Homemade fruit yogurt

Both fruit and yogurt are considered to be very healthy food. Yogurt is a good source of calcium, proteins and probiotic bacteria, while fruit is rich in vitamins, minerals, fruit sugars and dietary fibers. The two combined provide excellent and delicious food which is very healthy, and at the same time a favorite delicacy.

Stores offer a whole range of fruit yogurts, made of any fruit you can imagine. Unfortunately, store-bought fruit yogurt, as by rule, has a very low fruit content. Lack of fruits is disguised by addition of sugar, which can not be considered healthy, especially if it is over consumed. Except for sugar, store-bought yogurt often contains artificial sweeteners, colors, flavors and other additives that make it more appealing and enable longer shelf-life. Even if these additives were allowed in foods, such fruit yogurt could not be considered all-natural, and nutritionists often warn that it is not healthy because it contains a lot of sugar and artificial compounds.

On the other hand, equally delicious but all-natural fruit yogurt can be easily made at home. To make healthy and refreshing homemade fruit yogurt, all you need is yogurt and fruits. 

There is no strict rule of fruit to yogurt ratio, it depends on personal taste. In general, one part of fruit to two or three parts of yogurt makes good fruit yogurt. Honey or sugar can be added to improve the taste, particularly if sour fruits like oranges or cherries are used. With sweet fruits, sugar can be omitted.

Fruit yogurt can be made of any kind of fruit you like. Apricots, strawberries, raspberries, tropical fruits and sour cherries are some of the common choices. Fresh fruit, chopped or pureed, is the healthiest option, but you can also use compote fruits, canned fruits or jam.

Homemade fruit yogurt makes an excellent breakfast, snack or dessert. Garnish it with fresh fruit as an edible decoration. If it is not served immediately after preparation, it should be stored in the fridge. When fruit yogurt is prepared from fresh fruits, it is best consumed on the same day because there are no preservatives to prevent spoiling. 

How to make homemade fruit yogurt

Yogurt to fruits ratio is not fixed, this recipe is just an example.

- yogurt, 500ml (2 cups); you can use store-bought or handmade yogurt,

- fruits, 200-300g (7-10 oz); washed, peeled, deseeded/pitted,

- honey or sugar to taste (1-3 tsp) if you use sour fruit,

- blender or hand mixer and

- jar or serving cups

Procedure:
If you use very juicy fruit, you can drain it first to remove excess liquid. Otherwise, your fruit yogurt will be on the thinner side. Chop the fruit to small chunks or use a blender to make fruit puree and then mix with the yogurt. Before serving, it is best to keep the fruit yogurt in a closed jar in the refrigerator for a while.