Homemade yogurt.
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I do, sometimes.
I scald the milk. I put it in a scalded jar and let it cool to "warm on the skin". Then I dissolve some yogourt in some milk and gently stir it into the cooled scalded milk. At this point, I put it on a can of tuna and wrap it with a heating pad and plug in the pad. Oh, I cover the top of the jar with cling wrap and put a thermometer through the cling wrap into the jar of milk.
I know which setting usually keeps the milk at the right temp. The tuna can is to lift the jar, so the bottom is properly wrapped by the heating pad.
Sometimes I use cream to make the yogourt. I also make quark, sour cream, and creme fraiche on occassion.
sparrowgrass
Head Chef
I do. I use whole milk, bring it to 180, let it cool to about 100, add my starter yogurt (usually Dannon--plain, of course) and then I put it in a cooler with hot water poured around the jars of yogurt. I use a gallon of milk at a time.
I leave it in the cooler overnight, and the next morning, I put the yogurt in the fridge. When it is cool, I pour it into a cloth lined colander and drain some of the whey off, to make Greek style yogurt. I usually drain it over night, and if it is too thick, I stir some of the whey back in.
The whole milk, and the heating to 180, ensures that the yogurt is thick and not grainy.
I leave it in the cooler overnight, and the next morning, I put the yogurt in the fridge. When it is cool, I pour it into a cloth lined colander and drain some of the whey off, to make Greek style yogurt. I usually drain it over night, and if it is too thick, I stir some of the whey back in.
The whole milk, and the heating to 180, ensures that the yogurt is thick and not grainy.
Andy M.
Certified Pretend Chef
My mom made yogurt every week. Dad didn't consider dinner complete until he had had a dish of yogurt.
She would scald the milk, put it in a large bowl and later add the starter. Then she'd wrap the bowl in towels and leave it on the counter until it was "done".
She would scald the milk, put it in a large bowl and later add the starter. Then she'd wrap the bowl in towels and leave it on the counter until it was "done".
frenchguycooking
Senior Cook
I like taxlady 's recipe ! It's great to start things from scratch
ahoymatey2013
Senior Cook
I tried making yogurt one time. I made it from a recipe I found from the internet, using a crockpot. It came out so disgustingly bitter that I tossed it out.
I like Greek yogurt & I would love too learn how to make it. I found a few recipes I may try out & it also gave my the idea of using jams for flavoring.
I like Greek yogurt & I would love too learn how to make it. I found a few recipes I may try out & it also gave my the idea of using jams for flavoring.
What did you use as starter?
ahoymatey2013
Senior Cook
I used 8 oz of plain Walmart brand yogurt.
8 oz in how much milk? What temperature was the milk at while the yoghurt was growing? How long did you leave it grow?
ahoymatey2013
Senior Cook
The recipe called for half a gallon of milk, I believe. I heated it to the temp it called for in my crockpot then left it go down (again, I don't remember the temp cause I threw the recipe out) then I wrapped it up in a towel and put it in the oven overnight.
CharlieD
Chef Extraordinaire
That means you had a bad milk, or you did something else to ruin it. I do the same thing all the time. ! gallon of milk heated, 2 cups of yogurt. Works like a clock, taste yum.
ahoymatey2013
Senior Cook
But I went to the store for the milk right before making it since I used whole. Oh well, I'll have to try it again sometime
CharlieD
Chef Extraordinaire
What did you use to heat up the milk? It is possible that it was not clean?
ahoymatey2013
Senior Cook
I used the crockpot. Maybe I'll try a different brand of milk next time, like organic milk
CharlieD
Chef Extraordinaire
I'd try different yougurt first. Try to find one with live bacteria, or whatever it is called.
ahoymatey2013
Senior Cook
I checked for that. I'll look for a name brand yogurt like Dannon though.
radhuni
Sous Chef
I prepare yogurt every night for next day. I just smear some yogurt in a glass bowl and add lukewarm then cover with a perforated plate. I leave it on kitchen counter for overnight and the yogurt is ready.
CharlieD
Chef Extraordinaire
I think the main problem is that pasturised milk isn't the best thing for yogurt making. It is made specifically not to go "bad", becasue what is yogurt? It is roughly speaking milk gone "bad".
Unpasteurized milk is illegal in Canada. So all the the yogurt I've done was with pasteurized (not UHT!!) organic milk. The milk does not need to be organic, though. It could be filtered (homogenized) or unfiltered. I prefer unfiltered but it is hard to find.
Heat the milk up to 87 Celsius. Let it cool up to 40 Celsius. Add the active organic yogurt. I stay away of Danone, as it GMO.
Better use smaller farm company milk/yogurt. You can also buy starters from Health food stores. You have to mix the starter/yogurt quite well. I pour the inoculated milk in jars. I have a yogurt maker, but you don't really need that.
Before buying the machine I warmed the oven to 80-100 Celsius. Turn off the oven. I put the jars slightly covered, in the oven (the oven off), and I left them inside till the next morning. After that, check if the yogurt is done and put it in the fridge. The yogurt maker keeps the jars at 37 grades C.
If you use goat milk, the yogurt is more runny, not like the cow milk. For making Greek yogurt you have to use half and half (10% milk/cream).
After you do the first batch of yogurt you don't need to buy new ones. Keep a jar and use it as a new starter.
Very important: the milk should not be UHT!!! The starter yogurt should contain active cultures. All the jars, spoons used should be very clean.
Heat the milk up to 87 Celsius. Let it cool up to 40 Celsius. Add the active organic yogurt. I stay away of Danone, as it GMO.
Better use smaller farm company milk/yogurt. You can also buy starters from Health food stores. You have to mix the starter/yogurt quite well. I pour the inoculated milk in jars. I have a yogurt maker, but you don't really need that.
Before buying the machine I warmed the oven to 80-100 Celsius. Turn off the oven. I put the jars slightly covered, in the oven (the oven off), and I left them inside till the next morning. After that, check if the yogurt is done and put it in the fridge. The yogurt maker keeps the jars at 37 grades C.
If you use goat milk, the yogurt is more runny, not like the cow milk. For making Greek yogurt you have to use half and half (10% milk/cream).
After you do the first batch of yogurt you don't need to buy new ones. Keep a jar and use it as a new starter.
Very important: the milk should not be UHT!!! The starter yogurt should contain active cultures. All the jars, spoons used should be very clean.
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Cuisine Purity
Assistant Cook
I agree with the last post. I just made some yogurt yesterday and it turned out wonderfully. pasteurization does not prevent the proliferation of bacteria. All it does is kill the bacteria currently in the milk by heating it to a certain temperature...which you do anyway when you heat it up to about 180-185 degrees before allowing it to cool to 110 to add the yogurt culture.
I had never made yogurt before so I was nervous that I would be destroying a whole half gallon of milk (I only put about 4 spoons of existing yogurt culture in it). It turned out perfectly fine I just put it in a warm oven under a pilot light and the next morning I had half yogurt and half buttermilk for baking and pancakes (I strained and jarred the whey). I used some no name brand with live cultures in it and allowed the yogurt to come to room temperature before adding it. That is important too. If you add it too cool it will not be warm enough to reproduce. If you do not want it too sour only allow to culture for 8 or nine hours and not 12. Also be very certain you stir your milk while it is above 110 degress to keep from burning the milk.
I had never made yogurt before so I was nervous that I would be destroying a whole half gallon of milk (I only put about 4 spoons of existing yogurt culture in it). It turned out perfectly fine I just put it in a warm oven under a pilot light and the next morning I had half yogurt and half buttermilk for baking and pancakes (I strained and jarred the whey). I used some no name brand with live cultures in it and allowed the yogurt to come to room temperature before adding it. That is important too. If you add it too cool it will not be warm enough to reproduce. If you do not want it too sour only allow to culture for 8 or nine hours and not 12. Also be very certain you stir your milk while it is above 110 degress to keep from burning the milk.
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