Darkstream
Senior Cook
- Joined
- Sep 7, 2004
- Messages
- 287
It is posted here because yoghurt is so frequently used in Indian and Middle Eastern
dishes that this is really the proper location for it.
For those of you who have “Yoghurt Making Machines”, you probably already know
how to do it.
For those without, you do not need any machine at all, because the only thing they do
is keep the mix at the right temperature, about 95 to 125 degrees F. You do not need a
machine to do this.
You can make different kinds of yoghurt if you make it yourself. Whole milk, semi,
or skim milk yoghurt, thin, creamy, or thick, mild or sour.
Whole milk is naturally creamy and mild, the others less so. How sour/sharp it is is a
combination of the temperature you mature it at and the length of time. I used to think
that supermarket yoghurt was for wimps, because it had no bite. But NOW I have to
substitute yoghurt and other similar materials for cream and whole milk, I can see it
has a place, of sorts. So, these are the rules:
Whole milk makes a pleasantly creamy yoghurt, semi and skimmed less so.
The lower the temperature, and the shorter the time it is matured for, the less sharp it
will be. And the less thick.
If you want THICK yoghurt (Greek or twice as thick as Greek) then add dried milk,
either whole or skimmed. You can make it so thick a spoon will stand up in it
BEFORE draining through muslin. If you can afford it, you can use any dried milk. If
you need SKIMMED milk, then check on the tin label that that is ALL that is in the
“dried skimmed milk”. Lots of companies market dried skimmed milk which has the
milk FAT removed and REPLACED by vegetable fat. What you want is the milk
solids.
Maturing solutions:
1. Either pour the finished yoghurt into a sealable plastic container, seal it, wrap it in
a towel and leave it in a gas oven with a pilot light for at least three hours or
overnight, OR
2.Pour it into a thermos jar that has been preheated with some boiling water (poured
out), seal it, wrap it in a towel and leave it in the kitchen as above.
Now the easy bit.
1. Buy a small pot of the freshest (plain) youghurt (of your choice) at your local.
2. Use the freshest milk (this keeps unwanted bacteria out.). Measure 1/2 pint, put it
in a pan and start to boil. If you want thick, add between 2 to 8 or more tablespoons of
dried skimmed milk Make sure the dried milk has completly disolved, bring through
simmer slowly to the boil stiring all the time to ensure the milk/dried milk does not
burn on the bottom of the pan and remove from the heat (DO NOT BOIL).
3. Place the pan in a large bowl of cold water and start to stir to cool it. Peiodically
test the temperature of the milk by dipping your little finger into it. When you can
JUST stand to count ten slowly before yanking it out, it is ready.
4. Open your fresh jar of bought yoghurt, put 4 teaspoons of the yoghurt and a LITTLE hot milk
together to mix to a cream (this is your starter). Pour the cream starter into the receptacle, mix in the hot
milk and seal, wrap and leave it warm.
Wait a minimum of 3 hours (it should have set by then) or overnight.
COMMON PROBLEMS
1. The yoghurt worked but it is thin and watery. Mix was too cool (or too hot and
killed the bacteria). Or not enough dried milk. Make a chicken Korma and try again.
2. Nothing happened. Most likely far too hot. Or the starter was not fresh.
3. It worked but has a stranges smell/texture. Foreign bacteria. Try again. Probably
best to chuck it.
4. I cannot get it out of the thermos flask. Congratulations, you got it right. Use a soda
spoon and scrape.
5. It is too thick/ too sour/ etc. Alter heat. maturing time, amount of dried milk
addative.
MOST IMPORTANT!!!!!
1. Take a small glass jar and sterilize with boiling water. Put 2-3 tablespoons of the
NEW yoghurt into it and two to three times that volume of freshest milk. Seal and
shake, and keep in your refrigerator. This is your STARTER for the next batch. By
the time you have made 4 or 5 batches, your yoghurt will taste 10 times better than
ANY you have ever bought, and it will be costing you 10% of what it was before.
This recipe is generic. You will have to play with the materials you have at hand, that
is why there are no precise quantities. It should work sooner or later.
Good sailing.
dishes that this is really the proper location for it.
For those of you who have “Yoghurt Making Machines”, you probably already know
how to do it.
For those without, you do not need any machine at all, because the only thing they do
is keep the mix at the right temperature, about 95 to 125 degrees F. You do not need a
machine to do this.
You can make different kinds of yoghurt if you make it yourself. Whole milk, semi,
or skim milk yoghurt, thin, creamy, or thick, mild or sour.
Whole milk is naturally creamy and mild, the others less so. How sour/sharp it is is a
combination of the temperature you mature it at and the length of time. I used to think
that supermarket yoghurt was for wimps, because it had no bite. But NOW I have to
substitute yoghurt and other similar materials for cream and whole milk, I can see it
has a place, of sorts. So, these are the rules:
Whole milk makes a pleasantly creamy yoghurt, semi and skimmed less so.
The lower the temperature, and the shorter the time it is matured for, the less sharp it
will be. And the less thick.
If you want THICK yoghurt (Greek or twice as thick as Greek) then add dried milk,
either whole or skimmed. You can make it so thick a spoon will stand up in it
BEFORE draining through muslin. If you can afford it, you can use any dried milk. If
you need SKIMMED milk, then check on the tin label that that is ALL that is in the
“dried skimmed milk”. Lots of companies market dried skimmed milk which has the
milk FAT removed and REPLACED by vegetable fat. What you want is the milk
solids.
Maturing solutions:
1. Either pour the finished yoghurt into a sealable plastic container, seal it, wrap it in
a towel and leave it in a gas oven with a pilot light for at least three hours or
overnight, OR
2.Pour it into a thermos jar that has been preheated with some boiling water (poured
out), seal it, wrap it in a towel and leave it in the kitchen as above.
Now the easy bit.
1. Buy a small pot of the freshest (plain) youghurt (of your choice) at your local.
2. Use the freshest milk (this keeps unwanted bacteria out.). Measure 1/2 pint, put it
in a pan and start to boil. If you want thick, add between 2 to 8 or more tablespoons of
dried skimmed milk Make sure the dried milk has completly disolved, bring through
simmer slowly to the boil stiring all the time to ensure the milk/dried milk does not
burn on the bottom of the pan and remove from the heat (DO NOT BOIL).
3. Place the pan in a large bowl of cold water and start to stir to cool it. Peiodically
test the temperature of the milk by dipping your little finger into it. When you can
JUST stand to count ten slowly before yanking it out, it is ready.
4. Open your fresh jar of bought yoghurt, put 4 teaspoons of the yoghurt and a LITTLE hot milk
together to mix to a cream (this is your starter). Pour the cream starter into the receptacle, mix in the hot
milk and seal, wrap and leave it warm.
Wait a minimum of 3 hours (it should have set by then) or overnight.
COMMON PROBLEMS
1. The yoghurt worked but it is thin and watery. Mix was too cool (or too hot and
killed the bacteria). Or not enough dried milk. Make a chicken Korma and try again.
2. Nothing happened. Most likely far too hot. Or the starter was not fresh.
3. It worked but has a stranges smell/texture. Foreign bacteria. Try again. Probably
best to chuck it.
4. I cannot get it out of the thermos flask. Congratulations, you got it right. Use a soda
spoon and scrape.
5. It is too thick/ too sour/ etc. Alter heat. maturing time, amount of dried milk
addative.
MOST IMPORTANT!!!!!
1. Take a small glass jar and sterilize with boiling water. Put 2-3 tablespoons of the
NEW yoghurt into it and two to three times that volume of freshest milk. Seal and
shake, and keep in your refrigerator. This is your STARTER for the next batch. By
the time you have made 4 or 5 batches, your yoghurt will taste 10 times better than
ANY you have ever bought, and it will be costing you 10% of what it was before.
This recipe is generic. You will have to play with the materials you have at hand, that
is why there are no precise quantities. It should work sooner or later.
Good sailing.
