Yogurt, Part Deux

Yesterday I made my second batch of yogurt, using 3 tablespoons of the previous yogurt batch in place of a starter culture. It worked beautifully! I also decreased the amount of milk from 2 quarts to 1 quart and the end product was significantly thicker. I still used whole milk, though, and eventually want to experiment with lower milk fat. Next time, I will try straining the yogurt through muslin to try for Greek yogurt. Regardless, I'm hooked! Infinitely better than anything store-bought!

How to Make Your Own Cheese Press

Cool link for handy people who want to make their own cheese press:
http://fiascofarm.com/dairy/cheesepress.html

Bondon Cheese

I had some milk left over from the yogurt, so I decided to try a new cow's milk cheese called Bondon. This is a fresh French cheese that's similar to the Neufchâtel that I've previously made. (According to Ricki Carroll from the New England Cheesemaking Supply Co., Bondon can also be made using goat's milk, which I might try later.) Recipe:

1. Let 1 quart pasteurized whole milk sit out until it warms to 65F.
2. Add 1 packet direct-set mesophilic starter culture and mix thoroughly.
3. Dilute 1 drop of liquid rennet in 2 tablespoons of cool, unchlorinated water and add to the milk/culture mix. (I use vegetable rennet.)
   
4. Let the mixture sit at 65F for 24 hours.
5. Ladle the curds into butter muslin, tie a knot, and hang it to drain for 8 hours (or until it has stopped dripping).
6. Press the cheese in a cheese press at 15 pounds of pressure for 8 hours to squeeze out extra whey. (Cheese presses are ridiculously expensive, so I stole mine on Ebay. I imagine you could also just place something that weighs about 15 pounds on top of the cheese to get the same results.)
7. Remove from the press and, if grainy or lumpy, force it through a strainer. (I pushed it through 3 times because it was pretty lumpy.)
8. Add salt to taste (if desired).
9. Shape the cheese into a disc (or any shape you like, if you're anti-disc for some reason), wrap in wax paper, and you're done!

I added some thyme to add a little extra flavor and to make it prettier. Here's the finished product:


PS - I just figured out how to add links to my posts, so forgive my overly-enthusiastic linking. The excitement will wear off soon, I'm sure....

Yogurt

I've been terribly busy for the last few months and haven't had much time to make any cheeses. But yesterday I had an extra hour or two, so I made fresh yogurt! It's incredibly easy to make, keeps for two weeks in your fridge, and tastes worlds better than any store-bought yogurt I've ever had. I plan to make it on a regular basis. Here's the how to:

1. Heat 1-2 quarts of any type of milk (I used 2 quarts of pasteurized whole cow's milk) to 185F.
2. Remove the milk from the heat source and let it cool to 112F.
3. Mix in 1 packet of yogurt starter culture. (I used the Y5 culture from New England Cheesemaking Supply Co., which is supposed to yield a rich, creamy, sweet yogurt. Click HERE for the link.)
4. Cover and keep the temperature at 112F for about 10 hours.

I was a little stumped about how to do #4, and read that some people put the milk/culture mix into the oven, keeping the door closed and the oven light on -- which keeps the interior at about the right temperature. Others place the mixture on an electric heating pad on the low setting. In the end, I decided to purchase a "Yogotherm" unit. This is nothing fancy -- just a bucket inside a bigger bucket with styrofoam in between -- but it does the trick. (WAY overpriced, but apparently it lasts forever and pays for itself in saved yogurt bills in no time.)


I just had some for lunch drizzled with Blueberry Blossom Honey from Red Bee, and it was truly fantastic!!! Here's the finished product:


A couple of additional thoughts:
The yogurt is a little thinner than store-bought varieties, but you can add 1/4 cup dry milk powder or 1 tablespoon of gelatin to make it thicker. I'll try this next time just to see how it works. I'm also going to try it with 2% and maybe even skim milk, as I plan to eat a lot of this and don't want to have to do extra miles on the treadmill to make up for it. Finally, once you have made your first batch, you can save 2-3 tablespoons of the yogurt to use in lieu of the starter culture for your next batch. Once this stops working, use a new packet of yogurt culture and start again.

I also plan to try to make Greek yogurt, which I love! Apparently, this involves hanging the yogurt in a muslin bag to let it drain and thicken. I'll try it soon!