Apple Coconut Redux: Yogurt!

I made the title Apple Coconut Redux, because of some copy cats out there in the CHOW world. I don't make a zillion dollars ripping off other people's culinary knowledge, so I shall make it a bit harder for them. They are the gateway to the Corporate Plasticized Homogenized Food industry. Beware! They are out to make it illegal for the average person to own raw ingredients and cook!

I am addicted to Apple Coconut anything - fresh or fermented, raw or cooked, boiled, baked, grated, ground, toasted, roasted, squeezed, pies (oh yummy!), cakes, dessert, chocolatized, caramelized, cerealized, porridge, soup, salad, yogurt, ice cream, curries - and this time, we're taking on Apple Coconut YOGURT.

This is not the "take some live culture raw yogurt and add some coconut and apples and honey to it", nope, this is the real deal, where this apple coconut yogurt is produced by encouraging the Yeastie Beasties and Culture Vultures to do their thing, with Mr. Coconut and Ms. Apple right there.

If you suspect there might be some synergistic chaos and fusion magic from cre-arranging a taste-stage where cultures unite - YOU GOT THAT RIGHT!!!



Yogurt by definition is made with milk. Coconut can be fermented into making fermented coconut (kefir) and even coconut vinegar (we're not going that far!) So can apples be fermented (cider) and even apple cider vinegar (we're not going that far!) What we are doing is a double, then a triple witching fermentation making apple coconut yogurt, and umm, apple coconut milk yogurt yogurt.

EQUIPMENT, INGREDIENTS and REASONS:

To make yogurt you will need 1 quart of whole milk, about 1/4 cup whole powdered milk with no preservatives (ask me about brand names if you are serious), about 1/4 cup of yogurt starter culture with at least the following:

In addition, you will require a candy or frying thermometer that you can easily and quickly read 100, 115, 120, 190, 200 degrees F real well, and one you can clip to the side of a heavy metal pot or else you'll have to stand there over the stove and hold it at least 2 inches into the milk or other fluid, as you don't want it to touch the bottom of a metal pot (false high readings).

For the apple coconut part of this, you will need 1 cup of peeled cored, ground up ripe apple and 1 cup fresh unfiltered unpasteurized raw apple juice. Also, 1 cup of fresh coconut meat from a young coconut (the slippery stuff, not the old hard stuff) or 1/2 cup unsweetened dried coconut that you must reconstitute using 1/2 fresh coconut water or 1/2 coconut milk with no preservatives (ask me about brand names if you are serious). You will need a sweetener which I prefer to be HONEY. Have some vanilla and coconut essence on hand.

"The family that ferments, fandangos and flosses together stays together forever." I said that, 2008.

Lets Get Cultured...

You can culture the coconut separately and the apple separately or you can do it together. The difference is the taste and texture of the final product.

Fermenting Together...

INGREDIENTS

1/4 - 1/3 cup starter
2-3 tablespoons of finely grade fresh eating apple
2-3 tablespoons of fresh shredded coconut

Note: If you can't get fresh, then use store-bought but it will like have preservatives. I believe the preservatives in the yogurt ingredients are responsible for a slightly salty aftertaste, which can be alleviated in the final product by adding a bit of honey.

Note: if the only shredded coconut you can get is SWEETENED, then use less honey in the first step mix.

1-2 tablespoons honey.
1 pint of whole milk (note: many times I have run out of milk and sometimes use a mix of evaporated and whole milk; evaporated has a number of additives but it will still work. )
2 tablespoons of powdered milk

METHOD:
Prepare food thermos by cleaning and filling with hot water to heat thermos.
Stove burner between medium and medium low.
Take starter out of refrigerator to bring to room temperature, place in pyrex measuring cup at least 2 cup size.
Mix the apple coconut and honey you plan on using in a small container.

Pour milk into a deep pot and affix the candy thermometer to the side
Add the powdered milk and stir
Add the coconut apple honey mix and stir.
Keep stirring to prevent scorching until mixture reaches 200 degrees F.

Remove from heat and let cool to 120 degrees F.
Empty the thermos of the heating water
Quickly remove one cup of this mix and add to starter, stir well.
Quickly pour this into the thermos
Quickly pour the rest of the mix mix into the cup and then transfer into the thermos until all milk is in thermos.
Mix quickly and well then close thermos
Let rest for 6 hours
Open and pour into container and refrigerate overnight, or at least 2-4 hours.

It will have a very creamy consistency, a tart yogurt taste followed by a coconut taste and a sweet taste. The shreds of coconut add some perceptible texture, as this closeup I took sort of show:



Goes extremely well over APPLE COCONUT PIE! Or even Just Coconut Pie!