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DAIRYThe various cultured milk products can be important additions to our diet. They are easier for us to digest because they are partially pre-digested, and they are high in protein. You will have noticed that some of the salad dressings contain yoghurt, but you may not be aware that yoghurt is often used as an accompaniment to curries and soups, as a sauce for baked vegetables, and as a drink. The cultures and cheeses are very easy to make. Cows milk or goats milk can be used, or full-cream, non-instant, dried milk. YoghurtHomemade yoghurt is simple to make and nutritious. A thick yoghurt can be made by adding non-instant, full cream or skim milk powder to fresh milk. (If only using milk powder add more powder than required for normal milk consistency.) If you prefer a milder tasting yoghurt, refrigerate the yoghurt as soon as it begins to thicken. Long incubation will produce a tart tasting yoghurt. Buy a carton of plain commercial yoghurt as a starter. 1 litre milk MethodScald the milk. Allow to cool to approximately 40°C (that is, if you drip some on your wrist or finger you can just feel it). If the milk is too hot it will kill the yoghurt culture. Stir in the yoghurt and pour into clean jars. Place lids on the jars and put them in a warm spot. Try putting them on top of the hot water service, or in a warm oven with the pilot light just kept on. You can wrap the jars in towels and blankets and put them in a cupboard. If you are desperate pour the yoghurt into a thermos flask! Or place it in a bowl, covering firmly, and then place the bowl in a larger bowl or bucket of warm water, making sure that you keep the water warm. Yoghurt can take anywhere from 2 to 10 hours to ‘yogg’. It’s like a soft junket that comes away from the sides of the jar. It thickens like cream when refrigerated. When this has happened, place the jars in the refrigerator and use as required. If the culture has ‘yogged’ for too long, or if the temperature was too high, it will begin to liquefy. If there is only a little whey on top of the yoghurt, stir it in and refrigerate, but if the yoghurt is too runny and hasn’t properly ‘yogged’, don’t throw it out. Use it in bread making, or for cakes and desserts, or strain through a cloth, hanging it up to allow the whey to drip out, and “Voila!” – cheese. Remember to keep some of the yoghurt for your next batch. Cottage CheeseThis cottage cheese is delicious and has none of the added chemicals found in the commercial variety. It can be used as a spread, in salads, dressings, even in desserts. Cheese curd forms more quickly if there is a high fat content in the milk. 2
litres milk MethodScald the milk, then allow to cool. Add the lemon juice to curdle the milk. Sometimes we add half a cup of yoghurt as well. When the milk has thoroughly curdled (only a few minutes), pour it into a cheesecloth (we use old flour bags). Tie the ends with string and hang over a tap so that the whey can drip out, leaving the cheese solids. Catch the whey in a container because it’s a wonderful food which can be added to bread, cakes, breakfast cereals or puddings. Place the cheese in a bowl and beat until smooth. Add salt, herbs and spices if you wish. Store in refrigerator. |
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