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Yoghurt is a pantry staple that is known for its versatility and healthy nutritional profile. It comes in a variety of options, such as low-fat yoghurt, Greek yoghurt, high-protein yoghurt, and more. Yoghurt can be used to make irresistible dishes and some quick on-the-go snacks that pack both flavour and nutrition.
Yoghurt, with its thick, creamy texture and tangy flavour, is perfect for many calorie-loaded dips and sauces. all in one ingredient. But when you are working with yoghurt, there are certain tips that you need to follow to get the most out of your yoghurt and food.
Don't Use Aluminium When Working With Yoghurt
Yoghurt can pretty much go anywhere but one place where you should not put it is in aluminium pans. The reason is that the acid in yoghurt tends to react with aluminium; this is especially true in the case of Greek yoghurt. This could lead to a metallic taste in your mouth. Not only that, since aluminium is a thin metal, it heats up quicker than other metals, which may cause easy-to-burn products like yoghurt.
Bring Yoghurt To Room Temperature
If you intend to use yoghurt in hot liquids, then make sure you bring the yoghurt to room temperature first. This is a crucial step. If the yoghurt is not at room temperature, then it is most likely to separate when it's added to hot liquids or mixtures.
Fix The Yoghurt Using Cornstarch
If you are cooking with yoghurt and it does end up getting separated, then there's a way to fix it. Although it may not work all the time, to fix separated yoghurt, simply make a mixture of 1 tablespoon of cornflour and mix it with half a tablespoon of cold water.
Once the paste is prepared, add it to the mixture and gently heat it to thicken and recombine.
Don't Pair With Chocolate
Yoghurt is a popular ingredient and pairs with many foods, such as oats, fruits, nuts, and more. But one food that doesn't pair well with yoghurt is chocolate and that's why you don't see any chocolate yoghurt products on the shelves of your supermarket.
The reason behind this is that yoghurt has a pH of 4.3–4.4 and is an acidic food. However, chocolate has a pH of 5.4–8, making it less of an acidic food and more alkaline. Therefore, their flavours, instead of complementing each other, clash with each other.
Treat Yoghurt Gently
When it comes to yoghurt, you should treat it gently. Despite being versatile, delicious, and healthy, yoghurt is fairly delicate, and you should work with care whenever you are cooking with yoghurt, especially when you are beating and whipping it.
Yoghurt can separate into liquids and solids when it is beaten and whipped excessively. Therefore, make sure you fold yoghurt into other ingredients to prevent this.
Keep An Eye On Its Freshness
You should be aware of the expiration of your yoghurt. However, you don't have to throw it away the minute it reaches its expiration date. But the best practice when consuming yoghurt is that you should eat it within two weeks after buying it.
Also, the expiration date gives you a great idea about the freshness of the yoghurt, but you should always use your senses to determine whether the yoghurt is right for consumption or not.
