Learn To Make Cheese

We found this great overview of how to make fresh yogurt at home that includes equipment, recipes, calorie information, serving suggestions and common problems encountered in yogurt making.  Here are a few ways you can put your homemade yogurt to good use:

Serving suggestions for home-prepared yogurt:

* Serve on baked potatoes, fruit or vegetables as a low calorie substitute for sour cream.
* For dip or salad dressing, add chopped onion, chives, curry powder, dried onion soup mix or other flavorings.
* To make fruit-flavored yogurt, stir sliced or crushed fruit into plain yogurt. Nuts or raisins can also be added. Add sweetener to taste if needed. Plain yogurt mixed with applesauce is a quick and delicious treat.
* Custard-flavored yogurt can be made by adding 1/2 teaspoon vanilla to 1 cup of yogurt. Sweeten to taste.
* Frozen yogurt on a stick: Add 2 tablespoons frozen fruit juice concentrate, or 1/2-cup sliced or crushed fruit to 2 cups plain yogurt. Freeze in Popsicle molds or cups with plastic spoons or wooden sticks for handles.
* Plain or fruit-flavored yogurt can be frozen in small containers and added to “brown bag” lunches to keep other items cold until lunchtime.

Yogurt: How to Make Yogurt at Home.

The New Zealand Sunday Star Times article, Cheese DIY On the Rise, confirms what we’ve already known about the inevitable cheesemaking revolution. (more…)

What’s lusciously smooth and creamy, with only a fraction of cream cheese’s calories and none of its fat? Yogurt cheese. And it’s a snap to make at home. Just line a large strainer with either cheesecloth, white paper towels, or a coffee filter. (Or use a special yogurt cheese funnel.) Spoon in 4 cups of plain nonfat yogurt, refrigerate and let drain overnight. You’ll end up with 1 ½ to 2 cups of nonfat yogurt cheese. (more…)