So I have been wanting to make yogurt at home for quite a while now. I got the guts to try my hand at it this past week. I have done quite a bit of reading on the subject. I bought extra milk from my favorite milk guy. It's non homogenized. Super yummy! The milk that is.
For my first attempt at yogurt making I went by an article from Mother Earth News. Sure it is 30 years old, but when it comes to yogurt, not much has changed. I thought that maybe the warm setting on my crock-pot would do the job. I followed the instructions, placed my soon to be yogurt in a water bath in the crock-pot and went to bed. In the morning, I had cooked milk instead of yogurt. Bummer.
I didn't cry. I looked up a recipe to use the cooked milk. I found this. not only does it tell you how to make yogurt, but it also gives you tips and what to do with cooked milk. I haven't tried either one yet, but I did use some of my non-yogurt in some homemade dressing(think turkey and dressing not salad dressing, although yogurt is great in salad dressing and the cooked milk is a bit like butter milk....hmm, I might have to try salad dressing!) instead of milk. The result was yummy and super moist!
So on to attempt number two. This time I used the method that my friend Jo uses. It worked!! I halved the recipe and used greek yogurt for my starter. I like the taste. It isn't over powering. Add a touch of honey and yummy! Homemade yogurt is often thinner than store bought yogurt. It is more affordable and if you are like me and buy your milk from the milkman himself, it makes sense to do.
So, I have to see if Dave will like this, how it keeps and if I can keep up the process. There are some things to know. You have to have a starter to make yogurt this way. Not a big deal. Either buy some plain yogurt from the store or use some of the yogurt that you have made. You have to use it within a few days or the cultures die. No worries if you can't make yogurt right away- freeze some, thaw it for your next batch, and wala! You can make more yogurt.
I think this will be kind of like when I learned how to make bread. Try, try and try again. It will get better, it will get worse. Then you will get good at it. I will keep you posted on my progress!
Have any of you made yogurt? Do you have any tips that you would like to share?
Rocking There In The Silence
3 years ago
3 comments:
Never made yogurt, but I've always wanted to try my hand at making cheese...Is that in your future?
Kara, I've made yogurt in the crock pot too and it worked great every time. I found it was making more yogurt than we used up. Then I was read Backyard Homestead and tried one of their methods. Warm up a thermos with hot water, heat up as much milk as the thermos will hold to 100 degrees (just warm to the touch), add it to the thermos and add two Tbsp of yogurt. Close it up and wrap in a couple of towels and let it sit overnight (I stuck mine in the oven). It works just as well, in a whole lot less time, making a smaller batch.
Happy yogurt making!
--Katherine
I think I read somewhere that you can only use your own homemade yoghurt once to make more yoghurt. Then you'll have to buy yourself a new starter. Think I read it recently on http://twopeasandtheirpod.com
I'll have to try making yoghurt.
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