How to Make Yogurt
DittoDan
Posts: 1,850 Member
I'm not an expert on this, but I did try it and it was the best yogurt I have ever eaten and so easy to do.
Any deviation from my recipe below could cause different results. When I purchased the two items, it was after a lot of reading of dozens of reviews. Save yourself some time and purchase what I bought.
Here is the step-by-step procedure:
1) Purchase this yogurt maker (or the equivalent):
2) Purchase this heirloom yogurt starter culture (I got mine from Amazon, but you could go direct ~ see website on pic):
http://www.amazon.com/Cultures-For-Health/b/ref=bl_dp_s_web_2587955011?ie=UTF8&node=2587955011&field-lbr_brands_browse-bin=Cultures+For+Health
3) Purchase homogenized, pasteurized whole milk. This is just your normal milk at the grocery store.
Do not use/purchase any of the following:
Organic milk
Skim milk
2% milk
Other than cow's milk (like goat milk)
Raw milk
Nut milks
Soy milks
Ultra pasteurized milk
4) Purchase temp gage at Walmart, its $9.00, Acurite brand (very fast reading) or purchase any equivalent digital thermometer.
5) Directions:
One time setup ~ make the starter culture. Follow the instructions from the box.
a) Basically, heat 42 oz. of milk in a pan until it reaches approx 160 to 180°F.
b) Make sure you constantly stir to prevent milk from scalding on bottom of pan.
c) Pull off heat. Then cool milk to 110°F. The make it cool quicker, you can put the pan into another pan that is larger and that has cold water in it. Don't worry if you accidently let it cool below 110.
d) Once you get to 110 or below, you add the starter culture. Do NOT add the culture if the milk is too hot, it will kill the culture. Stir milk.
e) Fill the (7) jars with the milk without capping them.
f) Put jars in the yogurt maker and put clear cover over them. Turn on.
g) After 8 hours, turn the machine off, install caps on jars, and transfer all yogurt jars to refrigerator to chill.
In the instruction manual, there are some deviations for softer or firmer yogurt.
The above was just to get the starter yogurt. You can eat this yogurt, BUT leave a few jars un-eaten to start the next batch! I actually didn't clean the jars out, (after I emptied them into a serving bowl), here's a pic:
So some of the original starter was left behind, and I added (2) tablespoons of the starter yogurt in the jars.
Now start at 5a through 5g above. The second batch will be a little firmer and creamier than the first. Here is a pic with my jar upside down, but the yogurt is still in the jar:
Toppings. Since strawberries, raspberries are out-of-season (therefore expensive) I found an alternate solution. I bought frozen organic berries and used them:
Notes:
Do not use store bought yogurt (that has active cultures)! They are like hybrid cultures. They will make one batch of yogurt, but each successive batch will be runny and not suitable. The commercial yogurt makers have reduced the strains in such a way to get a consistent product. Buy the "heirloom" yogurt starters. Just add the word heirloom to your search criteria (or just go with the one I suggested).
Although the yogurt isn't too tart, IF you want to add sweetener, there is a a "prebiotic" sweetener that will actually feed the probiotics. That would be inulin. Commercial inulin is made from chicory root. I purchased the brand called: Just Like Sugar. It is a GREAT alternative to zero calorie artificial sweeteners. Its all fiber. Tastes wonderful. it doesn't make my blood sugars go up (I tested it) (YMMV). I also use it in my fat bombs. Here's a pic:
I have marked the top of one jar lid with a big "X" on it. I will make experimental yogurt in that jar. I purchased some half & half, I'm going to add to the milk and see if it tastes even better (more fat!)
If you're wondering (like I did) if you can skip the step of heating the milk to 180, there are many websites that go either way. I tried it, and the yogurt was slightly runnier. Again ~ YMMV. They say that heating to 180 kills any stray bacteria that could thwart the Bulgarian culture. And in the instruction manual for the yogurt maker, they also say you can skip that step, but add some powdered milk to the yogurt and allow milk to get to room temp before putting into machine. (I have yet to try this method, but will do so).
If you try to make yogurt, as per above, please let me know what worked for you. I like sharing info like this because it worked so well for me. Its so hard to find low carb yogurt ~ that tastes good ~ and doesn't have gobs of sugar in it ~ is impossible in the store.
I'm gonna buy some heirloom Greek yogurt next... I'll keep you posted.
And if you do experiments, post them here too.
Have fun!
Dan the Yogurt Man from Michigan
Any deviation from my recipe below could cause different results. When I purchased the two items, it was after a lot of reading of dozens of reviews. Save yourself some time and purchase what I bought.
Here is the step-by-step procedure:
1) Purchase this yogurt maker (or the equivalent):
2) Purchase this heirloom yogurt starter culture (I got mine from Amazon, but you could go direct ~ see website on pic):
http://www.amazon.com/Cultures-For-Health/b/ref=bl_dp_s_web_2587955011?ie=UTF8&node=2587955011&field-lbr_brands_browse-bin=Cultures+For+Health
3) Purchase homogenized, pasteurized whole milk. This is just your normal milk at the grocery store.
Do not use/purchase any of the following:
Organic milk
Skim milk
2% milk
Other than cow's milk (like goat milk)
Raw milk
Nut milks
Soy milks
Ultra pasteurized milk
4) Purchase temp gage at Walmart, its $9.00, Acurite brand (very fast reading) or purchase any equivalent digital thermometer.
5) Directions:
One time setup ~ make the starter culture. Follow the instructions from the box.
a) Basically, heat 42 oz. of milk in a pan until it reaches approx 160 to 180°F.
b) Make sure you constantly stir to prevent milk from scalding on bottom of pan.
c) Pull off heat. Then cool milk to 110°F. The make it cool quicker, you can put the pan into another pan that is larger and that has cold water in it. Don't worry if you accidently let it cool below 110.
d) Once you get to 110 or below, you add the starter culture. Do NOT add the culture if the milk is too hot, it will kill the culture. Stir milk.
e) Fill the (7) jars with the milk without capping them.
f) Put jars in the yogurt maker and put clear cover over them. Turn on.
g) After 8 hours, turn the machine off, install caps on jars, and transfer all yogurt jars to refrigerator to chill.
In the instruction manual, there are some deviations for softer or firmer yogurt.
The above was just to get the starter yogurt. You can eat this yogurt, BUT leave a few jars un-eaten to start the next batch! I actually didn't clean the jars out, (after I emptied them into a serving bowl), here's a pic:
So some of the original starter was left behind, and I added (2) tablespoons of the starter yogurt in the jars.
Now start at 5a through 5g above. The second batch will be a little firmer and creamier than the first. Here is a pic with my jar upside down, but the yogurt is still in the jar:
Toppings. Since strawberries, raspberries are out-of-season (therefore expensive) I found an alternate solution. I bought frozen organic berries and used them:
Notes:
Do not use store bought yogurt (that has active cultures)! They are like hybrid cultures. They will make one batch of yogurt, but each successive batch will be runny and not suitable. The commercial yogurt makers have reduced the strains in such a way to get a consistent product. Buy the "heirloom" yogurt starters. Just add the word heirloom to your search criteria (or just go with the one I suggested).
Although the yogurt isn't too tart, IF you want to add sweetener, there is a a "prebiotic" sweetener that will actually feed the probiotics. That would be inulin. Commercial inulin is made from chicory root. I purchased the brand called: Just Like Sugar. It is a GREAT alternative to zero calorie artificial sweeteners. Its all fiber. Tastes wonderful. it doesn't make my blood sugars go up (I tested it) (YMMV). I also use it in my fat bombs. Here's a pic:
I have marked the top of one jar lid with a big "X" on it. I will make experimental yogurt in that jar. I purchased some half & half, I'm going to add to the milk and see if it tastes even better (more fat!)
If you're wondering (like I did) if you can skip the step of heating the milk to 180, there are many websites that go either way. I tried it, and the yogurt was slightly runnier. Again ~ YMMV. They say that heating to 180 kills any stray bacteria that could thwart the Bulgarian culture. And in the instruction manual for the yogurt maker, they also say you can skip that step, but add some powdered milk to the yogurt and allow milk to get to room temp before putting into machine. (I have yet to try this method, but will do so).
If you try to make yogurt, as per above, please let me know what worked for you. I like sharing info like this because it worked so well for me. Its so hard to find low carb yogurt ~ that tastes good ~ and doesn't have gobs of sugar in it ~ is impossible in the store.
I'm gonna buy some heirloom Greek yogurt next... I'll keep you posted.
And if you do experiments, post them here too.
Have fun!
Dan the Yogurt Man from Michigan
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Replies
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Very cool, Dan. Thanks for sharing. I know my SIL made some in the crock pot. I'll have to find out how.0
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I'm so proud of you Dan! I think I've lost the taste for yogourt these days, used to eat a lot of it when I first went Keto, but I found a very high fat organic one to buy so I was lucky. I admire your determination!0
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I'm trying. I am determined to repair/re-culture my gut....0
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@DittoDan Have you tried to make a coconut version? I do eat dairy so will try yours but I love coconut yoghurt, so decadent.0
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SuesNewImage wrote: »@DittoDan Have you tried to make a coconut version? I do eat dairy so will try yours but I love coconut yoghurt, so decadent.
No, (adding to list of "must tries")
Thank you Sue!0 -
A note to all, I had my yogurt get a little "less solid". I have done five or six generations. It made it more like a drinkable yogurt. It tasted fine. I had a back-up starter kit (they send two), but I thought I would try to "rejuvenate" the old culture. So I put about a 1/4 teaspoon of brown sugar in each jar for the next fermentation. The culture eats the sugar, so I didn't worry about it. I think a 1/4 teaspoon of sugar is one gram of carbs, and even if they didn't eat any of it, it ain't that much to worry about.
It worked! The next batch was back to normal.0 -
A note to all, I had my yogurt get a little "less solid". I have done five or six generations. It made it more like a drinkable yogurt. It tasted fine. I had a back-up starter kit (they send two), but I thought I would try to "rejuvenate" the old culture. So I put about a 1/4 teaspoon of brown sugar in each jar for the next fermentation. The culture eats the sugar, so I didn't worry about it. I think a 1/4 teaspoon of sugar is one gram of carbs, and even if they didn't eat any of it, it ain't that much to worry about.
It worked! The next batch was back to normal.
I have the same yogurt incubator. I have been making my own yogurt, usually a fresh batch each weekend, for a couple of years now. I graduated from whole milk and now make it with Half and Half (HnH). I only fill the jars with ~4oz of the HnH culture.
BTW, some things for you to try:
1) Try it with HnH. Higher fat to protein/carb ratio. Creamy, delicious.
2) Incubate longer. I do 12 hours, and I have seen recipes that call for 24 hours. The longer you incubate, the more sugars you will break down. Though may be more tart/sour.
3) Try not doing the initial milk scalding step (or 180C if you use a thermometer) and see how you like it. ONLY skip this milk heating step if you buy a pasteurized milk and only open the container just to make your yogurt (raw milk enthusiasts might disagree - follow your gut).
My last two batches I have simply allowed my carton of HnH to come to room temperature and then added my culture to the room temp HnH. The yogurt maker brings the mix up to the right temperature, so you need not worry about it. The texture will be different than when you follow a recipe for heating the milk first. I like it better, it is very light.
Anyways, I am a homemade yogurt enthusiast, so I encourage you to experiment. Have fun!
0 -
A note to all, I had my yogurt get a little "less solid". I have done five or six generations. It made it more like a drinkable yogurt. It tasted fine. I had a back-up starter kit (they send two), but I thought I would try to "rejuvenate" the old culture. So I put about a 1/4 teaspoon of brown sugar in each jar for the next fermentation. The culture eats the sugar, so I didn't worry about it. I think a 1/4 teaspoon of sugar is one gram of carbs, and even if they didn't eat any of it, it ain't that much to worry about.
It worked! The next batch was back to normal.
I have the same yogurt incubator. I have been making my own yogurt, usually a fresh batch each weekend, for a couple of years now. I graduated from whole milk and now make it with Half and Half (HnH). I only fill the jars with ~4oz of the HnH culture.
BTW, some things for you to try:
1) Try it with HnH. Higher fat to protein/carb ratio. Creamy, delicious.
2) Incubate longer. I do 12 hours, and I have seen recipes that call for 24 hours. The longer you incubate, the more sugars you will break down. Though may be more tart/sour.
3) Try not doing the initial milk scalding step (or 180C if you use a thermometer) and see how you like it. ONLY skip this milk heating step if you buy a pasteurized milk and only open the container just to make your yogurt (raw milk enthusiasts might disagree - follow your gut).
My last two batches I have simply allowed my carton of HnH to come to room temperature and then added my culture to the room temp HnH. The yogurt maker brings the mix up to the right temperature, so you need not worry about it. The texture will be different than when you follow a recipe for heating the milk first. I like it better, it is very light.
Anyways, I am a homemade yogurt enthusiast, so I encourage you to experiment. Have fun!
THANK YOU, for the info. I have done some of the things you outlined. On the HnH, I have only added it, not done a 100% HnH batch yet (running to store to get some)...
I have done whole milk without scalding, but was runny. I now am doing Greek, with the scalding for 20-30 minutes. It makes it so thick (I like thick) that you can stand a spoon up in it and turn the jar on its side and the spoon doesn't move. It has maybe a tablespoon of whey, that I drain out before putting in fridge.
Yes, I have noticed that its a "time and temp" thing to do any milk ferment. But, being in a hurry, I always do mine before I go to bed and wake up to put it all in the fridge.
Questions:
Have you done probiotic milk? Pretty cool. You just add just about any multistrand probiotic in milk, and wait 12-48 hours until it thickens into a pudding like consistency. You have to "catch" it before it goes to curds and whey though (taste), you put in fridge. It has gabillions more probiotic count than the pills and if you leave about 20% in the bottle, you can indefinitely re-culture it without the expense of the pills. I usually pour it in a bowl and eat it like yogurt.
I got some raw milk and made Greek yogurt, I tried the "only heat to 110 method no scalding", the scalding short (one minute at 180 temp) and the long (20-30 minutes at 180), and the yogurt just doesn't taste good to me. It has a much runnier consistency too. The source is a very professional, clean dairy. I might try another source. Does your raw milk taste better, worse or same as normal milk?
Last week, I tried 1/3 high pasteurized goat's milk and 2/3 whole milk. They all say not to use HP milk, so that's why I diluted it. I did a long scald. It came out just fine, but I didn't see much difference in the taste. Being that goat milk is about 4X the cost, I doubt I will try it again.
I also do Milk Kefir ~ but that another long subject. I really like it.
Gotta run,
Dan0
This discussion has been closed.