Yogurt

Have you ever heard of the term “functional” foods? These are food products which, either naturally or artificially, have been enriched with healthy additives. The most widespread functional food in the world is yogurt which naturally contains probiotic bacterial cultures (Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium). Because these cultures regulate digestion and help prevent colon cancer, yogurt is considered a superfood which should be eaten daily

Benefits of eating yogurt

• It help with digestive problems such as constipation, diarrhea, and inflammatory bowel disorders
• It contains calcium and Vitamin D, which are essential for the growth and maintenance of strong bones
• Is a good source of protein
• It helps to prevent colon cancer
• Unlike milk and other dairy products, yogurt is often OK for people with lactose intolerance
• It goes well with other things like fruit, muesli, chocolate, etc.
• It can be used as an ingredient in recipes for desserts, cakes, and salad dressings

Benefits of homemade yogurt

• You can be assured of its quality
• It contains no chemical or other additives, only milk and yogurt culture
• It is always fresh (the sooner we eat yogurt, the higher the level of beneficial bacteria in it)
• Price (high quality store-bought yogurt is on average 3 times more expensive than homemade)

How to Make Yogurt in the Sana Smart Bread Maker

Ingredients

• 1 liter of whole pasteurized milk (use fresh milk, not “long-life” boxed milk!) or 1 liter domestic cow or goat milk
  
• 3-4 tablespoons of yogurt containing bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus acidophilus or yogurt culture powder (available online)

Instructions: There are many procedures you can find online detailing how to make yogurt in a bread machine. Some of these require that the cooking pan, bowl, and spoon must be sterilized in boiling water. However, it is sufficient to just rinse the dishes in hot water, and make sure your hands are washed thoroughly. Pour the yogurt into a pan and heat it on the stove to a temperature of 45 ° C. Turn off the heat and stir in 3-4 tablespoons of yogurt or yogurt culture according to the instructions on the bag. If using fresh milk straight from the cow, it is best to bring it to a full boil and then let it cool to 45 ° C. If you don’t have a thermometer, a good rule of thumb is that it is sufficiently cooled when you can comfortably touch the pot (usually 5-10 minutes after boiling). Pour the mixture into the cleaned jars and seal the lids. Put the jars directly into the Sana Smart Bread maker, making sure to take out the baking pan. Select program #6, set the temperature to 42 ° C and the time to 3-8 hours. Unfortunately it is not possible to specify the exact time, because acidification always takes different lengths of time. After three hours, take out a jar and check it. If it has the taste and consistency of yogurt, it is ready. Otherwise, put it back in and periodically check it until it is ready. Once it has reached a yogurt-like state, take out the jars and let them cool down. Once they are cooled to room temperature, put them in the fridge for at least 12 hours. This time is needed because the acidification process will continue even in the fridge. If you eat it before this process is complete, you could get indigestion.

Recommendations While it is being heated in the machine, it can be useful to occasionally shake or stir the yogurt with a spoon, because the yogurt at the bottom may be warmer than that at the top of the jar. This will also help to speed up the acidification. If it isn't thick enough, use a needle thermometer to check the temperature of the yogurt. Ideally it should be between 41-43 ° C. If it is warmer or cooler, adjust the temperature of the Smart Bread Maker accordingly.
'''Why didn't my yogurt turn out right?''' Making yogurt at home is a bit like alchemy. Sometimes it turns out perfectly, and other times it doesn't ferment properly. If it doesn't thicken, a common reason is using low-fat milk instead of whole milk. Another common mistake is using too little yogurt culture, or an expired culture. In this case, try adding more yogurt culture the next time, or even try a different brand. As noted before, maintaining the proper temperature is critical as well. A needle thermometer can be your best friend in solving this problem. Proper yogurt will be white in color. If your yogurt is a darker color, this indicate a spoiled culture and should be thrown out.

Have you ever made a yogurt parfait?

A parfait is a healthy breakfast or dessert made from yogurt, fruit, honey, nuts, chocolate, oats, muesli and many other ingredients. It is tasty, fun and is a great way to start the day. You do not need anything other than a tall glass, yogurt, and a combination of any add-ons you like. There is no wrong way to prepare parfait. Just alternate layers of yogurt with whatever additions you like. It is a perfect example of something that looks as good as it tastes.

Advice and interesting facts

• Did you know that the first fruit yogurt was made in the Czech Republic? It was in 1933 in Radlicke dairy in Smíchov.
• It is best to eat yogurt immediately after opening. If you leave it open in the refrigerator it can become contaminated with bacteria that cause indigestion or spoiled yogurt.
• If you like fruit yogurt, it is better to buy white (or homemade) yogurt and flavor it with fruit or jam. Do you want to learn how to make homemade jam in the Sana Smart Bread Maker?
• After being treated with antibiotics, one should eat a lot of yogurt. Antibiotics destroy not only bad bacteria, but also helpful intestinal bacteria needed for proper digestion. Eating yogurt helps restore the natural balance of healthy bacteria in your digestive system.
• Don’t buy low-fat yogurt, even if you're trying to lose weight. Reduced-fat or non-fat yogurt contains modified starches or other additives to create a “full-fat” consistency. These starches not only reduce the amount of healthy bacteria, but can actually cause weight gain. Ideally, eat yogurt with a fat content of at least 3%.
• Yogurt is great in treating sunburns. Applying white yogurt to burns will provide relief within 20 minutes.
• Recently, spammers sent out a massive number of emails stating that yogurt is unhealthy or even dangerous. This information even found its way onto several health websites. This may be true with store-bought yogurts that are full of additional chemicals and sweeteners, but plain or homemade yogurt without additional ingredients is one of the healthiest superfoods you can eat.