Just in Case (55 page)
• Cut the tops off the beets and scrub them under running water. Boil the beets until you can pierce them easily with a skewer. Let them cool, then slip the skins off. Pack the beets in about six or seven hot, clean 1-pint canning jars. You may have some leftover beets or not quite enough, depending on how big your “medium” beets are and how many you eat before they hit the canning jars. Combine the cider vinegar, water, sugar, and salt in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Pour the brine over the beets. Place the jars in a preheated-water bath canner and process for 30 minutes.
MAKING YDGURT
O
NCE YOU FIND
out how easy it is to make yogurt, you may never buy it in the market again. With nothing more than powdered milk, water, starter (which can be purchased dried) or a couple of tablespoons of already-made yogurt, and a warm place for the mixture to sit undisturbed for a couple of hours, you can turn out a quart of yogurt every day. It is the perfect crisis food because it is so versatile. Plain, it can be used as a sour cream substitute in dressings and sauces. Sweetened, it makes a delicious dessert. With fruit and granola, it is a filling breakfast. It can substitute for buttermilk in most recipes, with excellent results. It can also be drained and made into a soft cheese that can be used like cream cheese; this is especially good with a little salt and some dried herbs.
PLAIN YDGURT RECIPE
1 quart milk (any kind will do, whether whole, skim, or reconstituted)
¼ A cup powdered milk (as a thickener)
2 tablespoons plain yogurt with active cultures or yogurt starter
• Warm the milk over medium heat until bubbles form around the edge of the pan. Stir in the powdered milk. Remove from heat and let cool until the milk is lukewarm. You should be able to comfortably hold a finger in the milk for ten seconds.
• Add the yogurt and stir until well combined. Pour the mixture into a wide-mouthed jar. If using a powdered starter, follow package directions. Place the jar in a warm spot, and let it sit for 4 to 6 hours. Don’t disturb it, or you risk breaking the yogurt’s structure and it won’t set.
That’s all there is to it. You can use a yogurt maker if you want, but it really isn’t necessary and it won’t work if the power is out. Some people use a thermos for the setting up, as it will keep the temperature uniform.
The only precautions are to use stainless-steel utensils and glass or stainless-steel pans for heating, as yogurt is acidic and will react with copper or aluminum. You can let it set up in plastic containers, but I prefer glass because it is easier to keep really clean. Plastic also can hold odors that can transfer to your yogurt. Be sure everything is very clean so you don’t pick up unwanted bacteria. I once turned out batch after batch of yogurt that refused to set up and smelled terrible, until I sterilized my yogurt-making cups. Something was obviously in there that didn’t belong.
For an even thicker yogurt, with a texture more like that of store-bought yogurt, you can add 1 tablespoon of gelatin to the milk
YDGURT SITTING IN A WARM SPDT
with the starter. You can use Jell-O powder the same way and wind up with a fruit-flavored yogurt.
My kids don’t like the plain yogurt by itself, but they love it with a little honey and some fruit. On a hot summer night, yogurt layered with fresh fruit and granola makes a good supper. You can mix it with fruit-flavored gelatin and canned fruit for a nutritious dessert. And with the addition of savory spices, it makes a tasty salad dressing.
MAKING CHEESE
F
OR MDNTHS I
had a section neatly partitioned off in my preparedness notebook for cheese making. In truth, I had no idea where to begin. I was simply afraid of cheese making. I had visions of complicated processes and expensive equipment and some vague idea about needing a supply of raw milk. The whole thing seemed impossible for the home cook. Then I read
Home Cheese Making
by Ricki Carroll, self-styled Cheese Queen and owner of New England Cheesemaking Supply Company (www. cheesemaking.com), and I was hooked.
Knowing how to make cheese greatly enhances my ability to turn out tasty food from my stored supplies. My first attempts were limited to yogurt cheese, which involves nothing more complicated than letting a cup of plain yogurt come to room temperature and then wrapping it in cheesecloth and suspending the bag for a few hours, allowing the yogurt to drain. I added some salt and a few chopped chives and called it a success. I next went on to farmer’s cheese and finally mozzarella. The only problem is that I can’t stand that hard, plastic-wrapped, tasteless stuff that passes for cheese in a supermarket anymore. Fresh mozzarella is a real treat! And I have my order in for a real cheese press because I am such a cheddar fan.
CHEESE-MAKING EQUIPMENT
People made cheese for centuries without any special equipment, but having the right tools does make it easier. Other equipment and ingredients may be necessary for making more complicated cheeses, but I have gotten along fine with just these things.
Cheesecloth: a cotton cloth with a very loose weave used to drain curds and to line molds for hard cheeses