Pacific Crossing, Part VIII — The Last Stretch and Making Yoghurt

It is April 20th and we are less than 500 miles from our destination. The wind died down yesterday to a disappointing 4 to 5 knots but it picked up a bit during the night bringing our distance for the day to a respectable 125 miles. Today the winds have been reasonable and it looks like we'll be making landfall in another three or four days. We may actually need to slow down a little so we don't arrive in dark.

Our food supplies are still plentiful despite the lack of fish. However, we are down to the last bit of purchased yoghurt. Time to try out the recipe for homemade yoghurt. I remember my Turkish friends telling me they made yoghurt all the time. I just never realized what a simple process it was. I made my first attempt this morning and so far the results look impressive.

What you need:
• 3 tablespoons of yoghurt (pick one that you like the flavor of, make sure it does not contain sugar and is natural flavour)
• 1 liter of milk
Sterilize your pot and containers before you start (usually if they come out of the dishwasher that is sufficient, otherwise just pour boiling water over them)

Bring the milk to a temperature of 110 to 115°F. You can bring it to a boil and let it cool to the right temperature, just be sure to stir it so it doesn't get a skin on top. Mix the three tablespoons of yoghurt into one cup of the warm milk to thin before mixing into the rest of the milk. Stir it gently and then cover the container and keep warm for 5 to 10 hours depending on the consistency and flavour that you like.

To keep it warm, I heated a cast iron pot, covered it in a towel and put it in the bottom of a cooler bag, put the yoghurt in a plastic container on top, zipped it up and left it on the counter. When I get home, I'll just use my warming drawer, but I read you can also put it in your oven on bread proof setting. Another option is to put it in a thermos that has been warmed up with hot water.

Once the yoghurt is at the consistency you like (longer equals thicker and tarter), put it in the fridge. It will last for two weeks. If you want to add flavour do so just before serving (i.e. jam, honey, fruit, garlic and herbs, etc.). See how easy that was!

So, even though we have plenty of food and water and fuel on board and continue to find things to keep ourselves busy, we are both getting a bit stir crazy and look forward to planting our feet on the ground. Almost there!