How often have you paid a lot of money at a restaurant to buy frozen yogurt as a dessert? Turns out, not only is it extremely easy to make yogurt at home but you can also freeze natural, homemade yogurt and enjoy its delicious taste. Though freezing natural yogurt is not the same as making frozen yogurt, it is still a delicious way to enjoy the yogurt for a long time.
It also provides a versatile way to use the yogurt. You can eat plain in a yogurt cup, use it as a topping for some other kind of dessert or even as a coarse salad dressing. There are several ways to use the yogurt you have frozen. But the first step is to make the yogurt.
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How Is Yogurt Made?
Making yogurt is an easy but precise process. It can go wrong easily if you do not follow all the steps with precision. Yogurt can be made using any kind of milk — cow, buffalo, goat, etc. You will need to take fresh milk and ferment it using lactic bacteria or a starter culture. The bacteria is added at a certain temperature to heated, pasteurized milk. It is important to regulate the temperature because it allows the bacteria to act fast.
The bacteria convert the lactose (or milk sugar) into lactic acid. The acid then thickens the milk into a more solid, creamy consistency that you recognize as yogurt. The yogurt is then allowed to cool after it sets evenly. See our yogurt maker reviews if you'd like to start making healthy yogurt at home.
But if you want to store your yogurt for even longer, there is an option of freezing it too (not to be confused with frozen yogurt). This is an easy process that requires no additional steps but there are a few things you will need to be careful about. But before that, let’s get the basics out of the way.
How to Freeze Regular Yogurt?
To freeze natural yogurt, you simply need to place the entire container in the freezer. Before putting it in the freezer, stir the yogurt thoroughly with a spoon to give it an even form. This will ensure that the yogurt remains even after freezing as well. Replace the lid and cover it with an aluminum foil or a cling wrap.
If it is not store bought yogurt, put it into a food and freezer safe container with an airtight lid. Make sure to label the container with the date so you do not let it sit in the freezer for too long.
The following are some fun serving tips you can try for great results.
Yogurt Ice Pops
You can make fun to serve ice pops by sliding a wooden stick into the yogurt cups. Once you take the cups out, you can simply eat it like a yogurt popsicle! It’s a great dessert to serve at a party and you can get great accolades for even that little effort.
Vodka Treatment
If you want to infuse some fruit into the yogurt, cut the fruits you want to add into chunks. Then dip the fruits into some vodka before mixing it with the yogurt. This allows the fruit flavor to get mixed with the yogurt while preventing the fruits from becoming icy. What’s more, you can also get a great boozy flavor — another great dessert cocktail to serve at a party.
Things to Consider before Freezing
While freezing natural yogurt is extremely easy and requires hardly any extra effort, there are some things you may want to know before you freeze the yogurt, whether homemade or store bought
How to Thaw the Yogurt
To thaw the frozen yogurt, take it out of the freezer and leave the container in the fridge overnight. This allows the yogurt to thaw at a steady temperature. Leaving it outside might spoil the yogurt. Allow it to sit the fridge and do not put it back in the freezer after it has thawed. The yogurt is ready to be consumed.
If the changed flavor of the yogurt after you have thawed it is not palatable, it is perfectly edible frozen too.
Final Thoughts
Yogurt is not only a healthy element to include in your diet but its effectiveness can even be extended for a long period of time by freezing it. Freezing yogurt is not only done so that it can be enjoyed at a later date. There are several dessert topping or salad dressings that are actively enhanced with frozen yogurt. There are several things you can do with yogurt and the fact that you can freeze your yogurt means you can whip it out at any time and incorporate it into a delicious dish.
At all times, however, remember to take precautions against spoiling the yogurt. Do not try to push the yogurt’s shelf life more than it can sustain. It’s best to enjoy the yogurt while it is still healthy and delicious!