Greek yogurt a gift to the world
22 Sep 2011 Leave a Comment
Greek yogurt a gift to the world
My fascination with yogurt goes back to my youth, and my grandfather on my mother’s side.
Oh what a man he was, a father to 11 children and a house full of help. I always wonder about my grandmother, how in the world she managed to take care of this large family and a husband to say the least, a very particular husband. She loved him to the end and that was the crazy glue that did the magic! He was a very special man and he was taking such good care of himself. One detail that has stuck with me is, that he loved yogurt. Every night the yogurt man will pass by the house with his large flat container and he would get his nightly portion of the magic yogurt .It was the last thing he had, yogurt at the end of the day to bring some balance into his system, and then of he went to bed! The name of the yogurt man, get this, was OLOPAHOS meaning all the fat was in the yogurt….WOW… Those days are long gone…. (The biography of my grandparents is a book that I am working on.)
The yogurt he was in love with was from the milk of sheep.
He died at a very old age with the complexion of a little boy. I think it was his nightly ritual… YOGURT
What is yogurt and why it is so popular? Yogurt is basically a form of curdled milk and “friendly” bacteria do the work.
The “friendly” bacteria in the milk ferment and coagulate to thicken milk to a creamy texture, adding a tangy, slightly astringent flavor. Heating the milk and keeping it to 100 degrees for a few hours, it would naturally turn to yogurt.
Yogurt can be made from any variety of mammal milk, but the best yogurt is made from cow, buffalo or goat milk.
There are several types of yogurt with differing fat levels readily available in the market. In North America yogurt is generally made from cow milk. Plain yogurt is unflavored and unsweetend.Flavored yogurt has fruit or flavoring added along with plenty of sugar.
Here is how I was taught to make homemade yogurt and it works every time.
You will need 1 large pot, 3 Litters whole milk, 1 small container plain natural yogurt, 1 colander and double cheese cloth.
In a very clean pot, (almost sterilized clean) add 3 Lit. Whole milk and heat until it starts to boil, remove from heat and let it stand covered for 10-15 minutes. At this point feel the milk with your finger; start counting until 10, if you can take the heat, your milk is ready. In a bowl add the yogurt and a little of the hot milk. Mix very well and add to the hot milk stirring vigorously. Cover your milk and place the pot in a warm place, I put mine in the oven overnight. In the morning your yogurt is ready, place the cheese cloth in the colander and put your yogurt to drain. It is going to take some time to drain, keep it in the refrigerator.
And this is the way to make homemade Greek yogurt. Why I like to make my own, so I can control the sugar and all kinds of additives.
I enjoy it plain and if I want flavors, I add my own. Greek honey and nuts is a very delicious way to enjoy yogurt.Tzatziki is fabulous with that very nice Greek yogurt. I love to make a very delicious dip that goes so well with different fruit and here is the recipe, an excerpt from the book Boukia Boukia.
Greek Yogurt Chocolate dip
2 cups drained plain yogurt
½ cup icing sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 tbsp.cocoa powder
4 tbsp. chocolate syrup
A little vanilla, a little cinnamon
1 tbsp Amaretto liqueur
Mix all the ingredients together and have fun with your favorite fruit.
Agape Litsa!
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