the side of my blog.

I have posted several GREAT recipes (at least I think they are and so do my tasters!) without being able to list them for your future reference.  I have spent hours going through my notes, digging through Google Blogger for Dummies, and experimenting --- unsuccessfully.

We have two grandchildren coming  through here in the next week or so on their way home from college. Hopefully they will be able to spend some time and will be willing to help me out.......again.

In the meantime---- please don't give up on me!

Fortunately, a few weeks ago when we were visiting, our daughter pointed out the little white search box at the top left hand side of my blog.  Can you believe ..... that's a dumb question ..... sure you can, that I didn't realize it was there.

Of course, you probably already knew about it.

Until help arrives I am going to list the recipes that don't appear in the sidebar and the wording to type in the little search box.

I am sorry for the extra work this will cause you but if you read one of the posts, wanted the recipe, and couldn't find it again, hopefully this will be worth your effort.

I have tried each of the "titles" I have put in bold, before the recipe descriptions and they will take you to the correct site.

• Chocolate "Shell" gives you the 2-ingredient recipe for the crackly chocolate topping that hardens when it hits ice cream (or frozen banana slices). 
• Blender Compost teaches you to turn your veggie and fruit trimmings into an instant compost smoothie for your garden.
• Artisan Bread reveals the simplicity to frugally making that expensive crusty-type European breads found in bakeries --- in minutes for pennies.
• Greek Yogurt shows you how to easily make this expensive yogurt  inexpensively without any special equipment.
• Donuts provides simple and simply delicious cake donuts in minutes --- Dave thinks they are the best he has ever tasted!
• Root Veggie Chips from my experimenting to create inexpensive and  healthy alternative to commercial ones.
• Zucchini Chips offers more in the dehydrating line of healthy snacks. They are so much better than they sound.
• Tartar Sauce quickly made from simple ingredients you probably already have on hand --- with none of the additives.
• Cole Slaw Dressing perfect for cabbage slaw (I am not sure where the name Cole came from) to mix up in a minute using simple ingredients.
• Microwave Potato Chips ---- to make, eat, and enjoy without any expensive specialty equipment.
• Coconut Cookies that require only one bowl and one fork to make.
• Barbecue Sauce that requires few ingredients, no cooking, and tops the most famous.
• Jello Milk Shake for a cool and colorful refreshing treat.
• Deodorant that does the job with natural, around the house, ingredients and no yucky, potentially harmful ones.

When I finally learn, I promise to

---fully write out the directions

---prominently post them in an obvious place

---immediately add the recipes to the cookbook list

Until that time, I will continue to add the search box headings to the bottom of each post.

And, I am thanking you in advance for what I hope is your patience with me.

I am Simply  Simple, Gail.

UPDATE!!!  My good friend Sandy talked me through how to put my recipes (including all of the above) in the Cook Book section.  Thanks, Sandy.

My next project will be how to make the Cook Book Section more user-friendly. In the meantime (which could be quite a long time) I hope you'll keep scrolling down to see what is there for you to make simply, cheaply, and without a bunch of added chemicals and other ingredients.

Part 6 - Gain Peace of Mind by Being Prepared If Women's Personal Products are Unavailable. . .

Uh-oh here comes Gail with another one of her unmentionable
posts. 

 A few days ago I  directed a long-time and long-time-no-see friend  to my blog for the recipes for microwave bread and butter pickles and Greek Yogurt.  Because of the date of our exchange (and thankfully just in time) I remembered to warn her that the first post she would encounter would be the one on "disposing of human waste."  I assured her it  was not my usual blogging topic.

The fact of the matter is  --- 

no matter who we are, at what point or station or circumstance in our lives  we all gotta go and for some --- flow.  And it is helpful if the under-discussed could be openly-discussed. 

Sanitary Hygiene Products were a  most welcome invention back in the day. What may surprise  many of you is 1) back in the day actually wasn't too many "days" ago and 2) necessary sanitary products aren't necessarily sanitary!

When I was just getting started, these products came in plain brown wrappers.  

If you want to learn more and, more importantly, want to learn of some alternatives just-in-case --- simply click on each of the following. 

This first one gives you some interesting history on where the commercial products all began and some back-then-frank-talk you will probably find amusing.

http://thecreativecheapskate.blogspot.com/2012/06/what-if-i-dared-discuss-feminine.html

This next post is the getting-back-to-the basic whys, wherefores and, most important, how-to's ------ just in case you want them or may need them. 

http://thecreativecheapskate.blogspot.com/2012/07/what-if-you-consider-going-back-to.html

I haven't even tried to give time-line assignments for this post but I hope you will give yourself some time to get past the yuck factor and consider the possibilities of  knowing how to go back to the basics ---- just in case. If you do choose to be prepared in this area I hope you will not put off preparing.

I am Simply Gail, trying to be down to earth  in broaching these basic plain-brown-wrapper subjects. Sorry Heidi, I don't feel it is TMI.