Hi Folks,
I was just setting up some yogurt to strain and thought I would post the tip I figured out quite a few years ago. If you like yogurt thickened for snacking, dips, making cheesecakes, whatever (Greek Yogurt FYI is pre-strained before packaging) you may have looked into or purchased special 'yogurt strainers' - very expense in my opinion and not easy to clean (a mesh lining in a plastic funnel). Maybe you use cheesecloth. Cheaper and okay, but then you have to work at cleaning the CC to reuse.
So I'm a big coffee drinker - one of my few purist muscles - needs to be super fresh and very strong.
Enter an inexpensive, reusable, mesh filter basket designed to go into the drip or merlita type coffee set ups. You can get them in gold, but why bother.
This inexpensive ($3-$6) lasts for years, is easy to clean and does a super job of straining yogurt - and holds more than the 'funnel' type.
http://www.acehardware.com/product/index.jsp?productId=1279532
I have found these filters at Ace Hardware, Frys (if you find them at Frys they are usually in the $3 dollar range), and on Amazon.
The filter fits nicely into one of the larger yogurt containers sold in stores.
Moisten the filter first, nest in the top of the container. Fill with yogurt - put the yogurt container top on and refrigerate for at least 1 day - I keep one going all the time because I have yogurt every morning. Yogurt never completely stops weeping, so just let it 'go' until you like the consistency.
Drained yogurt - yogurt cheese - is my substitute for sour cream, mayo in dips and I've used it to make no-bake lime cheesecake with ginger snap crust (yum). IT makes great parfaits with fruit and granola.
Filter: other uses - I keep separate ones for straining homemade broths (these filters capture the sediment better), fruit liquors (I like to make fruit liquors for the holidays - like cranberry - fruit soaked in good vodka and sugar added, steep for several weeks or months, strain and bottle), infused vinegars (basil, raspberry etc. same principal as the liquors).
Always start with the filter moistened - it helps the straining right away. The filters rinse and clean up nicely. Very hot water first to the outside to 'flush' the bits of whatever away from the mesh, then a good rinse inside. If you choose to use soap add only a very, very time amount and make sure you fully rinse the soap out. I would not put in dishwasher.
Hope these are useful ideas :-)
Replies
Catherine, thanks for the great tips. I've been straining yogurt for years and usually use paper coffee filters but will try your method now. I knew there had to be a use for that mesh basket! And thanks for the fruit liquor reminder, I've wanted to try the cranberry one for a while and need to get that going when the berries hit the stores.
Judy, you are welcome - I love finding multiple uses for things for simple things.
One of the tips I forgot to note was using the whey - I use it in baking, you can use it to add to lacto fermentation production (like sour pickles), give it to the chickens or add to compost pile.