With all the excess milk around the place, I decided to make yogurt last week.
My first step was to culture a jar of milk. I used a couple tablespoons of plain Chobani greek style yogurt. I didn't heat the milk up, adding culture to already warm milk has been giving me more of a cheese like product.
Then I let it sit on the counter for the day. I don't have a yogurt maker or even a heat pad, and wanted to try a colder incubation temperature. I let it set until I could see yogurt globs and whey starting to separate.
Then, I let it sit in the refrigerator for a few days. I tend to get busy and forget stuff, but this didn't need immediate attending to.
When I had time, I filtered as much whey as I could get out of the yogurt with a milk filter.
After a week in the refrigerator, I decided it tasted perfect. Because I don't use any thickeners, it was kind of a runny concoction. I'll have to experiment with thickening agents soon.
Yesterday afternoon, I decided it would be better as frozen yogurt. Why not!?
I added a bunch of chocolate syrup to the yogurt and shook it well. It turned brown, with some white specks in it. The white specks were the cream that I couldn't get when I skimmed it off before yogurt making. And, it was delicious cultured cream, like a very mild cream cheese. Perfect with chocolate!!
After mixing in the chocolate real well, I put the whole jar in the freezer with the lid on loosely. I took it out of the freezer every few hours and shook it up, then returned it to the freezer.
This morning after finishing the chores, I checked on it.
It had frozen to a beautiful not quite solid, not quite creamy consistency. The white cream chunks were still intact and visible in the mixture. I dipped in a spoon, and tasted my handiwork. It's amazing tasting!! It is very rich though, and I couldn't eat very much of it.
So here's the recipe, for anyone who cares to try this.
One quart goat milk, raw
Two tablespoons plain yogurt
Chocolate syrup to taste
Take chilled milk from refrigerator and skim whatever cream has separated off the top. No need to be diligent about this step, the resulting cultured cream cheese actually compliments this frozen treat. Eat the cream, or save it and add to the yogurt right before freezing it.
pour about a cup of milk into a glass. Add two tablespoons plain yogurt (I used Chobani brand).
Stir well until yogurt has dissolved and no chunks remain. Dump this mixture back into the container of milk.
Put lid on jar loosely, do not tighten. Let it sit on your counter until you see some definite yogurt action happening. I let mine incubate about 8 hours, but you may need more or less time.
Return to refrigerator when you feel your mixture is yogurt and not milk. Ignore the whey that is starting to separate out. Whey is an almost clear liquid, a by-product of Greek yogurt. It won't harm anything.
Let it chill in the refrigerator for....idk? Three, four days maybe.
Strain your whey off, to the best of your ability. Use muslin cloth, cheesecloth, pantyhose (my favorite so far!), milk filters, coffee filters, whatever will strain the liquid out and not the solids. Cheesemaking and dairy products should be fun, not a chore with exact temperatures to attain and special equipment to spend money on. Use what you've got, and have fun!!
Anyway, is your whey strained off yet? I tend to be an impatient soul, and not all the whey drained out of mine. That is OK, just do what you can and put it back in the refrigerator when you're tired of straining.
Try to make sure you don't strain ALL the whey off, you want yogurt consistency and not yogurt cheese.
After another 4 days, or two weeks or whatever you choose, remove the yogurt from refrigerator. It should still have a more mild taste and not be punch you in the face tangy.
Add chocolate syrup, a bunch of it. Taste the mixture, is it chocolatey enough? If not, add lots more. If so, add just a little bit more and mix the syrup in well. Add cream and mix in at this stage, if you saved your skimmings.
Put it in the freezer, container and all. Keep the lid loose so the liquid expansion doesn't crack the jar.
Let it freeze, it takes quite awhile. Every 4 hours or so if possible take the jar out and shake its contents. Don't forget to tighten your lid first!
When it's frozen, it is done. Enjoy!
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