Kitchen fairy through and through

A few weeks ago I already told you about my work in the kitchen, to spoil my family, young and old, with tasty treats.

But it’s not only my family that gets spoiled here on the farm – I also want to treat my guests to farm-made delicacies! Whether you’re here for a hiking holiday or a ski holiday, a hearty breakfast is the basis for a successful, energy-filled day.

Whether sweet or savory, we leave almost no breakfast wish unfulfilled. And I make sure that it’s not just anything on the table, but regional and farm-fresh products to delight our guests’ taste buds and inspire them with what’s authentic and simple. So on our breakfast tables in the old farmhouse parlor, you’ll find fresh bread, homemade jams, juices, spreads, sausages and cheese from the region, homemade yogurt, and much more.

Our homemade yoghurt, in particular, is very popular with guests young and old. So I thought I’d reveal the “secret” of how we make our yoghurt today.

First you need to make sure you have a large pot and a thermometer in the kitchen. It’s important that everything is very clean and that you work hygienically. Then you need 5 litres of raw milk. Of course I use the milk from our cows. (A trainee wrote to me after she got home that she doesn’t want to drink any other milk anymore :-). The milk is now heated to 90°C. So don’t take your eyes off the milk and check the thermometer regularly. It’s best to do another task in the kitchen at the same time so the milk doesn’t boil over…. Once the milk has reached the desired temperature, we take the pot off the stove and set it aside to cool down. A little tip: set it slightly at an angle so air can circulate under the pot, or place the pot in cold water. Let the milk cool down to 45°C. Now add a little of the yoghurt culture and stir. I always use a pea-sized portion of the culture. Stirring is important so the culture is distributed throughout the milk. Then pour the yoghurt into disinfected jars (I wash them first very hot and then put them briefly in the oven at 100 degrees) and close them. With 5 litres you get 6 jars of 500 ml. The jars with the yoghurt must now immediately go for several hours into a pot of water warmed to 45°C. I usually leave them until the evening if I’ve prepared the yoghurt in the morning. The easiest way is definitely on a wood-burning stove, because you can keep the temperature at 45 degrees very well. A dear regular guest of ours puts the pot with the water in the oven, sets it to 100 degrees for 1 hour and leaves it in the oven until the next day. That keeps the temperature well too. The yoghurt turns out best if, after the warm phase, you then put it in the fridge for a few hours – then it becomes nicely firm.

And then the yoghurt is ready and will keep for several days in the fridge.

I like to serve it best with applesauce and cinnamon. Of course you can also add any other jam, or simply enjoy it plain.

Have fun trying it out

Your farmer Katharina

P.S.: If you’d like the details for the yoghurt culture, just email me and I’ll send you the contact and the exact instructions.