Homemade Greek Yogurt & New Smoothies!
Hey guys! Anthony here. I make the Greek yogurt at Graham’s 318 and I wanted to talk to you all about yogurt. So, I suppose the best way to start off would be to explain what yogurt is. Yogurt comes from milk that has had bacteria added into it, which then ferments. While fermenting, the bacteria combines with the fat in the milk, and starts to thicken. This is also when the yogurt begins to get its tangy taste. The yogurt is later strained through a thin cloth, like cheesecloth, allowing the whey to drain away. What makes Greek yogurt Greek is the straining process.
Normal yogurt is strained once or twice while Greek yogurt is strained three times, or strained once for a long period of time. The longer the straining, the more whey comes out (the whey contains the carbohydrates and sugars) and the more tangy or bitter it gets, which is a good thing. Normally, the process of making Greek yogurt stops there. Nothing gets added to it. Traditionally, Greeks will serve it on toast or have it by itself with a jam or honey.
We at Graham’s 318 have discovered how great it tastes in our smoothies and have started making them with it…and boy do they taste refreshing. Now, let’s go over the difference of your store bought Greek yogurt and traditional Greek yogurt. Personally, I have had the pleasure of eating a blueberry flavored Chobani yogurt, and it’s not bad. However, it’s not the way Greek yogurt should taste. It should taste bitter, that’s the point of Greek yogurt, I mean…that’s kind of a big part of what makes it Greek. What Chobani does is add a lot of sugar and all that sugar raises the Carbohydrate and Calorie count which makes it not so healthy.
Traditional Greek yogurt contains no sugar, and very little carbohydrates. Most of it gets strained out as whey. It does contain quite a bit of fat, but because it’s strained for so long it’s a fat that can be considered healthier for you. Another great thing about Greek yogurt is it is high in protein, in fact double compared to Chobani or Yoplait. An eight-ounce serving contains 20 grams of protein where as store bought Greek yogurt contains between eight and eleven grams. Another fun thing to do is experiment with the left over whey.
My family has told me several things they have done with their excess whey and they all seem pretty interesting:
1. Substitute for other liquids when baking. It can give your baked goods a sourdough taste.
2. Put your feta cheese in it to keep it fresh.
3. Use it to boil noodles or rice.
4. Mix it half and half with iced tea.
I don’t stand by these suggestions, I’ve just been told of them.
So, basically it’s far healthier to make it yourself than to go out and buy a container from your local supermarket. And if you can’t get over the bitter taste, try adding some honey to sweeten it up a bit. Well that’s all I got for ya folks. I hope this was insightful for you, or something along those lines.
Happy eating everybody!
Anthony
Cool Beans 