It definitely tasted good; however, I need to work a bit on the viscosity. The directions on the starter said to incubate for 4-4.5 hours and the machine directions said to incubate for 7-10 hours depending on how much fat is in the milk. I went with 7.5 hours but probably should have done closer to 9 because it was a bit runny. The prep time took me about an hour before putting it in the machine. The milk has to be brought to 180 degrees then cool it to 110 degrees before putting it in the machine; it was the cooling time that took the longest.
Once I get the process down, I will start experimenting with different flavors and milks. We froze a ton of fruit this past summer so I'm thinking that it could be used to flavor the yogurt. I'd love to make a dairy free yogurt as well so that I could use it in some recipes I want to try and also so Brad could eat it.
Do any of you make your own yogurt? What are your favorite flavors to make?
ReplyDeleteIf its too runny, try adding powdered milk to your recipe. That helps to thicken it up. Since discovering my allergy to pasteurized milk I sometimes leave raw milk out to clabber rather than make yoghurt :-D
Hey, I'm glad you like the honey! :)
ReplyDeleteTexture is definitely the hardest part to get "just right" with yogurt. When in doubt, up the fat or protein content (by adding a bit of powdered milk, like the above commenter mentioned, or by using whole or 2% milk, not skim). I have a similar yogurt maker, and I notice that it takes longer in the machine than when I use a water bath or other non-electric method; it's not unusual to take at least 7 hours, whereas other methods can be done in 4-5. It will take a little longer if you've let the milk cool down too much before putting it in to incubate.
A couple of other tips:
*You can cool the milk in an ice bath if you want to cut down on the prep time.
*I'm sure you know this, but you can use your current batch to make the next one rather than having to buy new cultures every time. I've managed to get up to 10 repetitions out of a culture before it starts getting funky, although 5 or so is more common. (The small jars for this kind of yogurt maker are handy for this.)
*Every once in awhile you may notice that some liquid separates out on top. That's totally normal; it just may mean that you incubated it a bit too long.
*Be sure to clean your jars really well. Some people sterilize by boiling every time, but I cheat by just boiling water in the pot I'm going to use to heat the milk, and then pouring the boiling water into the jars for a quick flash-bath. (This has the added bonus of taking out any strange odors that may be in your pot... you definitely don't want yogurt that tastes like pasta sauce!)
*Should you need extra jars, you can use jelly jars or anything else that fits in the yogurt maker. I find it handy to have one extra (to avoid washing one at the last minute, since I had the reserved yogurt for starter in it) ... and I've managed to break a couple, too. :-/
*You can use your plain yogurt to make yogurt "cheese," a substitute for cream cheese. Just pour the yogurt into a sieve lined with a cheesecloth, which is placed over a bowl to catch the whey. The "cheese" will not be quite as stiff as cream cheese (and it will liquefy if stirred...actually, that's how you make Greek yogurt), but if you lay it gently on a plate and cover it with chives or pepper or what have you and use it as a spread, no one will be the wiser!
By the way, Kresha has a yogurt-making tutorial over here: http://www.nourishingjoy.com/how-to-make-yogurt/
Happy yogurt making! It can feel tedious, but I love it!