Waste not want not

So I had about a litre of lite milk in my fridge that was going out of date. I know what you're thinking. I thought you said you only drink full fat?

Well I do, which is why this carton was never fully used. But you can't just throw away milk, it's wrong!

Next time you have a bit of milk in the fridge that is about to go off, or is a day or so past its best before date, stop. 

Don't throw it out, I know it's off, but you can turn it into something wonderful!

Making natural yoghurt takes me back to the sweet dairy smell of my Tayta's* house.

She always had a few cows. They were her main source of income after my grandfather remarried. She made cheese, butter, and yoghurt to sell in the markets in Syria.

With the money she made she successfully kept a roof over her head, brought up her remaining two children and gave them an education.

Legend has it that she stitched her money into the curtains in the house so my grandfather would never find it, and sure enough he never did!

It was a sad day when she sold her cows. 

For her it was an indication that she was getting old, and that she couldn't be so independent any more.

For me making this is like taking part in history. According to Wikipedia, 'there is evidence of cultured milk products in cultures as far back as 2000 BCE'.

It's also a respect thing, to food and women who just pick themselves up and get on with it.

Natural Yoghurt 

This is an age old method that has been passed down from mother to daughter for generations.

My great grandmother taught my grandmother, she taught my mum, and mum taught me.

So natural yoghurt gets pretty emotional at Kiki's Table!

1 litre milk

1 cup natural yoghurt (this is your culture)

In a medium sized pot bring milk to a slow boil and turn off heat to cool. 

For natural yoghurt to work the milk needs to be at a particular temperature. 

Don't ask me what this is but here's the history part:

Every good Lebanese girl, or Syrian girl for that matter, has been taught this way. When you can put your pinky finger in the milk for 10 seconds and take it out without feeling like you have to yank it, then it's the right temperature.

I love this, although we have thermometers now this is still the way it's made at home across Arabia.

Once it's reached the right temperature stir some hot milk into the natural yoghurt until it's all mixed in. Then pour and stir this through the rest of the hot milk. Now the milk is ready to be set.

Pour the milk mixture into a container you would like to set it in. I like something airtight.

Then wrap in a towel and store in a dark place for 8 hours or overnight.

Refrigerate when set.

Notes

* Tayta means grandma in Arabic

** For a richer yoghurt always use full cream milk and a rich yoghurt for your culture.

*** For a lighter yoghurt use skinny milk, and a lighter yoghurt for culture. This will set slightly runnier than full fat yoghurt, and have a more sour taste. If it sets too runny, don't panic, just run it through a sieve to get rid of the extra water. That should thicken it up.