Pictured here are the two types of yogurts I use. They are not the only brands that can be used.
There are two types of yogurt that I use in recipes.
For example, one is for preparing dense foods while the other is primarily for fermenting recipes for beverages. These types of yogurts are named full fat (strained) greek yogurt and (an unstrained) probiotic yogurt.
Trying to strain greek (strained) yogurt to make whey makes a mess.
PRECAUTION
Before I provide recipes for both types of yogurt, it is important to explain the necessity of which yogurt to use.
For example, straining the wrong type of yogurt can lengthen the process, waste yogurt as well as making a mess. In fact, the recipe may not work at all.
The reason is that greek yogurt is already strained yogurt. In fact that is one of its main properties. This photo shows the mess I made from trying to strain greek yogurt to make whey.
FOOD RECIPE
Dried edible flower petals
Yogurt Pudding with Edible Flower Petals. Transfer the contents of a container of greek yogurt into a serving container that has a cover. Remember, do not strain the yogurt.
Flavor enhancer: Add extracts to the yogurt like vanilla, almond or orange. In addition, add shaved chocolate to the top before serving.
Next, sprinkle the yogurt with edible flowers. this picture shows what they look like. In fact, they are easily found on Amazon. Before serving, cover the container and let the recipe sit.
Actually, while this treat is waiting to be served the edible flowers will blossom and become full petals again. Finally, you will be amazed at how beautiful it looks upon serving.
Greek yogurt with edible flower petals
BEVERAGE RECIPE
Fermented Limeade or Lemonade This is one of my favorite summertime thirst quenchers. In fact, there is a bottled lemon and limeade that is so pure that I do not have to squeeze my own citrus. To prepare this recipe all that is necessary is to add whey to an almost full bottle. Just remove some juice to make room for the whey at the top. Pictured here are the perfect bottled limeade to use, the perfect yogurt and how the whey should look.
Making Whey This is a process that requires carefully following the directions. This is when the type of yogurt used is crucial. Remember, use only unstrained yogurt. Above is a photo of the perfect bottled limeade, perfect yogurt, and the right whey.
Homemade limeade with a homemade label on the ideal bottle for fermented limeade for refrigeration.
Do not use greek yogurt. In fact, the reason is explained above. Use only unstrained yogurt. The whey made from unstrained yogurt should look like this picture once it is strained. It should be mostly clear. A bit of cloudiness at the bottom is acceptable.
The Finished Product This is most delicious refreshing fermented beverage. Once the fermentation process is complete, put the limeade is this type of bottle. Recycled grolsch beer bottles are perfect for the job. In fact, you don’t have to buy all that beer first. This type of bottle can be gotten new and reused online.
My food and beverage fermentation storage cabinet.
Fermentation of foods and beverages may seem to have started out as a hobby for me. But as I have continued, I have been discovering otherwise. I am learning more and more about these historically documented traditions that add valuable nutrients to food. In fact, before refrigeration and food additive preservation, fermentation was one of the essential, natural means of preserving food. The beauty of fermentation was that it accomplished two valuable results, food preservation, its primary goal, and nutritional enhancement, the natural bi-product of this process. The more I learn, the more food I want to ferment to add to the nutritional value.
Today, we live in a world of food preservation technology that has made fermentation unnecessary. Food is prepared and processed with ‘food preservatives’, chemicals that only increase shelf life. Fermentation is no longer needed. Or so it may seem. Ironically, the removal of natural fermentation and the addition of synthetic chemicals is leaving us nutritionally bankrupt. This has resulted in serious health issues for many adults and children.
Buying prepared foods that are natural and nutritious can become very expensive. I am exploring alternatives so I can eat healthfully and economically. I’ve begun to go back-to-basics. I’m giving fermenting beverages and foods a whole-hearted try. It is clear to me that this can be a good means of improving and maintaining good health. What I did not realize was that this nutrient dense solution can take a good deal of time. What might have seemed like a hobby initially, has become a ‘whey’ of life for me.
Making whey from yogurt strained through cheese cloth
Over the last six months or so, I have learned numerous techniques of fermentation. They include using a SCOBY (symbiotic cultures of bacteria and yeast) to make fermented teas, called Kombucha and Jun; using kefir grains or crystals to ferment milk and water; adding whey (a cheese making bi-product) to make lacto-fermented foods and beverages; using a ‘ginger bug’ (a fermented syrup of ginger, sugar and water) to make delicious, nutritious, homemade sodas; and one of our all time favorites, making lacto-fermented (whey again) lemonade. In fact, I make my own whey from yogurt and milk kefir by simply separating the ‘curds’ and ‘whey’ with cheesecloth or a paint strainer. It is easy but adds more time to the process of preparing nutrient rich food.
Eating this way increases good ‘gut’ bacteria. A new field of science called the human microbiome has revealed that the human body is only 20% human cells and 80% bacteria. This sheds a totally different light on how we need to look at improving and maintaining health. Our bodies thrive on good bacteria and need ‘probiotic’ foods and beverages to continually supply us with an abundance of it. Processed foods with food additives are, at the very least, dead. At their worst, they rob the body of any healthy bacteria it may have had. This means that eating processed food makes the body vulnerable. It creates a ripe environment for illness.
Be on guard when you shop for food. Read ingredients. If there are more than a few ingredients, don’t buy a packaged product. One of the worst food additives is high fructose corn syrup. Avoid it like the plague. Learn to make probiotic rich foods and beverages. It could save your life.
As much as I can, I’m going back to how food and beverages were prepared before industrial food preservation. This means creating a healthy ‘whey’ of life supported by the latest scientific research, the human microbiome. We are seeing through the microbiome that when it comes to food, nature’s way is most likely best. I believe that only by going back in time to natural, probiotic enhancing food preparation methods, can we go forward with health.
