Thursday 19 April 2012

Yoghurt and other nice things ...


Been spending a bit of savings today. Had to get a quilt cover and some new sheets. We drove over to Wisbech to a really good shop called Dunelm (they are in some other places as well). Bought said items plus a nice large rug for the dining room. 


We are beginning to flatten the carpet as we walk through. It was originally bought for the back door area but seems too nice. However, if it ends up there, I must remind myself not to get upset when it gets grubby - message to self.

It's too big to wash in the machine but will be power hosed gently (when hosepipe ban is no longer on) to clean it. We also topped up our tea towels and got some things I needed to keep separately for making yoghurt.

Made my first full batch of yoghurt yesterday. Here is my baby, ain't she grand!


I rounded the 2 tablespoons of dried milk and the yoghurt starter and it is a lot thicker this time. I shouldn't have to buy starter (a small tub of live natural yoghurt) anymore, just need to keep 2 tablespoons of this. 

I've been reading from the same site that if I strain it through a nylon sieve or cheesecloth, it will become thicker still and can be used as Quark or cream cheese. The whey that separates out of it, can be used in baking or turned into ricotta cheese. Sounds a win win situation to me!

Anyway, price wise (not including electricity to sterilise the milk) works out at 62p for 1.4 litres. The milk came from Aldi at £1.00 for 2.2 litres of semi-skimmed. From Farmshops, it would have cost me 57p. I'm not including the electricity as our local shop doesn't sell natural yoghurt and we have to drive to town to buy it. I reckon the cost of electricity is cheaper than petrol.

When you think how much it costs to buy a good quality, low fat yoghurt, this is amazing. You can also make it using skimmed milk or all milk powder to make it.

The link to it is on my post for Sunday 15th April 2012. 


8 comments:

  1. You are right about the quark making. I use a cheese cloth bag to drain my home made yoghurt, and leave it to drain for about 6 hours. That gives a lovely textured quark and enough whey for me to mix into my bread dough making. I have made bread whith whey today(see my latest blog post). It gives the bread a lovely tangy taste. You can`t beat making your own yoghurts, cream cheese and bread!

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    1. That is very true. The first batch was thickish but rounding the spoons has made it very thick and scrummy.

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  2. We have a Dunelm here - I get my haberdashery supplies from there now that the last market stall which sold them has shut down. Your rug is lovely. I'm on the look out for one to go in the lounge as we have decided to have laminate in there.

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    1. They weren't doing rugs last time we went there. This particular one comes in 5 sizes (as do most of them). They have some fantastic ones.

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  3. Love your rug Datacreata. I think I'm gonna try this yogurt. Thanks for the link.

    Karen x

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    1. Good luck. I had to thoroughly clean the thermometer I use for my chip pan as I didn't have a separate one at the time. I've now got yoghurt making things kept to one side.

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  4. The rug is beautiful. We have a Dunelm here, near to the hospital. When I drop my hubby off for his appointments I quite often wander round, I love their kitchen range. It pushes my frugality to the limit!

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    1. I think their kitchen section is also very good. We have over the years bought our curtains and other things from them. They are very good value for money aren't they?

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