Homemade Yogurt **Updated** Cheese and Buttermilk

[BirdBrain]

Yeah, my daughter has been looking at the soap books and seeing S28's soaps too. She is itching to try as well. I read in one book about milling soap...a secondary heating of soap...where the lye is not present and you can mix in things at that point. I figure to make up a batch of basic soap and then mill some with my daughter's help. That should be fairly safe for involving children. I must admit, the lye thing has me a bit nervous.

I make my own laundry soap, but I guess I should just get over my nervousness about the lye and give it a go. Of course I should probably start collecting the ingredients first....

 

[ozark hen]

Quote:

Now back at ya!!

I buy Southern28's soap and it is wonderful! I absolutely love her soaps! We have hard water where we live and her soap makes such a difference! Trisha knows her stuff.

 

[BirdBrain]

Toche

You got me there. I really should watch what I say, but then that has never really been a strong point of mine...

Okay, so which soaps do you like the best? I have to make natural stuff with no essential oils. I can add things like oatmeal, honey, etc in the milling process, but I am allergic to perfumes and my SIL is allergic to perfumes and dyes. Any profound ideas for me? I am still trying to decide which oils to use also. I found some coconut oil at Wal-mart and figured to use some of that as well as some olive oil and will probably have to render some suit for tallow....just need to get a butcher to feel sorry for me.

 

[MissPrissy]

You need to research a recipe on line and use a lye calculator to get the right ratio of each of the oils to lye. Otherwise you'll have a mess and not soap.

 

[BirdBrain]

Thanks. Do you have a favorite site or shall I just "wing it".

 

[ozark hen]

I love Southern28's fragrances because they are so light. Light enough I can put on perfume and they don't compete with each other. But enough to make the bathroom smell sooo good. I don't know how she does it but she has the perfect balance.

 

[MissPrissy]

So that the yogurt post isn't hijacked to a different topic I'll email you.

*****

Back on topic

I made 3 quarts of yogurt. The kids went back to school and the eating of the yogurt slowed way down.

The jar sat in the fridge in the very back for 2 weeks. I had planned to feed it to the chickens so I didn't through it out.

Out of curiosity I scooped off the top of the jar and fed it to the chickens. I then scooped out of the jar and tasted the yogurt - just to see if it had soured or something made it bad. i don't know. It was just so pretty and creamy and smelled so good I had to taste it out of curiosity.

Holy cow!

This jar that has sat untouched for two weeks was the BEST yogurt to date.

We had been so used to eating it as soon as it got ready and nice and cold that we never had any to last longer than a couple of days.

So here is my suggestion - make an exta batch and leave it to sit for at least a week in the fridge before you open and eat it. I think you will be surprised by the flavors that develop as well as the sweetness - you may want to cut back a little if to the added sugar to the mix because as it developes it really gets sweeter.

 

[ozark hen]

really??? I never have any that lasts that long and I made three quarts for two of us!

Ok, I am hiding the cherry flavored one until it is a week old. I sent one of our daughters a jar and told her it wouldn't last long, got to email her right away! ha ha thanks

Does the jar have be unopened to last that long?

 

[lexustami]

I need to read this thread all the way through because I know I'm missing some really great stuff!

Anyway, I've made 2 quarts of yogurt so far and I love it and my kids love it.

There are some dairy farms close by so I wonder if I can just stop by and buy fresh milk from them? I will have to figure that out! I want to try the butter recipe.

Thanks all!

Tami

 

[ozark hen]

Tami, the dairy next to us wanted fresh eggs so we exchange eggs for milk each week. Makes for a great deal!!