My first attempt at making yogurt was a big fail. I chose to blindly trust the booklet that came with my dehydrator, and promptly wasted a litre of delicious organic milk. Turns out 1986 was still figuring out homemade yogurt!
This time, I am home on the farm, so ironically, I don't have access to organic milk (the sheep are just starting to lamb, and none of the small town grocery stores sell organic milk). Luckily, regular old milk in a bag works just as well, even if it is not organic.
Instead of buying a container of plain yogurt solely for the purpose of making more yogurt, I purchased some yogurt cultures in a small packet from our local health food store. This worked really well.
Now that I've tried it, I think homemade yogurt is like homemade bread-- easier than you'd think.
Here's what you need:
1 or 2 litres of milk
1 packet of yogurt cultures OR
a few tablespoons of yogurt with active bacterial cultures
a big stainless pot (heavier is better so as not to burn the milk)
an large bowl or insulated container
a thermometer
a heating pad or blanket
Step One:
Heat the milk slowly in the large pot, stirring frequently, until it reaches a temperature of roughly 185 degrees Fahrenheit. You may want to use a double boiler if you are concerned about scalding the milk.
Step Two:
Remove the milk from the heat immediately and let it cool to about 110 degrees. Add your yogurt starter or active yogurt and stir well. It's important not to do this until the milk is cooled or the bacteria will be killed by the heat!
Step Three:
Move your yogurt-in-progress to the insulated container, cover with a lid or towel, and keep warm for 8 hours. You can do this by sitting it on a heating pad or blanket set to medium heat, and/or by storing in a well insulated container such as a large thermos (depending on your thermos, this may still require a heat source). I chose to store my yogurt in a big glass jar wrapped in a heating blanket and placed inside a cooler bag, which was pretty successful.
Step Four:
Wait 5 to 7 hours, and check it out!
If your yogurt is ready, give it a good stir and then store in a sealed container in the fridge. If you would like a thicker yogurt, leave it for a few hours more. It will thicken a little bit as it cools and should last in the fridge for at least two weeks.
A few notes:
Your yogurt might be different than store-bought yogurt for few reasons. If your yogurt is slightly chunky, don't be concerned. Most store-bought yogurt is 'stirred,' and they don't mean with big ole spoon! Also, yogurt products often contain gelatin, corn starch, or pectin to create a consistent texture. If you love this, you can always add these things to your own yogurt.
Your homemade yogurt may also be more tart than you are accustomed to. This is the natural flavour of yogurt, whereas yogurt manufacturers often use additives to control that tartness. Adding a natural sweetener like honey or maple syrup should contrast the flavour nicely.
Finally, there is whey. Whey is the liquid that gathers on top of yogurt as it "cooks." Don't dump it out! Stir it in to your yogurt: the whey contains most of the healthy bacteria as well as calcium, and other nutrients you don't want to lose. In fact, Little Miss Muffet was most likely enjoying a delicious bowl of yogurt in the old nursery rhyme. Be like Miss Muffet. Whey to go!
This time, I am home on the farm, so ironically, I don't have access to organic milk (the sheep are just starting to lamb, and none of the small town grocery stores sell organic milk). Luckily, regular old milk in a bag works just as well, even if it is not organic.
Instead of buying a container of plain yogurt solely for the purpose of making more yogurt, I purchased some yogurt cultures in a small packet from our local health food store. This worked really well.
Now that I've tried it, I think homemade yogurt is like homemade bread-- easier than you'd think.
Here's what you need:1 or 2 litres of milk
1 packet of yogurt cultures OR
a few tablespoons of yogurt with active bacterial cultures
a big stainless pot (heavier is better so as not to burn the milk)
an large bowl or insulated container
a thermometer
a heating pad or blanket
Step One:Heat the milk slowly in the large pot, stirring frequently, until it reaches a temperature of roughly 185 degrees Fahrenheit. You may want to use a double boiler if you are concerned about scalding the milk.
Step Two:
Remove the milk from the heat immediately and let it cool to about 110 degrees. Add your yogurt starter or active yogurt and stir well. It's important not to do this until the milk is cooled or the bacteria will be killed by the heat!
Step Three:
Move your yogurt-in-progress to the insulated container, cover with a lid or towel, and keep warm for 8 hours. You can do this by sitting it on a heating pad or blanket set to medium heat, and/or by storing in a well insulated container such as a large thermos (depending on your thermos, this may still require a heat source). I chose to store my yogurt in a big glass jar wrapped in a heating blanket and placed inside a cooler bag, which was pretty successful.Step Four:
Wait 5 to 7 hours, and check it out!
If your yogurt is ready, give it a good stir and then store in a sealed container in the fridge. If you would like a thicker yogurt, leave it for a few hours more. It will thicken a little bit as it cools and should last in the fridge for at least two weeks.
A few notes:
Your yogurt might be different than store-bought yogurt for few reasons. If your yogurt is slightly chunky, don't be concerned. Most store-bought yogurt is 'stirred,' and they don't mean with big ole spoon! Also, yogurt products often contain gelatin, corn starch, or pectin to create a consistent texture. If you love this, you can always add these things to your own yogurt.
Your homemade yogurt may also be more tart than you are accustomed to. This is the natural flavour of yogurt, whereas yogurt manufacturers often use additives to control that tartness. Adding a natural sweetener like honey or maple syrup should contrast the flavour nicely.
Finally, there is whey. Whey is the liquid that gathers on top of yogurt as it "cooks." Don't dump it out! Stir it in to your yogurt: the whey contains most of the healthy bacteria as well as calcium, and other nutrients you don't want to lose. In fact, Little Miss Muffet was most likely enjoying a delicious bowl of yogurt in the old nursery rhyme. Be like Miss Muffet. Whey to go!
What good fun to have found your site! I have had many experiences both failed and successes with home-made yogurt. One thing I've learned is that the bought milk from the store is not consistent in results. And that you HAVE to heat treat your raw milk in order to allow the yogurt culture a fighting chance. I don't know if this is true for goat milk but definitely true for cow. I guess the 'live'ness of raw milk can be a detriment some of the time! Happy yogurt eating!
ReplyDeleteI have also read that raw milk products might be considered alkaline (as is goat milk) whereas the pasteurized dairy products are all acid-forming (disease friendly). This really spins a lot of knowledge about dairy being a very bad thing on its head. Perhaps (safe) raw is the ticket to a new and better diet for our peoples for this reason.