Busy weekend

I was stuck at home for the weekend due to work so I spent my time making lots of things.

• I bottled 20 bottles of cyder (2 different apple/berry blends) (Making cyder). The Cyder with only the berry extract is good, the berry flavor is not overpowering. The one made with berry juice is a bit tart and needs to age for at least 6 months to mellow it out.
• Made 2x32 oz containers of yogurt from a gallon of milk
• And made/canned jam from blueberries, raspberries, and marionberries using Pomona Pectin. I used only 3/4 cup of sugar (evil sugar) and 4 cups of mashed and tasty berries. These berries came from local growers up here in the PNW. This made 6 pints, one has already been devoured... Yummy!

Yogurt!

Along with using the frozen blueberries in the fruit compote I posted about, I've been making blueberry smoothies for my son and I. But yogurt is not cheap and I've been thinking about making my own.

So I did Monday night. Heated up a half gallon of whole milk, added 1/2 cup of powered milk, heated to 180 degrees, cooled to 100 degrees, then mixed 3 tbs of existing yogurt to 2 cups of milk from the pot, mixed it together, then added it to the rest of the pot.

I had preheated the oven to 180, then turned off the oven, turned on the light, and put the pot in the oven for 7 hours. Now I have a half gallon of good tasting yogurt for smoothies. Yeah!