AppleJuice Apocalypse and Nutty Nums (plus a Ricotta bonus)

Ok. Just wanted to share two quick oatmeal adventures, one good and one awful. Awful comes first.

Apple Juice Apocalypse: I wanted an apple taste in my oatmeal, but didn't want dried apple or to go through the trouble of cutting up a fresh one. I had some apply juice and thought, why not? Do not do this! For some reason, I didn't think of apple juice as an acid, but when you're talking milk, it totally is. And my milk curdled while it was cooking. So, instead of a lovely hint of apple, I ended up with icky acidic whey and chunks of milk. Sound gross? Well, it was.

Nutty Nums: This is a good story. Not a love story, but a good one. Nuts. Chopped and added as a protein and flavor booster right at the end. Lovely. I used almonds. They were pretty good, but I think walnuts or another soft, creamier nut work better. Either way though, a hint of vanilla and last minute nut add-in = a nice fulfilling breakfast.

Ricotta Bonus: So, I've been making my own ricotta. Or some kind of version of it. Here's what I do -

I heat milk to about 200 degrees F (just before boiling). I add lemon juice or vinegar by the teaspoonful until the milk starts to just curdle. I add one more teaspoonful, and end up with some nice blobs of "cheese." (I seriously doubt this is a real cheese because there's no culturing to it.) I hang it over a bowl in a floursack towel (my cheesecloth's holes were too big) for about 5-10 minutes and use immediately. Great in lasagna, or ricotta almond spaghetti with pine nuts*. A half gallon of milk makes probably 2 cups of ricotta, but I could be wrong.

*Ricotta almond spaghetti: boil some spaghetti; save some of the water. At the same time, make your "ricotta." Mix together ricotta, some ground almonds (1/2 C?), salt and pepper to taste, dash each of cinnamon and nutmeg, and a few tablespoons of pasta water (helps sauce bind to pasta). Toss mixture with spaghetti, and add pine nuts. A nice autumn pasta.

Applesauce Adventuring

With apples going on sale here in SoCal (39 cents a pound at one store), I have adventured into the art of applesauce. I didn't look up any recipes. In fact, my only inspiration was an experiment on "Sid, the Science Kid."

I started by microwaving my apples, 'cause I figured that would break them down. I wasn't really thinking of the nutrients being mangled by micro-waves, but I did learn that even with sufficient water, the apple forms a little bit of a skin. So, microwave cooking is probably not the best. But the texture and taste after blending weren't too bad. I just had to add water.

Which pretty much left the stovetop. I next cooked them just enough and then ran the apples through a food processor. The resulting applesauce tasted more akin in texture to babyfood than applesauce. So, if you're making homemade babyfood, by all means run it through a food processor. It wasn't horrible, just not my favorite texture.



So, I just discovered tonight, after leaving the apples on the stove on medium for too long that they kind of fell apart in the pot. I spooned up some of the resulting breakdown. Low and behold it looked and tasted very much like real applesauce.


Perhaps just cooking it until the apple falls apart is the best method. And then maybe running over it with a potato masher or something. I am a bit concerned about the breakdown of vitamin C, though. Temperatures above 158 degrees Fahrenheit (70 C) can break down vitamin C. Since boiling point is 212 degrees F (100 C), that would mean boiling the apples would deplete it's nutrition. So, other than leaving it on the stove on low for a really long time, I'm not exactly sure how applesauce can be made without affecting the nutrients.

As far as how long it keeps: in the fridge, not long enough for my family to go through a big batch (maybe 2 weeks); in the freezer, I'll let you know- I'm trying that this time. Please leave any advice you might have in the applesauce department. I could probably google it, but I'm not really looking for a recipe; just techniques.

Well, in other apple related ranting, I have a question: Do you think homemade applecrisp with fresh ingredients is healthier than a sugary kids cereal (say, Trix or Cap'n Crunch)? Kids cereals are fortified with vitamins and minerals, but they're also loaded with sugar. (And I just read somewhere that over-consumption of sugar can decrease the amount of certain minerals your body can take in. I just read it, so the source may not be valid, but honestly I believe it... hope I'm not wrong.) Applecrisp also has sugar, but most of the sugar is natural from the apples. And the topping I use also has oats in it. (I don't pay attention to fats unless they're hydrogenated; I feel like over-consumption of sugar is far more detrimental to my health than healthy fats.)

So, basically, which do you think is healthier for breakfast: applecrisp or kids cereal? I think you can all tell where my vote lies.

Making Yogurt

While perusing my favorite blogs a while back, I found some information on making yogurt (see http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/blog/make-your-own-yogurt-and-cream-cheese). I checked it out, and, as usual, I got super excited. If my husband didn't keep me in check I would waste so much money on the things I get excited about (many of which I don't actually finish). I did "need" to buy some glass jars. Unfortunately, I've realized since then, if I'd been more patient, I could have just accumulated various glass jars to use. But, that's what I get for being impatient. So, here's a rundown of the super easy and inexpensive way to make your own yogurt!

Materials:

a cooler
sterilized GLASS jars (see notes)
food thermometer (candy, meat, whatever)
saucepan
any live culture plain yogurt
milk (raw or pasteurized; whole or 2%)
water, and a way to reheat it

optional - sweetened condensed milk, vanilla, other flavorings (I like to flavor with fruit syrup)




Directions:

1. Heat your milk in a saucepan (don't microwave; I think you could change important milk proteins). If it's older or your really concerned about bacteria, heat it to just boiling and then cool it. Just make sure the milk is about 120 degrees F (see note below). When you add room temperature stuff, the milk will decrease a bit in temp.




2. Add 2 heaping Tablespoons live culture yogurt in smaller jars, 1/2 Cup in larger jars. Add any other ingredients (mine below have sweetened condensed milk, and one has acai juice; always leave one plain so you can use it as your starter for the next batch).






3. Pour the warm milk in the jars until a bit below the rim. Please note that it is rather difficult to take a picture and pour milk at the same time, so don't try that unless you want a mess. Or use a funnel.


4. Stir really well with a fork or spoon. If you don't distribute the yogurt into the milk, your culture will be really slow going. Put lids on the jars.









5. Put warm water into the cooler. Be careful not to put in so much that they'll cover the top lid of the glass jar. Heat portions of the water until its 120 degrees F, or just under.











6. Put the jars in the cooler and close it on up. Check the water temp every hour or two. Try to keep the water temp about 120 degrees, 'cause it'll lose heat over time. I scoop out water with a mug, microwave it a minute, and then pour the water back in. I repeat until I get the water to the right temperature. However you keep the temp right is up to you.

7. Let it go for 8-12 hours; however long it takes for it to stay put when you tilt the jar. Then put it in the fridge to stop the process. Otherwise it curdles.


I don't have a picture of the finished product. I'll try to get one up soon. If you do plain yogurt, you can strain it with a cheese cloth to make yogurt cheese. Kind of like cream cheese but more tart. I like it with grated carrot, pimentos, and garlic salt. You can see instructions for that at the website I mentioned above.

I love my yogurt with honey and nutmeg, personally. I'm trying out the sweetened condensed milk mixed from the get-go on my mom's recommendation. Apparently when she was in college, they would make yogurt from sweetened condensed milk and put it on the space heater instead of in a cooler. I don't know if I can handle quite that much sugar, but it sounded yummy enough to try a smaller amount mixed with my milk. I hope anyone who tries it enjoys!




(Notes)

Glass Jars: They must be glass, from what I understand. I think it's probably because glass conducts heat better, plus there's no risk of any plastic toxin leaching into the yogurt. You can buy mason jars online or at a kitchen or grocery store. Or you can be really resourceful and save and clean your glass jars from jam, spaghetti sauce or whatever. I run mine through the dishwasher. The only ones I wouldn't recommend for this are pickle jars or other really strong smelling jars. Those need to air out forever before you can get the taste out of them.

Temperature: The bacteria that make yogurt thrive at 115 degrees F. They will grow between the temperatures of 98 and 125ish degrees F. Any higher than 125 (if I remember correctly), and they die. Any lower than 98, and they go dormant. Many sites suggest 90-110 degrees. I've found my yogurt takes forever at these temps. I get thicker yogurt at a median incubation of 115 degrees.

Spiced Carrot Oatmeal

I normally wouldn't post a recipe I wasn't totally in love with, but as it happens, my kids (ages 1 and 3) loved it. They kept spooning more out of my bowl into theirs. I ended up having to eat the dregs from the pot. I thought it was a little spice heavy and slightly sweet, so if you're not making it for kids, you may want to 1/2 the spices and sweetener.

Ingredients:

1 C liquid (I did 1/2 milk, 1/2 water)
3-4 T carrot juice
1/2 a small carrot, finely shredded
3 T sweetener (I did 2 T brown sugar, 1 T agave nectar)
1/2 t salt
large pinch ginger
large pinch nutmeg
1/2 t cinnamon
3/4 C rolled oats

note: you can use either carrot juice or shredded carrot if you just have/want one. I like to have both so the kids can't pick out the orange specs, plus I love carrot juice.

Mix all the ingredients except the oats in a saucepan. Make sure it tastes right for you before you add the oats. Bring to a boil. Add oats (whatever variety you like) and cook accordingly. For rolled oats, that's about 5 minutes. Cool slightly and serve with a dash of milk.

Plain Old Oatmeal, But Oh So Good!

So, here's Recipe #1, Plain old Oatmeal:

2 Cups Liquid (I do 1 C. milk and 1 C. water)
1 Cup Oats
3 T. Brown Sugar (or equivalent Sweetener)
1/4 - 1/2 t. Salt (or to taste)
optional 1/2 t. vanilla


Mix all ingredients in a small saucepan.
Bring to a boil.
Let simmer for 5 min. for quick oats (longer for steelcut or other varieties).
Serve warm with a dash of milk and any berry, banana, or other soft fruit.

I know, it sounds very difficult. ;)

Sweeteners

Before I go posting any recipes or delicious pictures (or at least I hope delicious pictures) of oatmeal, I feel the need to wander into the world of sweeteners. I know there are multiple kinds of sweeteners out there, and I hope my recipes will be adaptable to most any of them.

In my kitchen, I have: granulated (white) sugar, brown sugar, pasteurized honey, agave nectar, and liquid stevia. I am going to give a brief run down on my feelings for each of these sweeteners in regards to oatmeal.

Granulated (white) sugar ~ I doubt I will ever use this in oatmeal. I feel like it tastes too empty for the robust texture of a good oatmeal. However, when in a pinch, it will work.

Brown Sugar ~ There's light and dark. I don't have a real preference yet. Brown sugar is my favorite for oatmeal at the moment, because it adds some depth that compliments the oats taste and texture.

Honey ~ Currently I only have pasteurized clover honey, but I hope to get some raw honey to experiment with. Different honeys have different tastes, so when in doubt leave the sweetener for last, pull out a small portion, and taste test. I also love honey for oatmeal, but the foretaste is too strong for certain recipes. In general, I will write it when I use honey, but don't hold me to that.

Agave Nectar ~ A great alternative to honey. The flavor isn't as heavy; great for lighter tasting oatmeal. I often combine this with stevia or honey because it's more expensive. Some people like it for the lower glycemic index; some don't because of the high fructose levels.

Stevia ~ You can get it in powder or liquid form. I have it in liquid form. You can find it in most health food stores with herbal supplements. It is not necessarily a supplement; it just isn't FDA approved to be sold as a regular food/sweetener. It also has a lower glycemic index. The only thing about stevia is that some people say it has a bitter aftertaste. For me it isn't necessarily bitter; more like my mouth feels a little dry. I use it to sweeten baking without adding more sugar that necessary. In things like oatmeal (or yogurt), I use it in combination with more rounded sweeteners (like brown sugar, honey, or sometimes agave nectar), as the aftertaste of those sweeteners helps mask the stevia aftertaste.