Yogurt, raspberry leaves, sewing

Just a quick post today

I have been quite wrong about how to make yogurt, it is little wonder the stuff I ended up with is runny and needed filtering. Seeming the proper way to make proper yogurt is this:

Heat milk to 85 degrees C, keep it at this temperature for 10-20 mins. Then cool the milk in a cold water bath till it gets to around 49 degrees C. Take it out of the water bath and continue to let it cool till around 45 degrees C. Once the milk is between 40 and 45 degrees, add your culture (smallish pot of live yogurt that you like the taste of). Insulate the container to keep it close to this temperature for a number of hours (5-10 hours, or more simply, overnight), seemingly the longer you leave it, and the higher the temperature, the tangier and thicker the yogurt will be. For more information visit  http://www.cheesemaking.com//store/pg/237-YogurtDetails.html 
I have plans to try this out tonight in the slow cooker, hopefully it works out well.

I found this great recipe for a baked yogurt cheesecake, it is high in protein and can be made coeliac friendly http://shine.yahoo.com/in-the-pantry/lemony-greek-yogurt-cheesecake-161200349.html
and it works well, even using the excuse for yogurt that I made and drained for too long in the heat last week.

Cheeses air drying, not perfect, but I am fairly happy with them

Cheese making got underway on Sunday evening, I went for a robiola cheese as it was in the beginners class on the cheesemaking website. If considering it as a project for the weekend, start it off on Friday or Saturday night, as there is a good bit of faffing around with it the following day. Anyway, my cheeses are now air-drying after being soaked in a saturated brine solution. Then to store it between 11 and 14 degrees C for 4 days, after which it will be ready to eat, but I intend leaving it for at least a week to ripen somewhat. I think that I may have to invest in  a few more cheese molds (as the largest three cheeses did not set together properly) and
a cool box as the ambient temperature at the moment is certainly above 14 degrees. There is now also 2.5L of whey available for baking, I hope to share a wonderful recipe for whey yeast bread next time.

I got some quality time with my sewing machine this weekend, I finished off a project that was started two years ago, seriously, it did not take too long to finish it, will post pictures next week. I am realising that finishing off projects is a great way to deal with clutter. I am still working on my dress for the hen party, I hope to finish it off tonight and be able to post some pics of it next week.

Allotment bounty!

Now is a good time to harvest raspberry leaves that can be dried and used as an infusion to help alleviate period pain (cramps).

The allotment this week supplied us with peas, broad beans, beetroot roots and leaves, strawberries, borage flowers and some tuberous rooted- parsley flowers that make a lovely cut flower (pictured).

If you want to, you may leave a comment on the blog letting us know what things you have been making and experimenting with making or growing.