Instead of using Greek yogurt and trying to squeeze the juice out of
the cucumbers, could you just use regular plain yogurt and
dehydrated cucumbers? The cukes should absorb moisture from the
yogurt and thicken it. What am I missing?

Whole milk yogurt, or lowfat, or fat-free?

Bob

On Mon, 16 Aug 2010 00:11:13 -0500, zxcvbob >
wrote:

> Instead of using Greek yogurt and trying to squeeze the juice out of
> the cucumbers, could you just use regular plain yogurt and
> dehydrated cucumbers? The cukes should absorb moisture from the
> yogurt and thicken it. What am I missing?
>
> Whole milk yogurt, or lowfat, or fat-free?
>
Why not just use regular yogurt and regular cucumbers? If you need to
tighten up the yogurt, drain it overnight in a strainer. The amount
of fat in the yogurt is up to you.


--

Carrot cake counts as a serving of vegetables.

Good pointer. Be careful, though. I've had some that had become overly "tight" and it was like a clump. I like my ziki more fluid than hard. Nothing gets my goat more than getting a perfect gyros and then opening the tzatziki to find a hard lump. Viscosity means a lot to this sauce.

"zxcvbob" > ha scritto nel messaggio

> Instead of using Greek yogurt and trying to squeeze the juice out of > the
> cucumbers, could you just use regular plain yogurt and > dehydrated
> cucumbers? The cukes should absorb moisture from the > yogurt and thicken
> it. What am I missing?
>
> Whole milk yogurt, or lowfat, or fat-free?

Maybe I am missing why it should be thick? I've never had it thick at home,
in restaurants nor in Greece. I use normal cucumbers and non-fat plain
yogurt.

Giusi wrote:
> "zxcvbob" > ha scritto nel messaggio
>
>> Instead of using Greek yogurt and trying to squeeze the juice out of > the
>> cucumbers, could you just use regular plain yogurt and > dehydrated
>> cucumbers? The cukes should absorb moisture from the > yogurt and thicken
>> it. What am I missing?
>>
>> Whole milk yogurt, or lowfat, or fat-free?
>
> Maybe I am missing why it should be thick? I've never had it thick at home,
> in restaurants nor in Greece. I use normal cucumbers and non-fat plain
> yogurt.

It's okay with undrained and finely chopped cucumber if you use it up
right away, but it doesn't keep. It turns mushy within hours. I grate
the cucumber into a sieve and drain it when I make tzatziki. I use a
nice thick Balkan style regular fat yoghurt. If you want to thicken
tzitzki you can add sour cream.

On Mon, 16 Aug 2010 10:06:31 -0400, Dave Smith
> wrote:

> It's okay with undrained and finely chopped cucumber if you use it up
> right away, but it doesn't keep.

Really! Can you imagine 3 day old tzatziki? It would be rotten
vegetables in yogurt.

--

Carrot cake counts as a serving of vegetables.

On Aug 16, 5:03*pm, sf > wrote:
> On Mon, 16 Aug 2010 10:06:31 -0400, Dave Smith
>
> > wrote:
> > It's okay with undrained and finely chopped cucumber if you use it up
> > right away, but it doesn't keep.
>
> Really! *Can you imagine 3 day old tzatziki? *It would be rotten
> vegetables in yogurt.

If kept in the refrigerator, what would cause the vegetables to rot?

I use whole-milk Greek yogurt and shredded cucumber. I don't
make a ton, but it lasts easily a few days in the fridge. All it
needs is a good stir to re-combine the whey back into the
mixture.

Granted, I only use it as a dressing on sandwiches. There's
a restaurant here in town that uses a very thick (and somewhat
bland, to my taste) tzatziki as a dipping sauce for chicken
breast kebab.

Dehydrated vegetables are just... eeww.

Cindy Hamilton

Cindy Hamilton wrote:
> On Aug 16, 5:03 pm, sf > wrote:
>> On Mon, 16 Aug 2010 10:06:31 -0400, Dave Smith
>>
>> > wrote:
>>> It's okay with undrained and finely chopped cucumber if you use it up
>>> right away, but it doesn't keep.
>> Really! Can you imagine 3 day old tzatziki? It would be rotten
>> vegetables in yogurt.
>
> If kept in the refrigerator, what would cause the vegetables to rot?

The water gets sucked out of the cucumber and makes a sloppy mess.

> I use whole-milk Greek yogurt and shredded cucumber.

I use finely shredded cucumber and shred it into a sieve, sprinkle some
salt on it. let it sit for about 15 minutes and press out as much water
as I can.

On Tue, 17 Aug 2010 07:51:11 -0700 (PDT), Cindy Hamilton
> wrote:

>If kept in the refrigerator, what would cause the vegetables to rot?

You may not think you're eating rotting cucumbers, but you are. Make
it and eat it, don't keep it.

--
I love cooking with wine.
Sometimes I even put it in the food.

zxcvbob wrote on Mon, 16 Aug 2010 00:11:13 -0500:

>Instead of using Greek yogurt and trying to squeeze the juice out of
the cucumbers, could you just use regular plain yogurt and
dehydrated cucumbers? The cukes should absorb moisture from the
>yogurt and thicken it. What am I missing?

> Whole milk yogurt, or lowfat, or fat-free?

I've never seen dehydrated cucumbers. Where do you find them?

--

James Silverton
Potomac, Maryland

Email, with obvious alterations: not.jim.silverton.at.verizon.not

On 8/17/2010 11:53 PM, James Silverton wrote:
> zxcvbob wrote on Mon, 16 Aug 2010 00:11:13 -0500:
>
>> Instead of using Greek yogurt and trying to squeeze the juice out of
> the cucumbers, could you just use regular plain yogurt and dehydrated
> cucumbers? The cukes should absorb moisture from the
>> yogurt and thicken it. What am I missing?
>
>> Whole milk yogurt, or lowfat, or fat-free?
>
> I've never seen dehydrated cucumbers. Where do you find them?
>


I have a dehydrator. I can dehydrate the cuke until they are leathery
but not crisp, and they should plump back up (not completely) when mixed
with the yogurt.

Dehydrated tomatoes work a lot better than fresh in vegetable soup
because they don't fall apart.

Bob

In article >,
"James Silverton" > wrote:

> zxcvbob wrote on Mon, 16 Aug 2010 00:11:13 -0500:
>
> >Instead of using Greek yogurt and trying to squeeze the juice out of
> the cucumbers, could you just use regular plain yogurt and
> dehydrated cucumbers? The cukes should absorb moisture from the
> >yogurt and thicken it. What am I missing?

> I've never seen dehydrated cucumbers. Where do you find them?

Right next to the dehydrated lettuce.

:-)

--
Dan Abel
Petaluma, California USA