What to cook in a yogurt maker besides yogurt

More and more adherents of a healthy diet prefer to prepare their own natural yogurt, which does not contain preservatives, thickeners, modified starch and other harmful additives. In addition, having natural ingredients on hand, you can give room for creativity and, by changing the composition, satisfy any refined taste.

But should you limit yourself to just this healthy drink? For inventive housewives, purchasing a yogurt maker makes it possible to create a lot of tasty and healthy products, being confident in their quality and without spending much effort on it.

What can you cook in a yogurt maker besides yogurt?

The functionality of this device is much wider than the name suggests. It is suitable for preparing traditional fermented milk products: kefir, fermented baked milk, sour cream, cottage cheese, even homemade cheese.

The main ingredients are milk or cream and certain types of starter culture. At the same time, you don’t need to stand in the kitchen for hours, all that is required is to mix the ingredients and pour into jars, and the “smart machine” will do the rest.

Important! Before filling containers, they must be sterilized using boiling water or in the microwave.

How to make cottage cheese in a yogurt maker

It can be made in individual cups or bowls, but a larger mold makes it easier to strain out the whey. To get homemade cottage cheese, you can use:

• fresh cow or goat milk;
• pasteurized dairy products;
• dry starter for cottage cheese (available in pharmacies and stores);

Attention! Raw milk must be boiled to prevent the growth of dangerous pathogenic bacteria in it, and then cooled. The pasteurized product is not boiled.

In accordance with the instructions, the starter is completely dissolved in milk, heated to 40 degrees, and poured into the molds of the apparatus. Then you need to select the desired mode or set the time according to the instructions (about 15 hours). After turning off the device, remove the bowl and place the mass on a sieve to separate the liquid.

How tender or grainy the product is depends on the temperature, heating time and drainage. The longer the whey drains, the drier the curd will turn out. When it is ready, it is cooled in the refrigerator for about 3-4 hours and used for consumption.

If the device is equipped with a function for making curd products, the process is simplified. Using a blender, mix 1 liter of milk, 100 g of cottage cheese, 1 tbsp. a spoonful of freshly squeezed lemon juice. The mixture is transferred to a bowl with holes for draining, and the desired mode is set. After cooking, the whey is squeezed out using a drain.
Using this machine, it’s not at all difficult to get aromatic thick sour cream. To do this you will need:

• 1 liter of milk;
• 0.5 l cream (30%);
• dry lactic acid starter.
  

  

The dry powder is dissolved in a small amount of cream heated to 40 degrees. All ingredients are mixed and poured into a yogurt maker for 7-8 hours.Some people use kefir, fermented baked milk or ready-made sour cream as a starter. The thickness of the product depends on the fat content of the original components. The shelf life of such a product is no more than a week in the refrigerator.

To prepare fermented baked milk, warm baked milk is fermented, for which a dry preparation or sour cream is added to it. If sour cream is used, it is added in a ratio of 1:5. The fermentation time will be about 9 hours.

Is it possible to make cheese in a yogurt maker?

The cheese itself is not made in this device, but natural homemade yogurt is prepared for it, from which you can make curd cheese by hand. Ready-made natural yogurt, made from milk and starter culture, is cooled in the refrigerator, then placed in a colander, which is previously covered with 3-4 layers of gauze.

You can add herbs, garlic, spices, and salt to your yogurt to taste. After tying the gauze into a knot, allow the liquid to drain and hang it for several hours. Then the knot is made tighter, pressed down with a weight, and sent to ripen in the cold for 2-3 days, ensuring further drainage of moisture. The result is a delicate and soft cheese product.

Cooking tips for the yogurt maker

To ensure that the dishes turn out as they should, it is better to adhere to the following rules:

• utensils and products must be sterilely clean;
• while the device is operating, it cannot be rearranged, as the fermentation process is disrupted;
• the temperature of heated milk (40 degrees) should be measured with a thermometer and not by eye;
• the longer the yogurt is cooked, the thicker it is, but if you overcook it, it will be sour;
• yogurt without additives can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, and fruit yogurt - for several hours;
• It is better to add fruit and berry ingredients after cooking; the rest can be placed at the bottom of the glass.
  

  

Finished products are supplemented with sweet berries, chopped fruits, nuts, chocolate, bran, and jam. A natural product without additives, it is perfect as a low-calorie salad dressing or as a cream for pastry products.

What not to cook in a yogurt maker

The essence of this device is that it maintains a constant temperature at which bacteria, once in the milk, begin to actively multiply and process it into fermented milk products. But not only beneficial bacteria act this way, but also pathogenic bacteria, which can turn a homemade product into food hazardous to health.

Therefore, for cooking, you cannot use milk that has soured “naturally” without fermentation. Experts also do not recommend using store-bought yoghurts for fermentation, which may contain pathogenic microbes in safe quantities. Once in favorable conditions, they can make a home product toxic. In order not to risk your health, it is best to use high-quality milk or cream, special starter cultures and clean dishes.