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Well I gotta say. I'm new to the culture of cultures, and it's a great feeling.
I made my second batch of yogurt last night/today, and had some questions. First, I'll share some noob experiences.
The recipe I was given was to heat the milk up to 90C, then bring down to 50C and mix in a cup of plain yogurt, let sit overnight in a 50C environment and voila! yogurt!
I learned the hard way on the first batch, that milk has to be STIRRED while heated, or else it burns brown sludge all on the bottom and sides of the pot. That was not in the directions, probably because it's one of those 'common kitchen sense' things that people might forget a guy TOTALLY LACKS common kitchen sense. I spent five minutes picking brown sludge out of the milk before moving on to the next stage. It didn't seem to have any other negative effects, though.
I also learned that milk doesn't go to 90C without boiling, at least not at the elevation I live, which is close to 5K feet. I got up to 85 both batches and couldn't go further without developing the beginnings of a boil, which I was told, you're not supposed to boil the milk. I'm not sure how this affects the yogurts.
I also learned, that different yogurts make different yogurts... DUH.... My first batch was some fancy hippy 'greek organic' stuff for $1.75 for a 6 ounce jar, because I was told to get 'the most organic yogurt you can find, for the most live cultures inside'.... i figured it didn't get more 'organic' than overpriced hippy yogurt, right? Well, it worked fine, but made a yogurt that had a 'grainy' texture and thickness that i didn't like. I'm a yoplait fan, personally, I like the runnier, smoother yogurts. So the second batch was yoplait.
My yoplait batch took for-e-ver to start setting, I presume it wasn't 'hippy' enough maybe? It finally started to congeal after about 3 or 4 hours, and from there I let it sit overnight by the heater after reading it a story and tucking it in. I hope this batch will make better 'starter' for the next batch, it's probably hippy enough by now, being not-pasteurized and all the cultures allowed to multiply and all that.
And I have a QUESTION: the yoplait batch has a bit of a bitter kick to it. It smells good, like yogurt, and tastes good. I don't really mind the bitterness, but it's there nonetheless, and normal yoplait doesn't taste that way. Do you have any idea what this could be from?
Once I get yogurt figured out and mastered, I'll graduate to some easy, soft cheeses. It's a great feeling, especially in this economy and with the cost of dairy products, to be able to fill the fridge with the foods i love, for pennies on what i used to pay. I'm really liking this!
I made my second batch of yogurt last night/today, and had some questions. First, I'll share some noob experiences.
The recipe I was given was to heat the milk up to 90C, then bring down to 50C and mix in a cup of plain yogurt, let sit overnight in a 50C environment and voila! yogurt!
I learned the hard way on the first batch, that milk has to be STIRRED while heated, or else it burns brown sludge all on the bottom and sides of the pot. That was not in the directions, probably because it's one of those 'common kitchen sense' things that people might forget a guy TOTALLY LACKS common kitchen sense. I spent five minutes picking brown sludge out of the milk before moving on to the next stage. It didn't seem to have any other negative effects, though.
I also learned that milk doesn't go to 90C without boiling, at least not at the elevation I live, which is close to 5K feet. I got up to 85 both batches and couldn't go further without developing the beginnings of a boil, which I was told, you're not supposed to boil the milk. I'm not sure how this affects the yogurts.
I also learned, that different yogurts make different yogurts... DUH.... My first batch was some fancy hippy 'greek organic' stuff for $1.75 for a 6 ounce jar, because I was told to get 'the most organic yogurt you can find, for the most live cultures inside'.... i figured it didn't get more 'organic' than overpriced hippy yogurt, right? Well, it worked fine, but made a yogurt that had a 'grainy' texture and thickness that i didn't like. I'm a yoplait fan, personally, I like the runnier, smoother yogurts. So the second batch was yoplait.
My yoplait batch took for-e-ver to start setting, I presume it wasn't 'hippy' enough maybe? It finally started to congeal after about 3 or 4 hours, and from there I let it sit overnight by the heater after reading it a story and tucking it in. I hope this batch will make better 'starter' for the next batch, it's probably hippy enough by now, being not-pasteurized and all the cultures allowed to multiply and all that.
And I have a QUESTION: the yoplait batch has a bit of a bitter kick to it. It smells good, like yogurt, and tastes good. I don't really mind the bitterness, but it's there nonetheless, and normal yoplait doesn't taste that way. Do you have any idea what this could be from?
Once I get yogurt figured out and mastered, I'll graduate to some easy, soft cheeses. It's a great feeling, especially in this economy and with the cost of dairy products, to be able to fill the fridge with the foods i love, for pennies on what i used to pay. I'm really liking this!
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Re: Yogurt adventures
Sat, March 7, 2009 - 6:25 PMI'm totally there with everything you said :)
except I haven't made any dairy products yet bc my housemates refuse to keep the kitchen clean, so...
but I would love to hear what anyone else says about why his yogurts acted the way they did...
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Re: Yogurt adventures
Sun, March 8, 2009 - 12:53 PMI apologize for not mentioning the stirring part.
My last batch I overcooked and ended up getting the grainy texture. That was a new one for me and I didn't like it at all.
The longer you leave the yogurt to culture the more sour/bitter it will get depending on the culture you use. Also, moving it a lot can sometimes create more bitterness.
The reason yoplait is creamy is because they add a bunch of other stuff to it like gelatin and modified corn starch and don't let it completely culture. They also blend it before packing it into those little containers. -
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Re: Yogurt adventures
Sun, March 8, 2009 - 1:56 PMOH!
That makes sense cause first of all, I did keep checking on the yogurt and moving it around to see if it was still 'sloshy' milk or if it was gelling up hahaha... It is pretty watery, come to think of it!
how about the temperature? how sensetive/critical is the whole 90C thing? is there a 'range' that is satisfactory, or is the majic number 90 the reason why I can't get good yogurt?
I bet the extra few hours of sittign around before the yogurt cultured enough to start making headway was why it tastes bitter. Not enough culture in the yoplait made it take off to WAY too slow of a start. The first little areas to start 'yogurting' were probably going sour by the time the rest was....'yogurting'.... I don't know what's the word for it hehe -
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Re: Yogurt adventures
Sun, March 8, 2009 - 1:59 PMOh yeah... and is there a brand or something that anyone can reccommend for my 'starter' cup?
Also, I notice when you stir the yogurt, it gets all 'watery' again. But I HAVE to stir it, to mix the sugar in, and any flavors i want to put in there... Should I stir in the flavorings etc. before the yogurt starts to set, or will this have a funny effect on the culturing process? -
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Re: Yogurt adventures
Sun, March 8, 2009 - 3:08 PMI actually use "starter" yogurt from Trader Joe's. I think they get their yogurt from Stonyfield or Brown Cow.
The "water" is actually whey, which is pretty good for you and where most of the calcium is, but it causes a strange texture. You can try using a whisk or hand mixer to make it more smooth - though I have never tried this. I generally just mix in fruit and sugar right before I eat it. It's fairly lumpy, but to make it like store-bought yogurt you'll have to add all the extra stuff like yoplait does.
I'm not sure what to do about the 90C thing because as far as I know that's the temp where the proteins change. Maybe boil it then. Just put it in a larger pot and make sure to stir it a lot. -
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Re: Yogurt adventures
Tue, March 10, 2009 - 8:11 PMGreetings. Yogurt is a fun adventure. As far as temperature is concerned, my understanding is that the enzymes and beneficial bacteria are destroyed at 120 degrees. I have always incubated my yogurt at 110 degrees for 24 hours. This seems to make the best, most digestable yogurt.
As for culture I often use brown cow, but have also successfully used danon. It really is a matter of preference and flavor. I have also purchased freeze dried starters from Dairy Connection www.dairyconnection.com/
I too add fruit and such right before I am going to eat the yogurt.
Blessings
Linda -
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Re: Yogurt adventures
Thu, March 12, 2009 - 9:42 AMlinda, is that the max temp you heat the milk to, just 110 (Farenheight I'm guessing?) you don't pre-heat the milk before cooling back down and adding the yogurt enzymes?
Also, when i say my yogurt is 'watery' I'm not talking about the watery stuff that forms on top. What i mean is, after it's been mixed, it has the consistency of syrup. that's with the yoplait. The greek ultra-hippy variety produced the viscosity i wanted, which was something akin to store-bought yoplait... but, it had a 'grainy' texture that I didn't like.
i don't like yogurt that sets up to the consistency of jello iether... you know, when you can 'carve' it with your spoon. But I'm not really satisfied with the motor-oil or syrup consistency that yoplait gave me, it's like yogurt-flavored cough syrup haha. I'm wondering if it's the actual yoplait enzymes and that's all they produce, or maybe I didn't heat the milk enough (only about 80C before cooling down and adding the yogurt enzymes)
You guys are very helpful though. I'm sure with your help i can get this figured out... -
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Re: Yogurt adventures
Thu, March 12, 2009 - 9:51 AMI actually warm the milk to 115 degrees, so when I add the cutlure it will be at 110. And I do not preheat the milk and cool it back down. I am using raw milk and want to keep the enzymes and beneficial bacteria in the milk in tact. To resolve the grainy problem you may want to stir the yogurt really well before putting it up to incubate, it probably is not the culture, so I would try again with stirring. For the syrupy yogurt, it is probably the culture and I just would not use that cutlure.
Blessings
Linda -
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Re: Yogurt adventures
Fri, March 13, 2009 - 10:44 AMI tried the warming just to 115 deg and my yogurt never really gelled. Well, it was a partial, but not like how I want it. It was more of the syrupy consistency that Thousand describes. It's the same culture I always use, so that wasn't what caused the difference. -
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Re: Yogurt adventures
Fri, March 13, 2009 - 12:38 PMInteresting, I have always gotten a nice consistency with this approach. So I am wondering what your usual approach is?
Blessings
Linda -
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Re: Yogurt adventures
Fri, March 13, 2009 - 1:35 PMI normally heat the milk up to 85-90 deg C and then cool it to 50 deg C and then add the cultures. The heating it changes the proteins so that they are more readily available to the culture.
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whey...
Fri, March 13, 2009 - 3:07 PMis there anything else I can use it for? everytime i open it up, even though i whisked it, it seperates again... -
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Re: whey...
Fri, March 13, 2009 - 4:37 PMTwo things 1. warming to 115 or 120 degrees F is ideal and as I understand it will change the proteins enough..I personally want the beneficial nutrients from raw milk and I have found this approach to be quite effective. I also let it incubate for 24 hours, my understanding is that incubating for 24 hours reduces the carbohydrates significantly, which should lead to a thicker yogurt.
It you have yougurt that is thin, you can use it in baking, add bananas and/or other frozen fruit to it and make a shake in the blender, drink it, use it anywhere you would use buttermilk, pour it in a cheese cloth and let it drain..you will then have a thicker product and the longer you let it strain the thicker it will get, eventually turning into a spreadable cheese. *just make sure your cheese cloth has a tight weave..most of the stuff in conventional grocery stores is too loose of a weave, and you would need to fold it over many times for it to hold the fluid.
Hope that is helpful...keep us posted.
Blessings
Linda -
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Re: whey...
Fri, March 13, 2009 - 4:42 PMI really need to move into a bigger place before I can start doing anything that involves hanging in cheese cloth... I'd love to make some cheese, but I just can't do it in this kitchen where people refuse to clean. I am going to be giving thirty days notice at the beginning of april...
I will try your suggestions though, once I get a chance.
I was thinking about straining out the whey and using it where I might use milk or water, like in oats, but that would involve boiling. would that kill 90% of the reasons why I'd want to use the whey that way? -
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Re: whey...
Fri, March 13, 2009 - 5:12 PM"whey that way"
This made me smile....when I teach cheese making classes, I always end up saying this and everyone gets a good laugh...it is inevitable.
Blessings
Linda
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Re: whey...
Fri, March 13, 2009 - 9:23 PMMaybe because it's raw you have better luck with it. We just can't afford raw milk. The closest place that carries it (25 miles away) sells it for $8.00 per half gallon. We go through about 2 gallons of milk a week not including the milk I use to make yogurt, which is an additional gallon a week. That would be $48/week which is over half of our normal grocery bill. We just go with pasteurized organic, hormone/antibiotic free milk for $3.00/gallon. -
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Re: whey...
Fri, March 13, 2009 - 9:53 PMI can understand why you would not use raw milk. We pay $6 per gallon for organic raw milk. Where do you live? When I was in LA raw milk was $16 per gallon, as you describe and I did not buy it either.
Blessings
Linda -
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Re: whey...
Fri, March 13, 2009 - 11:56 PMI wonder if I could get the raw milk at Trader Joes.
would that work for cheese? or has it had the evil processes that make it not cooperate? -
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Re: whey...
Sat, March 14, 2009 - 12:35 PMI shop almost exclusively at TJs and they don't carry raw milk, just non-homogenized milk. -
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Re: whey...
Sat, March 14, 2009 - 12:59 PMI just discovered after several attempts ( and a friend's attempts) that Trader Joe's greek yogurts (the one in the yellow pint tub that they call 'greek cheese yogurt' is what we were all using) doesn't make a gelling yogurt. I'm not sure what's in it that's doing that- must be either that the culture is dead, or it's another culture than what the package says.
Dannon etc works fine. I've also used just about every other brand, hippie or not, of 'live culture' yogurt without running into this problem.
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Re: whey...
Sat, March 14, 2009 - 2:55 PMI'll give that greek hippy stuff another try. Maybe the 'grainy' texture was some defect on my part. The consistency was where i wanted it to be. Yoplait has been very disappointing.
I'd be doing another batch this weekend but i caught some sorta bug, like a cold *lite*.... same misery, half the boogers. I'm just chillin here in a blanket snuggled up with a carton of orange juice, being a nerd online hahaha
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Re: whey...
Sat, March 14, 2009 - 3:22 PMTheir greek cheese yogurt most likely doesn't have live and active cultures in it and that's why it isn't gelling. I use their regular greek yogurt with success.
Thousand, the grainy texture happened with the batch that burned right? If so, that is probably why you got that texture. I cooked a batch too long once and got that graininess you are referring to. It wasn't a pleasant eating experience! -
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Re: whey...
Sat, March 14, 2009 - 6:34 PMsounds about right, ms. purity. I picked all the burnt brown things out of the milk first, but yea. It looked 'grainy' the way old sourcream gets. I don't eat sourcream once it gets grainy but I bet it would have the same texture.
I'll try the greek ultra hippy organic stuff again. The consistency was perfectly what I'm looking for, I just assumed greek hippies like their yogurt grainy and that's just the way it is. But i'll try again and make sure to use my kitchen manskills to stir the milk diligently.
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Re: Yogurt adventures
Thu, March 12, 2009 - 9:51 AMi made some last night... checked it this morning, whey had seperated... i did the crockpot thing, the water was too hot to really stick my finger in, so im not sure i'll do that again. but it looks to be proper yogurt...
I was thinking about keeping this culture, and then using other yogurt starts, in smaller portions, to bring in more types of enzymes. get more variety then just what one start can give....
any thoughts?
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Re: Yogurt adventures
Sun, March 29, 2009 - 3:19 PMokay.. I made another batch, using the good old greek hippy yogurt. i vigilantly heated the milk to 90C by stirring it madly to keep any part of it from boiling. I kept it at 50C overnight.
this morning, it was yogurt. As usual, the whey had separated and was a watery layer on top, which i skimmed off with a spoon, i even tipped the bowl around to get all the watery whey out from the sides and bottom, leaving just the yogurt, a nice blob of yogurt that smelled great.
However, digging into the yogurt with the spoon would reveal more whey. It was everywhere. The yogurt appears to have set, and the taste is good (texture still a little grainy but at this point I'm not going to worry about that) but i could dig in anywhere, and any divot i made would quickly fill up with whey.
I let it set a bit longer, about 2 more hours, to see if that would help. I'm not sure if it did. Maybe just a little. I chilled it in the fridge, then made myself a parfait after church. it tasted GREAT but the yogurt was just very thin and watery seeming. It was like i took good yogurt and mixed in a fifth portion of whey, making it all watery.
Any ideas?
I sure would like to start hitting consistently with good yogurt. It would appear that I am to cheesemaking, as the brown-thumbs are to gardening. I just can't seem to get it right, even when i duplicate the methods of successful others around me. -
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Re: Yogurt adventures
Mon, March 30, 2009 - 12:07 AMI'm telling you, don't use the 'greek yogurt' from Trader Joe's, that's exactly one of the problems I've had with it. I've also had 'no setting' as a problem with it.
Virtually all the other yogurts you could buy will work fine. -
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Re: Yogurt adventures
Mon, March 30, 2009 - 12:26 AMI have not tried this yogurt as a starter, but I would suggest trying another yogurt to see if that changes anything. It is pretty easy to get your hands on danon yogurt and I along with lots of other people I have talked to have had good success using this as a starter. Also Dairy Connection has a powdered starter that I have used successfully, if you want to go another route all together. Just be sure that whatever cutlure you use is not pasteurized, there are a few yogurt brands out there that are cutlured and then pasteurized, makes no sense. Just look at the ingredients and it should say live active cutlures. Keep us posted.
Blessings
Linda -
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Re: Yogurt adventures
Mon, March 30, 2009 - 7:47 AMI'm going to try Dannon next time. I've steered away from that suggestion because i seem to remember Dannon as the really thick, 'carveable' type, which i don't like. but if I'm to mix in the sugar and fruit later, I'm sure that will fix the stiffness, since whenever I mix any 'good consistency' yogurt it usually becomes too fluid.
Dannon. I'll try it and post results next weekend. -
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Re: Yogurt adventures
Mon, March 30, 2009 - 10:30 AMfor both of you- the bitterness and the texture are partially controllable by how long you let it culture.
bitterness- have you either heard of 'strained yogurt'? That's actually what the Greek stuff from Trader Joe's is mimicking (except that they add thickeners and emulsifiers to do it= natural ones like pectin, but still). Strained yogurt is a bit less bitter.
you make yogurt of your choice, and put it into a colander with a piece of cloth or cheesecloth, and let some of the liquid drip out. The remaining yogurt will thicken up just a bit and become creamier and less bitter.
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Re: Yogurt adventures
Mon, March 30, 2009 - 3:14 PMDidn't you say you used the Greek "cheese" yogurt from TJs? That's a different thing than their regular Greek Yogurt, which I've had great luck with. I personally can't stand Dannon, so I don't use it - not to mention I rarely step foot into a "regular" grocery store. I also used this French Country yogurt from TJs and had pretty good luck with it. -
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Re: Yogurt adventures
Mon, March 30, 2009 - 10:11 PMI hardly ever go into a main stream grocery store either. But my danon suggestion was based on the fact that not matter where you live you can find it. One thing that is confusing to me about your post, is I wonder if Trader Joe's is really better than a mainstream grocery store? They ship produce from China, then package it in plastic wrap. They sell food so cheap that it is likely that the farmer was not paid a living wage for their efforts. They also sell a lot of nonorganic food, which is really no differnt than conventional stores. I choose not to shop there and have always been suprised that others do. I prefer to find a farmers market, local farm and/or a local food cooperative....
Blessings
Linda -
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Re: Yogurt adventures
Tue, March 31, 2009 - 12:56 AMI know an organic foods producer (dried beans guys) who deal with Trader Joe's, and they said that TJ's is the best grocery chain they deal with,. They compared it favorably against their dismal experience with Whole Foods (ths was about 5 years ago, WF came under a lot of fire for various practices since then, and has made a big PR effort to clean up their image)- and told me that TJ's was really good to deal with as a wholesale producer.
I don't think they sell produce from China- much of it is the same brands you see in health food stores, and the produce tends to be from California or Mexico, with some silly exceptions like crunchy peaches from South America in the winter when you shouldn't be eating those anyway. it's the same as any other health food store that sells out -of-season produce or produce from California. I don't think that they 'don't pay a living wage', at least not from my friend's experience. I certainly haven't seen produce from China there.
the big problem there is the packaging. That's mandated by some health department rules, I learned from another food wholesaler (differeht than the dry beans guy).
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Re: Yogurt adventures
Tue, March 31, 2009 - 6:38 AMTo further clarify. So I found an article in the LA Times about TJ and China. They apparently have carried products fron China, one of the big ones they have been carrying is Garlic. But according to the LA Times and spokespersons from TJ they will stop carrying some items as of tomorrow due to customer concern. Below is an excerpt from the Times article.
"Trader Joe's, which has about 300 stores around the country, plans to phase out any single-ingredient food items sourced from mainland China by April 1. It will replace the goods with "products from other regions until our customers feel as confident as we do about the quality and safety of Chinese products," the statement said.
The company will continue to stock products that include Chinese ingredients. Shoppers haven't complained about those, a spokeswoman said. " -
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Re: Yogurt adventures
Tue, March 31, 2009 - 6:54 AMI never said that TJs was "better" than a mainstream grocery storee. I just said I rarely shop at them. The TJs I shop at phased out the China-based foods over a year ago. I don't buy anything other than single ingredient foods and I only buy their organic produce during the winter when there aren't any farmer's markets (only open here from first weekend of May to middle of October) going on and my garden isn't producing as much. So it's a moot point for me. I shop there because it is much cheaper than a grocery store and we're on a limited budget. Since we started shopping there, our grocery bill has been less than half of what it was at the larger markets. The reason the food is so much cheaper is because they don't have the HUGE overhead that mainstream stores have so they can charge less. It takes a lot of money to run the large supermarkets from the lighting, to the staff, to making up for the food that passes expiration. A TJs store isn't as big and they don't carry tons of stuff that will go bad, so they can charge less.
Also, the "plastic" packaging they use is actually the compostable PLA "plastic." If you turn it over they all say "Compostable" on the back. We do compost the packaging and it does breaks down. To me that's better than collecting plastic bags, which can't even be recycled. -
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Re: Yogurt adventures
Tue, March 31, 2009 - 7:09 AMThanks all the lively discussion and I realize that we have digressed from yogurt...so easy to get into other topics. I am happy to have this discussion through PM is there is any need for follow up. But let's get back to yogurt.
Blessings
Linda
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Re: Yogurt adventures
Mon, March 30, 2009 - 7:00 AMFor another suggestion, I've been experimenting with Brown Cow. it made the bitter type of plain yogurt; I'm not sure if I could do anything different about that? But the original Brown Cow yogurt was the best I've ever tasted-- the maple syrup type-- sounds gross, but omg... almost as good as baccon! lol... -
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Re: Yogurt adventures
Mon, March 30, 2009 - 11:07 AMI have used brown cow and I like it too, so if that is available try that. It is just that danon is readily availabe and brown cow usually in health food stores. if you can find it that is great.
And as for length of time. I incubate my yogurt for 24 hours and it never gets bitter. So in my experience this is not a factor in bitterness.
Blessigns
Linda -
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Re: Yogurt adventures
Mon, March 30, 2009 - 11:17 AMBelow is the recipe that I have used for yogurt for over a decade. I have found it to always be effective. Two things, as Girl mentioned strained yogurt will get thick. Just pour your yogurt into a muslin cloth and let some of the whey drip out. This I often call yogurt cheese. Also you can add a little rennet to the blend to get a thicker yogurt. I can't remember the exact ratios, but for those who have the book Home Cheese Making by Rikki Carrol she has the ratios there. I will try to post them later.
I always find that working with this type of food is a journey and there are many ways to get to the same place. Keep at it, you will find what works for you. Along these lines I watched some yogurt making videos on the internet and they all seem to show a different way.
Blessings
Linda
Yogurt
This recipe creates 1 gallon of yogurt and can be adapted to create smaller batches. This recipe was offered to me by Susun Weed and makes a nice creamy yogurt. This recipe can be made with goat, cow, sheep or whatever milk you have on hand.
You will need:
-one gallon of milk
-a pot that will hold one gallon of milk
-on gallon jar of other glass container with a lid that will hold one gallon of milk.
-1 cup plain yogurt for starter (if you are not using your own yogurt, check the content of the yogurt that you purchase and be sure it contains 3 or more live active cultures)
-glass meaning cup (holds two cups)
-a thermometer
-a long spoon (one that will reach the bottom of the glass jar)
-a cooler (or other insulated location to incubate the yogurt)
-a towel
Instructions:
1. heat milk slowly to 116 degrees (being careful not to scorch-I like to use a diffuser on the burner)
2. measure 1-cup starter in the glass-measuring cup
3. add ½-3/4 cup of the warm milk to the starter and mix thoroughly
4. pour this mixture into the glass jar or container
5. in 2-3 cups portions add warmed milk stirring thoroughly each time continuing until all of the milk has been added. (Stirring thoroughly each time continuing until all of the milk has been added. *Stirring well assures your yogurt will be smooth)
6. check the temperature several times during the process
7. The goal is for the milk to be 110 degrees F when all the milk has been added. The mixture will incubate at 110 degrees. If the mixture is too hot it will kill the bacteria-if it is too cold it will not completely culture the milk.
8. Place container wrapped in a towel in a cooler or other insulated place for 24 hours. (the oven can be used, just be sure it is not turned on during the incubation period).
9. Enjoy and refrigerate unused portions.
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Re: Yogurt adventures
Tue, March 31, 2009 - 11:55 AMThousand, I thought I might mention this one little tidbit that I just learned from my last batch. Don't reuse your pickle jars (I make homemade pickles in the summer) to hold your yogurt, regardless of how long you soak them! I did this and now all my yogurt has a slight pickle taste to it. LOL -
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Re: Yogurt adventures
Tue, March 31, 2009 - 12:07 PMlol... the pickle taste NEVER goes away. I've gotten so I only steep vinegared solutions in them... and even then....
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Re: Yogurt adventures
Fri, May 1, 2009 - 9:44 AMSo I had a fantastic batch this last time I made yogurt. I used the small 8 oz jars instead of the quart jars and I used the "hippy" yogurt, Horizon Plain Nonfat Organic Yogurt. The batch came out really mild and there is hardly any whey in the jars. It's also more "carveable" and firmer than past batches.
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