Let me start by talking about the elephant in the room that is Covid. I am not a political animal in any sense of the word but it has seemed to me that it makes sense to be as self sufficient as is possible, so as not to have to go to the shops for items and risk contamination, along with not wanting to be part of the panic buying brigade. My cupboards, freezers and allotment are amply supplied, having as a child been very curious about Nan’s cupboards always full of interesting tins, dried fruits, sugars and flours, there were butters, cheeses and bacon in the fridge, a chest freezer in the hall full of ice cream, fruit, meat, fish and vegetables. There was a brick built shed strung high with net sacks or plaits of home grown onions and sacks of potatoes along with an allotment in her back garden of veg with three apple and one plum tree my war time mentality of food security was triggered at a very early age. I might explain that Nan had been bombed out twice in Liverpool and evacuated with four very small children in tow while her husband was serving in India. I suspect food security became very important to her too.

Not wishing to go into supermarkets at the present time we are living off our wits and stores, so when I noticed that hubby was running out of yoghurt I had a look at the Greek yoghurt tub that he favours and found it to contain a live bacteria. I promptly ordered some full fat milk off the milkman (we wash the bottles with soapy water as they come into the house) and examined the yoghurt instructions on my instapot.

Firstly I scalded the milk and then let it sit for a couple of hours to come back to room temperature, whisked 3 dessertspoons of yoghurt into it and put it into the instapot and hit the yoghurt button and walked away.

Eight hours later,… we had this lovely thick yoghurt.

Next I separated some kitchen towel, scalded that with hot water and lined a colander with it, then poured the yoghurt into it and allowed the whey to drain. I didn’t do this for long, maybe half an hour, I think you can strain it for a lot longer to make a very thick yoghurt if you wish to.

And then potted it into some glass jars that had also been scalded with boiling water.

To be placed into the fridge, where it will thicken up even more. 4 pints made 1.5 litres. (I love to mix imperial with metric!) Apparently the shelf life for home made yoghurt is about two weeks, I shouldn’t think we will have any left after a week. I might even get some fruit out the freezer and make some blackcurrant compote to accompany it. Or even make blackcurrant and yoghurt ice cream, or maybe I’ll need yoghurt in my new to me BIR curries, Oh the possibilities…