Jalna Farm to Pot organic Greek yoghurt review
Here we will give a hands-on, taste-tested review of Jalna Farm to Pot organic Greek yoghurt. We’ll look into the benefits, ingredients, nutrition and flavour of this very natural pot-set yoghurt.
This yoghurt is widely available in Woolworths and Coles supermarkets in Australia, as well as other food stores.
We have also reviewed other similar Jalna yoghurts such as their regular Jalna Greek style yoghurt, their premium Jalna Greek Plus and their Jalna biodynamic organic yoghurt.
What is ‘pot set’ yoghurt?
Pot set yogurt is cultured (ie fermented) and set directly in the container it will be sold in. Other yoghurts which aren’t pot set are cultured in a larger vat and then stirred to create a more smooth texture.
In general, pot set yoghurts tend to be less homogenous and less creamy. They also have a more irregular texture and it can feel like the yoghurt is made up of lots of small lumps.
So you could say that pot set yoghurts are more traditional, however I think the texture is often not as good as other yoghurts.
Ingredients of Jalna Farm to Pot organic Greek yoghurt
This is a very simple yoghurt with only milk, cream and probiotic cultures.
It doesn’t contain any additives like thickeners, sweeteners or flavourings.
So it’s very natural and authentic as you would expect from the label.
Benefits of Jalna Farm to Pot organic Greek yoghurt
This yoghurt has various health benefits, especially related to its probiotics.
For context, we’ll compare a few key factors against Tamar Valley Greek style yoghurt and Jalna’s regular Greek style yoghurt - which are both similar, high-quality yoghurts, although not organic.
Live cultures
Jalna organic yoghurt contains three strains of live cultures - Lactobacillus acidophilus, Bifidobacterium lactis, Lactobacillus casei. And each of these strains are consider probiotic which means they bring health benefits to us.
For comparison, Jalna Greek style contains the same three strains and Tamar Valley doesn’t give any information on this.
In terms of the amount of actual live cultures present (ie colony forming units), Jalna organic yoghurt has more than 1 billion CFU per 100g. This number refers to all of the strains combined.
Again this is the same as Jalna Greek style and Tamar Valley gives no information.
Read more about the benefits of probiotic foods.
Postbiotics
Postbiotics are essentially things probiotics produce during fermentation. These include healthy short-chain fatty acids which nourish our gut lining and may help reduce symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome.
Other health measures
Fat: This yoghurt has fairly high fat levels at 8.5%. Whereas Jalna Greek style has 9.5% and Tamar Valley has 9.6%.
Protein: Its protein content is moderate at 3.4% - which is less than Tamar Valley (5%) and similar to Jalna Greek style (3.3%).
Calcium: Its calcium content is moderate at 124mg per 100g - which is above Jalna Greek style (107mg), but below Tamar Valley (148mg).
Appearance
As the picture below shows, it maintains an irregular shape in the bowl and has the ice-cream-like appearance of other Jalna yoghurts.
Texture
The texture is thick - but like other pot-set yoghurt, it lacks an even consistency which prevents it from having a luxurious mouthfeel.
Flavour
I have described other yoghurt, such as Procal Greek yoghurt and Jalna Greek style yoghurt, as having savoury cheese characteristics but this yoghurt is the cheesiest of them all! This isn’t a bad thing but it might not be to everyone’s taste.
The aroma is like a slightly sweaty cheddar - again not as bad as it sounds I promise!
The taste is less powerful than the aroma suggests, but still predominantly of generic savoury cheese with a nice creamy taste showing also. It has a moderate acidity to balance the richness.
Overall, the taste is good and quite unique. Unfortunately it has a slightly underwhelming mouthfeel compared to what you would expect from its high fat content - but again this is common with pot-set yoghurt.
Use
This yoghurt could be used in any application - on its own, with fruit, on cereal or in a smoothie. The savoury characteristics might make it especially nice in a marinade.
Cost of Jalna Farm to Pot organic Greek yoghurt
You can buy a 1kg tub from Coles or Woolworths for $8.80. This is more expensive than others, but I would say it is a small premium for an organic product.
Summary
4.5 stars out of 5.
An very clean organic yoghurt with an interesting savoury cheese flavour.
Pros
organic
3 strains of probiotics
I like the savoury cheese flavour…
Cons
…but it might not be to everyone’s taste
fairly high in fat
lacks a luxurious mouthfeel you would expect from the fat content
premium price
Health benefits of yoghurt
Aside from the specific benefits listed above, especially related to probiotics and postbiotics, yoghurt has some other important health benefits.
Vitamins and minerals
Yoghurt is a source of various vitamins and minerals including:
calcium - which helps digestion and supports bone and teeth health
magnesium - which supports bone health, muscle function and energy production
phosphorus - which is important for bone and teeth health and energy metabolism
potassium - which supports heart, muscle, nerve and kidney health
vitamins B2 and B12 - which support immunity, energy production and cell and nerve function
vitamin A - supports vision, immune function, cell growth and healthy skin
Satiety and weight management
The high protein and low carbohydrate content in yogurt, especially Greek style yogurt, helps you feel fuller for longer which can help control your appetite. Greek yoghurt is often recommended by dietitians for this reason.
Reduced lactose
Compared to unfermented dairy products such as milk, yoghurt has lower levels of lactose as this is partially consumed by bacteria during the fermentation process. This makes it more digestible for people who have some degree of lactose intolerance.
Your reviewer
This article was reviewed by Travis, the founder of this website, long-time gut enthusiast and passionate kombucha maker!
Related articles
