Olwen Woodier - Cooking with Yogurt

by Olwen Woodier

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Woodier, Olwen

Cooking with yogurt / by Olwen Woodier
A Storey Publishing Bulletin, A-86
ISBN 0-88266-326-7

Yogurt has been eaten since Neolithic times. First discovered by nomadic herdsmen in the Middle East, yogurt probably owes its accidental inventions to a day when milk, stored in goatskin bags or clay pots, curdled and thickened in the hot summer climate.

For centuries, yogurt has been touted as the milk of eternal life and immortal nectar, said to possess exceptional medicinal properties and powers of longevity. Indeed, at the beginning of the twentieth century, Nobel-prize winner Elie Metchnikoff claimed that the Bulgarians owed their healthy life span of 100 or more years to their daily intake of 2 to 3 quarts of yogurt.

Although claims to longevity have never been proven, many medical practitioners believe that yogurt may lower cholesterol levels in the blood and, by maintaining a necessary balance of bacteria in the intestines, helps to prevent diarrhea and constipation. Moreover, people who cannot tolerate fresh milk because they lack the digestive enzyme lactase, which breaks down milk sugar (lactose), can eat yogurt without discomfort. This is due to the particular strains of bacteria present in yogurt, which, as they multiply during the fermentation process, convert most of the lactose into lactic acid.

Yogurt can play an important supplementary role in helping you maintain good nutrition during pregnancy and when dieting. Not only is yogurt easy to digest, but its thick, custardlike consistency seems to satisfy more than a glass of milk. But it is important to remember that yogurt is no more nutritious than the milk from which it is made. Most commercial yogurts are made from skim milk with milk solids added. This means that most 1-cup containers of plain yogurt contain about 132 calories, 1.5 grams of fat, 9.9 grams of protein, and 19.7 grams of carbohydrates. Like milk, yogurt is also a good source of vitamins A, C, D, and B (riboflavin, thiamine, and niacin); calcium; phosphorus; and potassium. Anyone on a low-salt diet should note that the sodium content is approximately 120 mgs. per cup of plain yogurt. For this reason, none of the recipes in this bulletin calls for extra salt.

The nutritional value of yogurt remains about the same during cooking, however the heat destroys the healthy bacteria. Freezing also destroys the desirable bacteria. The first freezing may cause no harm. The problem arises when frozen yogurt thaws and is then refrozen, causing large ice crystals to form, which destroy the bacteria. If yogurt is incubated for too long (over 20 hours) the living bacteria will not survive; the result is not yogurt, but a super-sour custard.

Yogurt keeps for several weeks under refrigeration; however, by the end of the fourth week, it will taste unpleasantly sour, and the living bacteria will have started to break down. By the time the eighth week arrives, the active bacteria will be seriously diluted, and the flavor will be totally unpalatable.

So if you are eating yogurt because you cannot digest milk, or because you want the beneficial bacteria in your system, you should make sure that your yogurt is as fresh as possible and contains active cultures. How can you ensure this? Why, make your own.

It may be possible to buy good commercial yogurt; but once you have made your own, never again will you be satisfied with store-bought. Yours will be deliciously fresh and free from additives preservatives, dyes, or stabilizers (such as gelatin, pectin, cornstarch, vegetable gums, or carrageenan). Homemade yogurt is also 65 to 70 percent cheaper. If this hasnt convinced you that it is more rewarding to make your own, let me mention that yogurt takes no more than 15 minutes to prepare, and the 3-hour to 4-hour fermenting time needs little or no supervision.

To make yogurt, certain beneficial active bacteria must be mixed with warm milk and kept at a constant temperature for several hours until coagulation takes place. These active bacteria are called the starter or culture. Non-fat milk solids are often added to create a thicker consistency and to increase the protein content. Sweeteners may be added before or after fermentation time.

Comparing Dairy Products

You can vary the taste of your yogurt by using whole, evaporated, skim, low-fat, pasteurized, or raw milk. You can also use the milk of sheep or goats. Whichever type of milk you choose, make sure it is absolutely fresh. Ripe milk will produce a sour yogurt.

If calories are not important, instant non-fat dried milk, half-and-half, or heavy cream can be added to give a thicker, creamier texture. Or you can make yogurt from reconstituted (fat-free) milk powder. All of the yogurt recipes in this bulletin have