Homemade Yogurt

[betterthanabox]

I was watching Jamie Oliver the other day and saw him prepare homemade yogurt. It was really simple.

1 ltr full fat milk, and 1 container of plain yogurt. All you had to do was bring the milk up to a simmer, and turn off the heat. Allow the milk to cool down to body temp and add the yogurt and place in the fridge. It was supposed to make yogurt overnight.

After 2 days it is just milk with some yogurt mixed in. What went wrong? Does anyone have a tried and true Yogurt that doesn't linger on the counter for 10 hours?

Thanks for your help!

 

[Andy M.]

You have to buy yogurt that contains live/active yogurt-making cultures. Some do, some don't. If you did get live culture yogurt, then I'd guess the milk was too hot when you added the yogurt and the heat killed the cultures.

 

[betterthanabox]

Could I save it buy just adding more yogurt?

 

[Andy M.]

Yes but you'd have to go through the heating and cooling process again.

 

[taxlady]

What Andy said.

Well, it might still be growing, but very slowly.

I make yoghurt fairly often. I never heard of putting in the fridge. I try to keep mine a bit over body temperature.

 

[DaveSoMD]

One of the magazines I get had an article and recipes for homemade yogurt using a crock-pot. If I can find the article I will PM you the recipe and instructions.

 

[Zhizara]

My Mom had a yogurt making kit, it included glass bowls and an electric heating unit. The starter was mixed with milk and the bowls were warmed on the heating unit overnight.

In the morning, the bowls of yogurt were transferred to the refrigerator.

 

[betterthanabox]

One of the magazines I get had an article and recipes for homemade yogurt using a crock-pot. If I can find the article I will PM you the recipe and instructions.

That would be great Dave.

What Andy said.

Well, it might still be growing, but very slowly.

I make yoghurt fairly often. I never heard of putting in the fridge. I try to keep mine a bit over body temperature.

It's too late now, I dumped it out. It just looked like milk with some small chunks on the bottom. I don't think it worked. Maybe it had to do with using greek plain yogurt (that was all the store had.) I am on the hunt for a new recipe now.

 

[taxlady]

Make sure that the yoghurt you use to start your homemade yoghurt has live lacto bacillus. It might say on the package. You can buy starter at most health food stores, but I have never tried that.

Use 1 - 1.5 tablespoons of yoghurt per cup of milk. Add room temperature yoghurt to the milk after it has been scalded and allowed to cool to 105-110F (That's warmer than your skin, but not uncomfortably warm.)

I use a heating pad to keep my yoghurt warm while it is growing.

I took a 1 litre canning jar and filled with water. I put plastic wrap over the top and stuck my instant read thermometer through the plastic wrap, into the water. I then wrapped the jar with the heating pad, tied it with a string, and turned it on. This was to see how hot it would make my yoghurt. I tried with all three settings.

I now have a string tied around my heating pad all the time, keeping it in a sleeve shape. I just slip the jar of milk (with plastic wrap and thermometer) into the sleeve. I put a small inverted ramekin at the bottom. I found that the very bottom of the jar wasn't getting properly heated when it sat on the table.

In the past I have used methods like heating the oven to about 100F and turning off. Then leave the milk with culture in the oven and turn on the oven for a half a minute every once in a while. I have wrapped the jars in towels to keep them warm; placed them near the wood stove, etc.

Save some of your new yoghurt for the next batch. I find that subsequent batches taste even better.

 

[betterthanabox]

Make sure that the yoghurt you use to start your homemade yoghurt has live lacto bacillus. It might say on the package. You can buy starter at most health food stores, but I have never tried that.

Use 1 - 1.5 tablespoons of yoghurt per cup of milk. Add room temperature yoghurt to the milk after it has been scalded and allowed to cool to 105-110F (That's warmer than your skin, but not uncomfortably warm.)

I use a heating pad to keep my yoghurt warm while it is growing.

I took a 1 litre canning jar and filled with water. I put plastic wrap over the top and stuck my instant read thermometer through the plastic wrap, into the water. I then wrapped the jar with the heating pad, tied it with a string, and turned it on. This was to see how hot it would make my yoghurt. I tried with all three settings.

I now have a string tied around my heating pad all the time, keeping it in a sleeve shape. I just slip the jar of milk (with plastic wrap and thermometer) into the sleeve. I put a small inverted ramekin at the bottom. I found that the very bottom of the jar wasn't getting properly heated when it sat on the table.

In the past I have used methods like heating the oven to about 100F and turning off. Then leave the milk with culture in the oven and turn on the oven for a half a minute every once in a while. I have wrapped the jars in towels to keep them warm; placed them near the wood stove, etc.

Save some of your new yoghurt for the next batch. I find that subsequent batches taste even better.

Do you use a particular type of milk? Could I use say 1%? The recipe I used before was whole milk.

 

[taxlady]

Do you use a particular type of milk? Could I use say 1%? The recipe I used before was whole milk.

It shouldn't matter. You can even make yoghurt with soy milk or almond milk.

Sometimes I use 10 or 15% cream. That's really yummy

 

[Andy M.]

...You can even make yoghurt with soy milk or almond milk...

I didn't know that! I figured you needed real milk for the bacteria to do their job.

Thanks,

 

[taxlady]

I didn't know that! I figured you needed real milk for the bacteria to do their job.

Thanks,

The bacteria want the sugars. That's why lactose (milk sugar) intolerant folks can usually eat yoghurt with no problem.

 

[Andy M.]

So, any liquid with a sugar in it? Could I make orange juice yogurt?

 

[taxlady]

So, any liquid with a sugar in it? Could I make orange juice yogurt?

I have no idea.

I was wondering about yoghurt made from crushed berries

 

[Andy M.]

I have no idea.

I was wondering about yoghurt made from crushed berries

That could be interesting. I think you should give it a try.

 

[taxlady]

That could be interesting. I think you should give it a try.

Crushed berry yoghurt? Eep, eep, that does not compute.

You try.

 

[Andy M.]

Crushed berry yoghurt? Eep, eep, that does not compute.

You try.

I've never done it before. It falls to you as the expert.