Completely random, but I just had a Bethel Farms Plain Greek Yogurt and was totally blown away.
*Cynics, skeptics, rigid rule followers who are starting to bristle and breathe heavily check out the disclaimer below.
It was the richest, creamiest, sweetest (and by that I mean the natural sweetness that is found in dairy, lactose. This is an unsweetened product) yogurt. Had an almost fluffy, whipped texture. Incredible!
To compare, I have had the gamut of CY yogurts (Mehadrin, J&J, Norman's, Gevina, etc.) as well as higher-end CS yogurts (my previous favorite was Stoneyfield Grass Fed Greek). Bethel was in its own category.
I generally try to choose the product with the most protein and least amt of preservatives/additives, so I was tossing it up with Gevina Nonfat Greek (which has no additives and 22g of protein per 8oz) and Mehadrin's Nonfat (which has 24g of protein per 8oz) or the Stoneyfield when I was able to find it in Whole Foods. Bethel's is lower in protein, 18g per cup or 12g for the 5.3 container, but for me the health benefits alone of the grass-fed milk would still make me choose it over the others.
I think I had previously tried Bethel Yogurt (but it might have been the Leben) maybe 2-3 years ago, but the texture was a bit lumpy and I couldn't get passed that so I didn't try it again. But now, with some diced mango inside, wow!
We have already converted to Bethel milk, once the smaller 32oz bottles were available. The milk is also amazing, but has a shorter shelf life since it's only pasteurized at low heat to maintain as much enzymatic and bacterial integrity as possible.
It's funny that people seem to think that the shelf-life of dairy is indicative of its quality (which may possibly be true if we were discussing raw dairy) but with current manufacturing processes, I think it's directly opposite. Pretty sure my local supermarket only gets Bethel milk restocked once a week, so there are times when we run out, and other times when we need to toss the leftovers. But overall, I find the difference in taste and quality to be worth it.
Lately, I have been reflecting a lot on how EVERYTHING has become so processed, so cheaply made, so junky (which some people might have chosen/tolerated if things were proportionately inexpensive) and the current inflationary situation even makes it expensive! Maybe I'm becoming old, or maybe I was always old-fashioned, but I feel relieved (and dare I say, hopeful) when I find products that are actually QUALITY.
*Disclaimer: I am in no way affiliated with this company. Just a consumer and fan who wants this business to be around for a long time, in addition to being an unrepentant, kosher foodie who just wants to talk food all day.
