Making your own yogurt

[Moochiecat]

I've found a really great site that walks you through making your own yogurt. I've done it twice now and all you really need to invest in is a candy thermometer if you don't already have one.
http://www.learninghowto.com/yogurt/...%20yogurt.html

For my 'incubator', I wet a small towel with hot water and placed it in the bottom of a small Thermos cooler and put the yogurt container on top of that, closed it, put it on top of the fridge and covered it with a heavy towel.

The first time I did it, I let it incubate for over 12 hours and the yogurt was pretty tart. I made it out of some 1% milk that someone had left here after visiting us.

This time I had some 1%, a little bit of 2% and I threw in some half and half. I let it incubate for about 8 hours, and the result is very smooth and not tart at all, although I think it'll 'tart up' (lol) in the next few days.

Both batches have turned out to be runnier than yogurt as we know it, but that's no big deal.

I'm not sure of the carb count though. I only use about 3 tbs at a time when I put it on fruit...it's definitely not a portion-control problem food for me so I'm not panicking about exact numbers with it.

Next time, I'll try it with low-carb milk if I can find any in this city!

****edited to add****
I don't use the powdered milk in mine. I'm not sure what exactly it does to the mixture, maybe it thickens it, but it all seems to work fine without it.

[sadie147]

Re: Making your own yogurt

I'd love to make my own yogurt but i've yet to get up the nerve! There was an old Salton yogurt maker (for 1.50) at the thrift store last week and i'm now regretting that i didn't buy it. I go thru alot of yogurt, i can't seem to get enough of the stuff! I find it very filling despite how light it is. I read an article about using a crock pot to make yogurt...put the containers in the crock pot on the low or warm settings, to keep them warm as well.

I've found a really great site that walks you through making your own yogurt. I've done it twice now and all you really need to invest in is a candy thermometer if you don't already have one.
http://www.learninghowto.com/yogurt/...%20yogurt.html

For my 'incubator', I wet a small towel with hot water and placed it in the bottom of a small Thermos cooler and put the yogurt container on top of that, closed it, put it on top of the fridge and covered it with a heavy towel.

The first time I did it, I let it incubate for over 12 hours and the yogurt was pretty tart. I made it out of some 1% milk that someone had left here after visiting us.

This time I had some 1%, a little bit of 2% and I threw in some half and half. I let it incubate for about 8 hours, and the result is very smooth and not tart at all, although I think it'll 'tart up' (lol) in the next few days.

Both batches have turned out to be runnier than yogurt as we know it, but that's no big deal.

I'm not sure of the carb count though. I only use about 3 tbs at a time when I put it on fruit...it's definitely not a portion-control problem food for me so I'm not panicking about exact numbers with it.

Next time, I'll try it with low-carb milk if I can find any in this city!

[not2late]

Re: Making your own yogurt

For my incubator, I use a cooler, hot water bottles (empty bottles filled with hot water), and old blankets (to provide extra insulation)

[Moochiecat]

Re: Making your own yogurt

It really is as simple as the website says, so go for it, Sadie, you really don't need a yogurt maker.
After I made it the first time I was ridiculously proud of myself and wondered why I hadn't done it sooner. I'd heard people talk about it on here, but it sounded too simple and I didn't trust that leaving milk in a warm place would result in anything but rotten milk.

I feel very "Earth Mother"-y now...lol

[Moochiecat]

Re: Making your own yogurt

OH!
I should mention that I never use the powdered milk!! (I've edited the original post to reflect that too)
Megs, do you? Any idea what the powdered milk adds to it all? Does it thicken it maybe?

[sadie147]

Re: Making your own yogurt

I read on a site that you can make it with half and half..I'm trying to find that site now...has anyone tried that? i'm thinking it would make a really creamy yogurt!

I read that the powdered milk does thicken it. Wonder if soy milk powder would do this as well? Just thinking that might bring your carb count down (though i'm not sure the powdered milk carbs would bring it up..i'm just guessing)

OH!
I should mention that I never use the powdered milk!! (I've edited the original post to reflect that too)
Megs, do you? Any idea what the powdered milk adds to it all? Does it thicken it maybe?

[Piasabird]

Re: Making your own yogurt

I've made yogurt with Carb Count Down milk and I didn't use the powered milk either.

Sadie, you really don't need a yogurt maker. Give it a try.

[not2late]

Re: Making your own yogurt

The powdered milk powder might give it more lactose for the bacteria to feed upon. But you really don't need to add that at all. All you need is the milk, the bacteria and a nice warm place for it to grow.

[2big4mysize]

Re: Making your own yogurt

actually the powdered milk add more lactoes and more milk proteins. I will spare y'all the chemistry lesson but basically the yogurt gets it texture and thickness from the destruction of some of the protein bonds by the acid created in the reaction of the bacteria. Oh and if you are willing to wait longer you can open a carton of hood's CarbCountdown milk add a big spoonful of active yougurt cultured plain yogurt. close it up and shake it up and set it in a warm place i use the outside top of my frige. 24 hrs later I have very nice thick yogurt. very very low carb

[sadie147]

Re: Making your own yogurt

I wish we got carb countdown milk here..we don't. I may just try this with half and half or whole milk, and maybe use my crockpot on warm to see how it goes.

Does it matter what yogurt is used to start it? or is there advantages to certain kinds? I eat a probiotic yogurt, is there an advantage to using it as a starter i wonder...

i'll have to do a bit more research on the net..

[not2late]

Re: Making your own yogurt

You want a yogurt with "live active cultures". It'll say that somewhere on the container.

[cleochatra]

Re: Making your own yogurt

So if I'm going to make yogurt from scratch and don't want to use powdered milk, how do I adjust the recipe?

I want to use only yogurt and full-fat milk from the local dairy.

[not2late]

Re: Making your own yogurt

You can follow the instructions, but just don't add the powdered milk. You might want to check the yogurt after 12 hours to see if it is the consistency you want. If not, let it sit a few more hours, checking every so often until you have what you want.

[cleochatra]

Re: Making your own yogurt

Is the 1/3 cup of dry, powdered, milk comparable to 1/3 cup of wet milk?

I realize that sounded like a really dumb question. *lol*

[Moochiecat]

Re: Making your own yogurt

Just don't add it in, that's all..no need to compensate for anything.

Just let it go, Cleo...let that powdered milk go....lol

When I made my recipe I didn't measure my milk exactly and add in the absolute correct proportion of yogurt to it as calculated by the original instructions.
I had 3/4 liter of milk left, I heated it up, cooled it down and threw in a few TBS of live yogurt, and it all worked out, so don't be too concerned.