Yogurt is a great ingredient when you are cooking light. You can use it to substitute sour cream, butter and cream cheese. The problem is that regular yogurt is fairly runny since it contains so much water. To make it a better consistency for cooking and baking you need to strain it. It is easy - it just takes some time.
First off you are going to need:
- Yogurt, I prefer to use low fat yogurt over non-fat because the non fat can get a little chalky in its consistency.
- A piece of cheesecloth, if you have no cheesecloth you can use a thick paper towel.
- A strainer or sieve
- A big bowl and space for it in your refrigerator
What you do:
- Place the sieve in a bowl.
- Line the sieve or fine strainer with cheesecloth / paper towel.
- Put the yogurt on top of the cheesecloth.
- Lightly salt the yogurt and gently stir - this helps pull the water out of the yogurt.
- Place bowl in your refrigerator and wait.
It takes just about an hour for 20% of the water to strain out of the yogurt. This texture is great in salads - from tuna salad as a mayo substitute or fruit salad since the consistency is similar to whipped cream.
Let is strain for several hours and the yogurt will decrease in volume by half and this consistency is great for dips and as a base for marinades.
Goldsign
Vera Wang
Skechers
Strained yogurt, two spoons of relish and some garlic salt make a great dip. Tastes kind of funky.
1Coffee filters work really well instead of paper towels and they fit nicely into the strainer... I learned that from a friend of mine from India!
2I love serving yogurt this way. I believe they sell strainers at Bed, Bath and Beyond or someplace random like that. I like to strain the low fat Stoneybrook Farm strawberry yogurt overnight. Then pour it into a graham cracker ready made crust. Top it with blueberries, raspberries, strawberries and a tiny sprinkle of Crystal Light Lemonade.
Super easy if you're in charge of bringing a dessert to a cookout.
3I did this last night with just a normal colander and paper towel!I will have to try coffee filters next time! I added a little honey and pecans! Perfect afternoon snack!
4Also, the whey that drains off the yogurt once you have strained it is an exceptional source of dairy protein. I keep it, freeze it in ice cube trays, and drop cubes of it into soups, smoothies and shakes. it's clear and almost tasteless, so you can integrate it into lots of dishes. i love to throw a few cubes of it in with an orange, some frozen cherries and a fresh peach in the summer - blend it all together and have a yummy, ice-cold smoothie that's high in protein and all-natural.
5Also, the whey that drains off the yogurt once you have strained it is an exceptional source of dairy protein. I keep it, freeze it in ice cube trays, and drop cubes of it into soups, smoothies and shakes. it's clear and almost tasteless, so you can integrate it into lots of dishes. i love to throw a few cubes of it in with an orange, some frozen cherries and a fresh peach in the summer - blend it all together and have a yummy, ice-cold smoothie that's high in protein and all-natural.
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