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Make
your own custom flavor at home by mixing plain yogurt with ingredients
like crushed or chopped fruit, honey, vanilla extract and spices.
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Yogurt is a dairy product made by culturing
milk and/or cream with
friendly bacteria known as "live and active cultures." In the U.S.,
yogurt is made with two specific cultures:
L. bulgaricus and
S. thermophilus.
These living organisms metabolize some of the lactose in the milk into lactic
acid, thereby changing the consistency of liquid milk to a
creamy-textured yogurt with a slightly tart taste.
Enjoyed around the
world for some 4,000 years, fruited yogurt makes a wholesome breakfast or
snack, but plain and vanilla varieties can work wonders in all kinds of
kitchen recipes from marinades and
dips to pancakes and baked goods.
Varieties
There are three main types of yogurt, with fat content being the major difference between them.
Whole milk
yogurt, with at least 3.25% milk fat, is richest and creamiest. It's an
excellent choice for dipping sauces, quick breads, muffins and other baked goods.
Lowfat yogurt is made from lowfat, reduced-fat or
part-skim milk and contains between 0.5 and 2% milk fat. It's less rich
than the whole milk variety, but it works well in a wide range of
recipes as the difference is hardly noticeable.
Nonfat yogurt
must contain less than 0.5% milk fat and is often marketed as "light"
yogurt. Made from skim milk, nonfat often has a watery or grainy
texture, so it's not recommended for dishes that should be rich, moist
and creamy. It's best for eating out of the carton, or as a tangy
marinade for
grilled meats.
Buying and Storage Tips
When buying yogurt, check the date on the carton to make sure you're
buying the freshest available. Also look for labels that state
"with active yogurt cultures" or "with living yogurt cultures."
At home, refrigerate yogurt and use it within one week after the "sell by" date.
Usage Tips
Yogurt is an amazingly versatile ingredient in the kitchen. Keep a few
cups of plain and vanilla on-hand to mix into dips and spreads, bake
into muffins and cakes, or use as a simple garnish for soups and
desserts. In many recipes, yogurt can be a healthy alternative to
higher fat ingredients like
sour cream,
mayonnaise, oil and cream
without compromising taste or texture.
• Mix yogurt (cup for cup) into your favorite muffin and coffee cake recipes that call for sour cream.
• Replace the oil in
chicken, fish and
pork marinades with yogurt for a tangy twist.
• Top bean soups,
chili, baked
potatoes and
tacos with a dollop of plain yogurt instead of sour cream.
• Replace half the mayonnaise in potato and macaroni salads with plain yogurt.
• Top cakes,
puddings and mousses with vanilla yogurt instead of whipped cream.
• Fluff-up pancakes by mixing vanilla yogurt into your batter instead of milk.
• Mix plain yogurt with chopped fresh
herbs to make a delicious spread for pita sandwiches.
• Make your own custom yogurt flavor by mixing plain yogurt with crushed fruit,
honey,
vanilla extract or
spices.
Nutrition Notes
Yogurt is a good source of B vitamins,
protein and
calcium. In
addition, the live and active cultures in yogurt are believed to
relieve digestive troubles and keep the intestinal system healthy.
These same cultures may break down lactose, making yogurt more
than milk for those with lactose intolerance.
Try one of our favorite yogurt recipes:
Vanilla Blueberry Banana Smoothie
Mango Mousse
Sindhi Chicken Curry
