I prepare homemade yogurt from kefir and strawberries - an unforgettable taste of childhood

I belong to the generation that still remembers the taste of strawberry yogurt and kefir. We prepared this masterpiece in the cramped kitchens of small Khrushchev houses in our free time from school. I included the recipe in my piggy bank and periodically prepare this yogurt. The advantage of the dessert is that it is prepared quickly, consists of a small amount of ingredients, but at the same time delights in taste and is beneficial.

What is the advantage of homemade yogurt over industrial analogues?

Perhaps someone is wondering why you need to make yogurt yourself when you can find hundreds of varieties of this fermented milk product on sale. Let’s not even remember now the revealing programs that said that the composition of most industrial yoghurts is not at all natural, so the drink is practically of no benefit.

Just look at the product label, where the list of ingredients contains a lot more than sourdough, milk and fresh berries. When you make your own yogurt, you know exactly what you put where.

According to the recipe from my childhood, only sour cream, kefir and fresh strawberries are used for the fermented milk drink.

Each of these products individually brings undoubted benefits to the body, which means their mixture will not harm us. I also try to buy natural sour cream from farmers at the market. I have to buy kefir in a store from a manufacturer I trust.

Classic recipe for yogurt made from kefir and strawberries

Dairy products for making yogurt can have any fat content. It depends on your preference.

Required amount of ingredients for 2-3 servings:

0.5 l of kefir;
2-3 tbsp. spoons of sour cream;
3 tbsp. spoons of sugar (you can take less);
1 cup strawberries.

The cooking process is not difficult, especially if the house has modern household appliances. I simply put all the ingredients in a blender and blend for 2-3 minutes, first on medium and then on high speed.

The finished drink should become homogeneous and begin to foam. After this, you can pour the yogurt into glasses and drink. This is convenient to do through a cocktail straw. You cannot store a fermented milk drink with berries for a long time, because it contains no preservatives. Therefore, it is better to prepare it immediately before use. Homemade yogurt will combine the benefits of two products at once - kefir and strawberries.

Drink with berries and banana

You can use different berries to make yogurt and add an additional banana. Our family loves a drink with the addition of strawberries, blueberries and banana puree. To prepare several servings you will need:

0.5 cups strawberries;
0.5 cups blueberries;
1 banana;
500 ml kefir.

If desired, you can add honey or sugar to the finished drink. First, I puree the berries and banana using a blender. At the same stage I add honey or sugar, but this is not necessary, the fruit already gives the drink a pleasant sweetness. Add kefir to the crushed berry-banana mixture in parts, while whisking the mixture. The finished drink will have a uniform consistency.

This yogurt can serve as a healthy snack; children eat it with pleasure during the break between lunch and dinner. I often pamper myself with it shortly before bed - it helps digestion and relieves hunger. Instead of eating a couple of cookies or a sausage sandwich, it is better to give your body a healthy cocktail of fermented milk product and berry filling.

Recipe for making yogurt with strawberries in a bread machine

If there is no kefir in the house, but there is milk and strawberries, you can prepare a lot of tasty and healthy yogurt at once in a bread maker. For this case, I always keep a special starter for dairy products in the house, which I purchase on the Internet. The bread maker is convenient because it has a large bowl, and you can also set the desired cooking mode.

Ingredients you will need:

1.5 liters of fresh milk;
1 bag of dry starter;
2 cups fresh strawberries.

I'll give you a hint: instead of sourdough, you can take 1 small package (150 g) of natural Activia yogurt.

How I cook:

I heat the milk on the stove to a temperature of 35-37° It is impossible to go higher, otherwise the ripening process will be disrupted.
I pour a little milk into a glass, where I add starter from a bag or natural store-bought yogurt.
I combine milk with lactic acid bacteria with the main volume, mix and pour into a yogurt maker.
I place the yogurt maker in the bread maker and turn on the “yogurt” mode.
Fermentation time is 6-6.5 hours. Some starters require individual time for the bacteria to work, as indicated on the packaging.
When the timer goes off, I turn off the oven and take out the yogurt.

I add powdered sugar and fresh strawberries, cut into small slices or cubes, to the ready-made drink. This yogurt is also suitable for children.It can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, which is very convenient.

Kefir jelly with strawberries

Sometimes children ask for ice cream, which is not available at home. In this case, a dessert made of kefir and strawberries with gelatin helps me out. Externally, the delicacy looks like ice cream, and its taste is excellent.

To prepare you need to take:

1 liter of kefir;
5 tbsp. l. Sahara;
20 g gelatin;
1/3 cup milk;
strawberries to taste.

This amount of food is enough to prepare dessert for 4-5 people. I prepare it like this:

Mix kefir thoroughly with sugar until the grains are completely dissolved.
Meanwhile, in a separate bowl, gelatin is poured with milk and swells.
Then I place the bowl of gelatin in a deep dish with heated water so that the ingredient melts.
When the gelatin is completely dissolved, pour it into sweetened kefir and stir.
I pour the prepared mixture into molds and put it in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

To remove the jelly from the mold before serving, I dip its lower part in hot water for a few seconds. Before it hardens, you can pour the jelly into transparent glass vases and serve directly into them. I decorate the dessert with halves or slices of strawberries and sprigs of mint and lemon balm.

Homemade kefir yogurt with strawberries is good both in the classic version and in various variations. The dessert turns out light, tasty, and healthy. Sometimes they can replace a full meal.