Making your own yogurt is amazingly easy, and it is very good. Taking it another step and making Greek yogurt or yummy cheese is just as easy.
Now the starter. You can buy yogurt cultures from most places that sell cheese making supplies. One on line source is Lehmans.com I have never used purchased cultures. I make yogurt with my favorite store bought yogurt, or with yogurt I've made myself. It is vital that this be all-natural yogurt with live cultures and NO thickeners like gelatin. You can use store bought Greek yogurt if you like.
Pour the milk into a medium sized saucepan. Over medium high heat, bring it to 100 degrees F. If you don't have a cooking thermometer, this is about as warm as you make a baby's bottle. Temperature is important - if it is not warm enough, it won't work; if it is too hot, it will kill the cultures.
Once it is the right temperature, stir in the yogurt, combining thoroughly.
Now you have to keep the mixture warm for at least 8 hours. In hot summer weather, just put it somewhere where it won't be disturbed. Temperatures in the 80's will be good, in the 90's perfect. In cooler weather, try the top of your refrigerator or hot water heater, or inside an oven with a pilot light. I have heard that some people have success by wrapping the container in some kitchen towels and putting it on top of a heating pad on the lowest setting, with a few layers of towel between the pad and the bowl.
Put the warm milk and yogurt in a very clean container with a lid. Wrap it is a kitchen towel to keep as much warmth in as you can. Put it in your chosen spot. Leave it without disturbing at all (don't peek!) for at least 8 hours. After 8 hours, check and see how thick it is.
Now to make Greek yogurt or yo-cheese: they do make special strainers for doing this. I have two, and they work really well. Mine look just like the little baskets used as strainers in coffee makers. If you don't have any, use cheesecloth. You can try lining a colander with a few layers of it. Put your yogurt in this, put the colander in a bowl to catch the liquid, cover the yogurt, and let it drain until it is as thick as you want, 1/2 hour or more. You can also line a bowl with the cheesecloth, put the yogurt in, draw up the edges of the cheesecloth, tie it up like a money bag, and hang it over the bowl.
For Greek yogurt, check the thickness after 1/2 hour.
For yo-cheese, you will have to let it drain for several hours until the yogurt is very thick, like cream cheese. It will taste very similar to cream cheese, and can be used very effectively in place of cream cheese. Or try mixing in a little garlic and/or onion powder and some herbs. Oh so good! In the Middle East, when they have yo-cheese that is getting a bit old and dry, they roll it into small balls, like a large olive, then put it in some olive oil that has been flavored with garlic and herbs.
All yogurt and yo-cheese has to be refrigerated after it is done.
As a thrifty benefit, take all the whey you have drained off of your yogurt and use it to make bread. It makes a delicious, slightly sour loaf. Try toasting it and spreading it with yo-cheese!
Source: A life time of making yogurt.
By Free2B from North Royalton, OH
Warm milk till it is comfortable temperature (45-50 degrees C or 100 degrees F). Dissolve 1 teaspoon leftover yogurt as starter in 500 ml. (2 cups) milk. Leave in warm place overnight. In the morning, it will be ready. Store in the refrigerator.
I made a batch of yogurt and took a container to my sort-of shut in neighbor, she CAN get out but rarely does. She called in a couple of days and asked if she could pay me for some more yogurt.
I have just started making my own yogurt and have been looking at different recipes and was wondering why you put in powdered milk? Does it make it creamier or set better or something else? Thanks.
By Kerry
The powdered milk does help it thicken and set better. I use Fage Greek as a starter for mine and warm my milk in the microwave before putting it in my yogurt maker. Cindy
Hi Kerry - I've never heard of adding powdered milk to home-made yogurt. I haven't made some for a while now, but it was so very simple. If I didn't have any yogurt on hand, I would start with heating milk (I always used 2%) and adding the contents of one or two acidophilus capsules. Stir well, cover (with plastic wrap or such) and put in oven with pilot lite on, leave overnight.
In the morning, it was solidified and delicious! If I saved some of the yogurt from the last batch, just stir that into the warmed milk -let set same as before. I used to do like a half-gallon at a time in a big glass mixing bowl.
With electric ovens, I think you could do as with yeast doughs--that is, pre-heat the oven a bit then turn off and put yogurt mix into oven. Do not open door before morning. In most cases, should be enough warmth to do the job. I've heard some people using heating pads - haven't tried that at all m'self.
I did try those commercial yogurt makers, the ones with 4 or 5 small cups. I preferred the big batch for my own use--it was less time-consuming, less costly, and I had more on hand for various uses at any one time.
Don't know what recipe(s) you're using--but you know that after you've got the basic yogurt you can add any fruits and/or sweeteners you want. So much cooking can be done with yogurt as well.
Hope this helps - I know I've gone way beyond the why-add-powdered-milk question! One of my problems with powdered milk for anything I used to use it for is that now-a-days it's more expensive than regular liquid milk! Good luck with your own homemade yogurt.
Regular or Greek yogurt can be made inexpensively using your crockpot at home. This page features a recipe with step by step instructions showing you how to make yogurt in a crockpot.
Take 1 qt wide mouth mason jar. Put in 3/4 milk in your jar and shove it into the microwave and heat until just under boiling (however, IF it boils a little bit then it's ok!). Sit it on your cabinet or stovetop and let it cool to lukewarm.
This is probably obvious and common knowledge to everybody but I just discovered this. You can make your own flavored yogurts by buying the largest cheapest container of plain yogurt and adding fruit preserve to it.
Twice now I have made flavoured yoghurt and it has gone like slimy and one plain didn't set after leaving it all night. Please help.
By Eileen from Qld, Miles
The only thing I can think of is that you added the flavor when you added the starter culture and before setting it out to thicken. That would interfere with the fermenting process of making the yogurt. You have to add the flavors after the yogurt is made, and then refrigerate.
The only thing I can think of is that you added the flavor when you added the starter culture and before setting it out to thicken. That would interfere with the fermenting process of making the yogurt. You have to add the flavors after the yogurt is made, and then refrigerate.
This is so rich and creamy I can only eat about a half a cup at a time. It is very, very good though.
Would anyone have a recipe for homemade yogurt made with skim milk powder, Knox plain gelatin, and water? It is then left overnight in an oven that has been preheated to 200 and then turned off.
I used to make it, but lost the recipe so I don't know what quantities I need.
By Katie Genereux from Sault Ste Marie, Ontario, Canada
www.recipezaar.com/
To make my homemade yogurt I purchased a yogurt maker from Amazon.com
The first time I made the yogurt it didn't solidify properly and was very runny. But the second time that I made it while mixing it on the stove I added 2 tablespoons of corn starch and it came out perfect.
I make mine from powdered milk.
I have a yogurt maker but have lost the recipe. Does anyone have the plain yogurt recipe they will share with me?
Thank you,
Hattie
Homemade Basic Yogurt (Yoghurt)
Ingredients
1 quart whole milk
1/3 cup instant nonfat dry mlk (optional. It produces a thicker texure and increases the protein content by 2 grams per cup.)
1 rounded tablespoon plain yogurt or recommended quantity of powdered culture
Instructions
Combine and incubate per machine instructions.
See also Homemade Flavored Yogurt instructions and Making Yogurt Without a Yogurt Maker.
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5 Minute Frozen Peach Yogurt
Ingredients
1 bag (20 ounces) frozen unsweetened peach slices
1 container (8 ounces) plain lowfat yogurt
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon almond extract
Instructions
Let frozen peaches stand at room temperature 10 minutes. In food processor with knife blade attached, process peaches until fruit resembles finely shaved ice, occasionally scraping down side with rubber spatula.
With processor running, add yogurt, confectioners' sugar, lemon juice, and almond extract; process until mixture is smooth and creamy, occasionally scraping down side. Serve immediately.
Try it with strawberries, blueberries, or your favorite combination of flavorful frozen fruits.
Yield: 4 cups or 8 servings
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From CooksRecipes.com:
Homemade Yogurt
It takes a little store-bought yogurt to make a lot more--and once the production line is moving, you need never buy bland yogurt again. This recipe comes from the Middle East, where plain yogurt is a common ingredient in everyday cooking. Once you get used to making your own, you'll find that it can be a handy substitute for sour cream, heavy cream, and cream cheese.
2 quarts whole milk
1 cup plain yogurt
1 cup half and half
Bring milk to a boil in a very clean pot (dirty or greasy utensils won't produce the desired results). Remove from heat and pour into a glass jar or pottery container; let stand until cool.
Dilute yogurt in 1 cup cool milk and the half and half. Gradually add this mixture to the remaining milk, stirring slowly and gently. Place container in a protected spot (it must not be moved or touched). Cover with a lid. Cover container with a large towel or blanket and allow it to sit at least overnight.
To obtain a thick yogurt, place 3 to 4 layers of paper towels over the top for a few hours to absorb the excess liquid. Store yogurt in the refrigerator.
Makes about 9 cups.
