Crafty in the Kitchen: Homemade Yogurt and Ricotta

Hi there! This little blog of mine is very craft-focused but I also like to do a lot of crafty things in the kitchen from baking, cooking, and making jam.

Like most people, I succumbed to purchasing an Instant Pot after weeks of weighing its pros (faster cooking time! a pressure cooker that's not intimidating!) and cons (no counter space! I don't need another appliance!). And because I want to make the most out of this purchase, I'm trying out its many functions.

Guys, I made my own yogurt! I got the recipe from this book. It's easy but it needs a lot of time. I allow it to cook overnight and when I wake up in the morning, I have yogurt...TADA! 

Here's the recipe:

Homemade Whole Milk Yogurt 
from the book "How To Instant Pot" by Daniel Shumski

Total time: 12 hours and 30 minutes (including cooling time)

Active time: 10 minutes

Yield: Makes about 8 cups

Ingredients:

2 quarts whole milk

2 tablespoons whole milk, 2%, or skim yogurt with active (live) cultures

Procedure:

1. Place the milk in the inner pot. Close and lock the lid. Set the valve to Sealing.

Press the Yogurt button and then press the Yogurt or Adjust button until the 

display reads "Boil."

2. Allow about 30 minutes for the program to finish. When it has finished, press 

Cancel until the display reads "Off." Use oven mitts to remove the inner pot (be 

careful -- it's hot!) and place it on a trivet or other heat-resistant surface. Allow 

the milk to cool, stirring occasionally, until the temperature drops to 110 degrees

Fahrenheit as measured on an instant read thermometer, about 1 hour. (If you do 

not have a thermometer, use a small spoon to drip a few drops of the milk on the

inside of your wrist. It should feel just above body temperature -- very slightly 

warm but not hot. Err on the side of too cool, since too much heat will kill the 

necessary bacteria in the yogurt in the next step.)

3. Add the yogurt to the inner pot and stir thoroughly.

4. Return the inner pot to the Instant Pot. Press the Yogurt button and use the 

Yogurt or Adjust button to select the middle temperature ("Normal"). Use 

the - or + button to set the time to 8 hours. Close and lock the lid. Set the valve 

to Sealing.

5. When the cycle ends press Cancel and remove the lid. Stir the yogurt and then

use a large spoon to scoop it into a container with a lid or single-serving containers

with lids. Place the covered container(s) in the refrigerator to cool, about 3 hours,

before serving.

Whole Milk Yogurt will keep, in an airtight container in the refrigerator, for up 

to 2 weeks.

I found the yogurt a bit runny. To remove the excess liquid, I put it on cheesecloth on a strainer sitting on top of a bowl. Here are some ways I like to eat my homemade yogurt:

Fruit and Granola Yogurt bowl - I sweeten the yogurt with some honey and I top it with seasonal fruits and a handful of granola.

Smoothie Bowl - In a blender, I make a smoothie made of yogurt, fruit (ex. bananas, berries or apples) and greens (ex. spinach). I can also add flax meal, cinnamon or honey. Then I pour the smoothie into a bowl and top with fruit (fresh or dried), nuts and granola.

Mango, Coconut and Chia Seed Parfait - I put a tablespoon of chia seeds in a cup of yogurt and let it sit in the fridge overnight to make the chia "bloom." I topped it with cubed mangoes and flaked coconut...TADA!

*****

Guess what? I also made my own cheese in the Instant Pot!

Here is the recipe for Ricotta:

Do-It-Yourself Ricotta
from the book "How To Instant Pot" by Daniel Shumski

Total Time: 2 hours 45 minutes (including cooling time)
Active Time: 15 minutes
Yield: Makes about 2 cups

Ingredients:
1 quart whole milk
1 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

Procedure:

1. Place the milk in the inner pot. Close and lock the lid. Set 

the valve to Venting. Press Yogurt and press the Yogurt or Adjust

button until the display reads "Boil."

2. Allow about 20 minutes for the program to finish. When it has 

finished, press Cancel. Use oven mitts to remove the inner pot (be 

careful -- it's hot!) and place it on a trivet or other heat-resistant 

surface.

3. Stir in the salt. Slowly stir in the lemon juice, 1 tablespoon at a

time. The milk will coagulate, gathering together in small lumps as

the lemon juice is added. Wait about 5 minutes for the milk to 

coagulate further.

4. Place a fine-mesh strainer over a medium bowl and pour the milk 

through it. Let it drain until only the solids remain in the strainer,

about 10 minutes.

5. Use a spatula to scrape the solids into a container with a lid. Cover

the container with a lid. Cover the container and refrigerate it until

chilled, about 2 hours.

Do-It-Yourself Ricotta will keep, in an airtight container in the 

refrigerator, for up to one week.

Tip: The liquid leftover from straining is whey and is rich in protein.

Substitute it for water in pizza or bread dough, or incorporate it into

smoothies.

If the ricotta is too dry when you're ready to use it, add a little milk to re-hydrate it. Here's how my husband and I used the ricotta: 

Ricotta Toast - spread a generous amount of ricotta on whole grain bread and top with fresh fruit like nectarines and blueberries (figs or strawberries are good alternatives, too). Top it with walnuts, drizzle with honey, and sprinkle on some flaky sea salt.

Tomato and Ricotta Salad - thinly slice heirloom (or any) tomato, top with arugula and basil (or other salad greens), add puddles of ricotta, dress with balsamic vinegar, and season with salt and pepper. If you like, serve with a protein like slices of grilled steak or chicken.  

Ricotta Panna Cotta with Nectarines and Honey - this is a tangy version of panna cotta, a recipe from Bon Appetit.

I hope these recipes inspired you to get crafty in the kitchen, to try something new, and to eat a little bit healthy, a little bit indulgent...TADA!