Homemade Yogurt

We have finally succeeded at making our own yogurt. It is really quite easy to do. This was our third attempt but after each failure we learned a little more. All you need to have in order to make yogurt is milk (any kind will do - skim or whole or something in between), yogurt, a crock pot, jars with lids (we just use pint-size canning jars), towels, and a meat thermometer (not really necessary but it makes me feel more comfortable). You can add powdered milk but we were out so it didn't happen this time. Here is the recipe we went off of (for the most part). Here is what we did:

First, heat up 4 cups of milk in a saucepan to 175 degrees (F). Stir it occasionally to be sure the heat is distributed evenly. It helps to have a candy thermometer clipped on the pan so you don't get the milk too hot or not hot enough. This will kill any bacteria that may compete with the wanted bacteria in the yogurt.

Next, remove from heat and allow the milk to cool to 110 degrees (F).

Once it has reached 110 degrees, add 1/4 cup of plain, unsweetened yogurt with live active cultures. The yogurt should be as fresh as possible to get the best results. You can also add 1/3 cup of powdered milk at this point. Stir well. Pour into jars and put the lids on.

Place the jars into a crock pot, pack with towels, and turn the crock pot on for a little while to heat up. I placed the meat thermometer between one of the jars and the towels so I could monitor the temperature. You want the temperature to be between 100 and 110 degrees (F) for about 8-10 hours. Do not leave the crock pot on the whole time because it will get too hot and kill the bacteria, leaving you with sour milk. If it goes below 100 degrees the bacteria will not incubate properly. All I did was turn the crock pot on high for about 10 minutes then turned it off for the rest of the time. It was about 10 hours later when it was down to 95 degrees and by that time it had firmed up and turned into yogurt. Do not stir the yogurt or jostle around the jars while they are incubating. They should sit as still as possible.

Once it has incubated for about 10 hours remove the jars from the crock pot and place them in the refrigerator until you are ready to eat it. When you are ready to eat, add whatever you would want in your yogurt - vanilla, sugar or honey, fruit... - and eat it up. You can use this as the starter for your next batch.

10 hours may sound like a long time but in reality your are only working for about 20 minutes then they just sit. Other than peek at the thermometer a few times, I didn't pay the yogurt any attention. It turned out fantastic!

Soup's On

I can't say that I know anyone who doesn't like soup, especially starting around this time of year. The weather is cooling off, the days are getting shorter, and gardens are ready to go to sleep for the winter. We have been bring back soup for a couple weeks now. This soup is a great way to finish off your summer squash. I used yellow crook neck squash from a friend's over productive garden but you can use any soft summer squash (zucchini included). Totally easy. Totally delicious. Inspiration from here.

Summer Squash Soup

1½ pounds summer squash

2 Tbsp butter

1 medium onion (or 2 Tbsp dehydrated onions)

¼ lemon, sliced, seeds removed (or ½ Tbsp lemon juice)

¼ cup flour

6 cups chicken broth

1 tsp salt

¼ tsp white pepper (black pepper will work fine too)

⅛ tsp cayenne pepper, ground (plus more for garnish)

1 cup milk (or cream)

1. Wash and trim squash. Slice, reserving 8 very thin slices for garnish.

2. In a large saucepan (or soup pot) melt butter. Add onion and lemon and sauté. Sprinkle with flour and cook slowly, stirring, until flour is absorbed. Add chicken broth gradually, then add sliced squash, salt, and pepper. Simmer about 30 minutes or so until squash is tender.

3. Puree soup in blender or food processer. Return to pot, stir in cayenne and milk with wire whisk and cook over medium-low heat. Do not allow to boil.

4. Ladle into individual bowls and garnish with reserved sliced squash and a sprinkling of cayenne.

Makes 8 servings

1167 total calories (146 Calories per serving)