Never Fail Raw Milk Yoghurt Tuesday 28th November 2017

 A couple of years ago I changed my method of yoghurt making and this one works every time with a delicious result. I can do it very quickly, leave it to incubate all day or all night and then put it in the fridge to firm up.

First I use about a cup of skim milk powder to achieve the thick consistency I am looking for. Add raw milk almost to the top of the container and mix well.  Heat in the microwave for 2 minutes 40 seconds. 

Add yoghurt culture ( keep in freezer) and mix well.

  Pour boiling water into the container so that it comes level with the top of the yoghurt pot. 

Put the lid on and leave to incubate. It takes about 12 hours but you can speed it up a bit if you replace the water with some very hot tap water once the original has cooled down.

 I especially love the creamy bit on the top!

Loganberry and Lime Gelato and guar gum. Tuesday 21st November 2017

I have been making ice cream and less often sorbet and gelato in my ice cream maker for a while now but have always come up with the problem of how to make the mixture thick with a good texture.  I am always looking to keep the amount of fat and sugar as low as possible so never use cream and try to reduce the sugar amount or substitute with stevia. I have tried gelatine in the mix but that doesn't seem to thicken it enough to avoid ice crystals. I have tried a custard base but sometimes that tastes a bit floury.  

Last week I was watching a program on SBS TV called Food Safari Earth and a gelati expert made a lovely looking strawberry gelato using guar gum to give it a stretchy quality and to thicken the mix. I didn't know anything about guar gum so started reading up on it. It is made from a bean grown in India and according to the people in my local health food shop is used ,along with xanthum gum, to give those same qualities to gluten free breads. So yesterday I bought a little bit to experiment with. 

Here is my first try , using only 1/4 teaspoon for the mix of sugar syrup, frozen loganberries and a little bit of lime juice to give it a bit of bite. I think I am onto a winner here. Looks pretty good and tastes good too. 

Maybe next time I might try to reduce the amount of sugar in the mix as my palate is now trained to prefer a lot less sugar in ice cream. I find commercial ice creams and gelati a bit sweet for my taste these days. Guar gum is meant to be better in a dairy mix than a citrus mix so next try will be with an ice cream or rather an ice milk mix. Have to eat this lot first though. 😜. Special thanks to the visitor from Panama the other day...you know who you are. I think I need a Nicaragua flag if you are heading that way too!