Yogurt, What I've Learned

About a month ago I read a post on the New England Cheesemaking blog about making yogurt.

What caught my attention was this:

Heat the milk to 185F and hold for 20 minutes (this will release certain milk proteins to make a thicker yogurt).  Then cool to 108-112F and add the culture.  Use the Yogotherm to hold this temperature for 4-6 hrs (or longer if you like more acid).  Remove and immediately chill.  If the yogurt is too acidic, reduce the temperature or time for the next round.

I gave it a try the last two times I've made yogurt out of our goat's milk. Usually I add some powdered milk to make the yogurt a little thicker (about 1 cup instant powdered milk for each 1/2 gallon of milk).

I was so happy to find out that heating the milk up to 185˚F and holding it there for 20 minutes really works to make thicker yogurt!

I still add a little powdered milk just because I'm sure the added calcium does me some good, but I like not having to add anything if I don't want to.

I also like knowing that I can make thicker yogurt out of only goat's milk. We have a little friend who can't drink cows milk, which means she hardly ever gets ice cream for a treat unless I make it. I think frozen yogurt will be a wonderful treat for her next summer!

Yogurt

I made another batch of yogurt using the same starter. I read that if I added powdered milk that the yogurt would turn out thicker and more like store-bought yogurt.

It did! I added 1 1/2 cups powdered milk to 1/2 gallon of milk as the milk was heating. Then I added the starter. It didn't turn out as thick as I would like it to, so the next time I try it I will add 2 cups of powdered milk (about 1 cup powdered milk for each quart of goat milk).

Mmmm..... it is delicious!

The next thing I'll try when I make yogurt is to add some Morning Moos instead of powdered milk. We have lots of cans of Morning Moos in storage since it tastes much better than powdered milk. Now that we have goats we probably won't need it and it would be a good idea to use some of it up

Yogurt

Last night I made 1/2 gallon of yogurt before bed. I used the Wonder Box that I made earlier this year. You can learn more about Wonder Boxes and find a pattern for one here. I made two Wonder Boxes so that I could use it for two batches of cheese or whatever I wanted to do at the same time.

Wonder Box with lid on top.

Wonder Box with the lid to the right

A Wonder Box is basically a bean bag chair for pots. It is an insulated 'box' that will keep food warm for a long time. Last night when I checked the temperature for the yogurt it was 100˚ F, this morning it was 95˚F. Not too bad for 10 hours. If I thought the temperature needed to hold a bit warmer, I would have heated up a rice bag that we store in the freezer for a cold pack.

 

It doesn't say on the pattern, but a Wonder Box should be made from 100% cotton material. You could probably get away with a poly/cotton blend, but any fabric that might melt would be a bad idea. You can check to see if a fabric would be safe to use in a Wonder Box by taking a scrap of the fabric and burning it with a match. If the fabric melts instead of burns, don't use it for a Wonder Box.

Wonder Box inside the plastic tub. The yogurt is inside.

I like the Yogourmet starter for my yogurt. I know you can use regular yogurt from the store if it has live cultures, too, but I like the flavor this starter has.

I buy my starter from the local health food store, but you can purchase yogurt starter online, as well.

Here is what the yogurt looked like right before I took it out of the Wonder Box. A friend gave us the idea of storing and using the Wonder Box inside a plastic tub. It works very well. I've also used it inside a square laundry basket. Having the Wonder Box inside another container makes it easy to move. It is also necessary if you are planning on bringing it to a Pot Luck dinner with your dish inside.

Our favorite way to eat yogurt is to mix it with fresh strawberries and a bit of honey. Our yogurt is made from goat's milk, of course! Vet2Be likes his yogurt a bit thicker than regular home made yogurt, so I add a bit of Ultra Gel thickener for him when we mix the yogurt with fruit and honey. Yummy!