On 4/13/2016 at 9:28 AM, Shelby said:Made another batch of yogurt yesterday in the IP. I tasted it after 4 hours of it incubating and I decided that I like that flavor better than letting it go for 8. Not as "sour".
Was going to ask about the thickness, and I see ElsieD beat me to it.
On 4/13/2016 at 9:39 AM, kbjesq said:What is "jail slaw"? And sorry about your beans. I have not yet had any problem using the IP to cook dry beans (no soak) and I hope that I never do. And I do use Rancho Gordo beans but also cheap chickpeas and black beans (Goya) from my local supermarket. With my luck, however, I'll probably have that problem for the first time when I've got company coming over.
ETA: I just read the posts about the molasses being acid. I never thought about it so I looked it up and sure enough, molasses is usually around 5.2 - 5.7 pH. Learn something new every day.
I have learned from past failures (decades ago) to never add anything but salt to dried beans before they reach the desired level of tenderness. After they reach that point, I often add something acidic in order to prevent the skins from suffering from blow out, assuming that I intend to keep cooking them (e.g., Boston baked beans).
Jail slaw is a vinegar/sugar-based slaw seasoned with turmeric, dry mustard and white pepper. I love it, it keeps in the fridge forever, and it's great in place of lettuce on a BLT or with barbecue or other meat that tends toward greasy. If you want the recipe, PM me and I'll be happy to send it. So named because I learned to make it when I was a reporter covering criminal court cases, and we'd frequently eat lunch at the jail due to a lack of other options, and time constraints.
And I'm sure the bean issue was the molasses. I'd never thought about it either. I'll know better next time.
On 4/20/2016 at 7:15 PM, ElsieD said:Thanks, Shelby. I gave some of my last batch to my polite sister who said "your yogurt is a little tangier than I am used to" and didn't ask for any more. I'll shorten the time when I next make it and see how that works out. I was under what seems to be the mistaken impression that the longer you let it incubate, the thicker it got.
I'm fine with the tang of 8-hour yogurt, but the time factor is occasionally an issue for me. Think I'll try the four-hour tomorrow. I drain mine anyway, so if it'll not be any thinner than 8-hour -- and I couldn't stand a spoon up in mine, I don't think -- so I shouldn't lose as much volume to whey. I generally wind up with about a quart of yogurt from a half-gallon of milk after I drain for two or three hours. I use the same culture Shelby does.
