Homemade Yogurt
Yogurt, which is full of friendly bacteria, is great for your digestive system. It is also versatile. You can eat it plain, add it to smoothies, add fruit to it, or use it in place of sour cream. Yogurt is delcious and very easy to make.
I use my raw goat milk to make yogurt. Since most of my family is allergic or sensitive to cow milk, this is our alternative. Goat milk yogurt is available in some grocery stores, but it is also much more expensive compared to cow milk.
To make a large batch of yogurt, you need 2 quarts of fresh milk and freeze-dried yogurt starter. You do not have to have a yogurt maker, but they are relatively inexpensive and the process takes up less of your time. Homemade yogurt tends to be more thin than store-bought yogurt. My family personally prefers the thicker yogurt so I add plain gelatin to the recipe. You may omit it; it is optional.
The milk is gently warming up in the double boiler.
First, heat 2 quarts of fresh milk in a double boiler to 180 degrees. Stir it often, especially when you are wanting an accurate temperature. Immediately remove the pan from heat and let it cool down to 110 degrees. I place the saucepan in a large bowl with ice water to speed up the process.
When the milk cools down anywhere between 108 – 112 degrees, you pour about 1/2 cup of milk from the saucepan into a small bowl. Add 10 grams of the freeze-dried starter to the milk and dissolve. Then I dissolve 2-1/2 tsp of plain gelatin to the mixture. Again, this is optional. Now pour the milk from the bowl back into the pan. Stir so that the starter is incorporated well into the entire batch of warm milk.
My yogurt maker has an outer and an inner container. The outer part holds a small amount of water that it warms to heat the mixture inside the inner container gently. If you have a yogurt maker like I do, then you add warm water up to the fill line of the outer container. You pour the yogurt mixture into the inner container and seal the lid. Now you put the container in the maker, put on the outer lid, and plug it in. Let it “cook” the yogurt for 4-1/2 hours. Then refrigerate it for another 8 hours before enjoying.
If you do not have a maker, no problem. The process is the same up to this point. Now instead of putting the mixture into the machine, pour it into a glass or stainless container. Cover. Keep the container warm at about 150 degrees overnight. Then refrigerate.
I am incorporating the starter with the rest of the cooled milk.
To keep the container warm is a challenge. You can insulate the container with damp towels and place in a warm oven. You can place in a dehydrator. If you have a gas stove with a pilot light, then it might give off enough heat.
With all of my children and responsiblilities, I chose to invest in the yogurt maker instead of worrying about the temperature for hours. I quite enjoy plugging in the machine, setting the timer, and walking away.
You can experiment with all different types of fruit, honey, agave nectar, etc. The addition of the gelatin makes the yogurt spoon easily. It is about the consistency of sour cream. I make it both ways depending on my mood. This yogurt has all the healthy, friendly bacteria like L. bulgaricus, S. thermophilus, and L. acidophilus. It does not have high fructose corn syrup or any absurd ingredient that you find listed on a label of some store-bought yogurt. This yogurt is truly yummy for your tummy.
I’m very eager to read about your dairying because we have a Dexter cow due to calve in early November, and we want to share her milk with the calf like her previous owners did. I’ve milked goats by hand, but never a cow, so I have a lot to learn! And I really want to be sure we have great sanitation, so please, enlighten me!
Were do i get the freeze dried culture from
Yogourmet is the brand that I use. I find it in health food stores and in health food sections of larger grocery stores. It is in the refrigerated section. You can also order it from Amazon and subscribe it. They ship it to you for free at the interval you desire.
Lara