Forum Thermomix
Thermomix Recipes for TM5 and TM31 => Breakfast => Topic started by: cathy79 on November 21, 2009, 12:36:00 pm
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This yogurt is fantastic and deserves it's own thread so people can find it, as it was hidden under "garlic peeling".
EDITED TO CHANGE - Helen very kindly pointed out that the original website had been moved, so here is the new website. Thanks Helen
http://www.superkitchenmachine.com/2009/2883/how-to-make-yogurt-thermomix.html
Make sure you watch the video as it really helps. But here is the basic recipe.
Place 2 litres of milk into *: and cook for 20min 80deg speed 2-3.
Cool milk to 37deg. This can take a while. I find it cools quicker if I pour it into another jug and then back into *: every 30mins or so to test the temperature. There are lots of variables for how long this step will take.
Once milk has cooled add 1/4 cup yoghurt to milk. The yoghurt must be a plain, pot set style yoghurt. Mix yoghurt in to milk.
Cook for 20min 37deg speed 2-3.
Pour into thermoserver (fits perfectly) and leave for 5 hours. Voila!
Make sure you take 1/4 cup yoghurt into a little separate container in the fridge where no one else will find it. Otherwise it will all disappear and you'll have to buy a whole tub of yoghurt to start over.
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I was going to post about this in the 'yogurt' thread, but here's a good place for it too ;D I'll do the rest of my post there still, but here let me say that I've made the yogurt this way 4 times now, and it's brilliant. My DH and DD are very excited about it, having been lukewarm at best at my other efforts. I have made 1 lt batches up until now for eating, as that's about the right amount for us to keep it fresh. At the moment I have a 2 lt batch in the thermoserver, which I plan to make into the cheese.
I'm going to do this batch as yogurt cheese, as she suggests, and marinade the balls like in the video. Next week I hope to do another batch and make paneer out of it, like in the UK Indian cooking book. I also plan to do a fruit yogurt batch tomorrow or Monday, to see how that compares to just stirring the fruit / jam / etc in to the natural yogurt.
The one comment which I will make here (and in more detail on the yogurt thread) is that you need to be careful which yogurt you use as a starter to begin with. Time was that you could use any live yogurt, but now most have been carefully designed by the manufacturers to not be usable as starters for homemade yogurt so that you need to keep buying it from them. So my advice is get a starter from someone else, find out which ones available in your country work as starters, or order a starter online. After that it's really, really easy to make your own yogurt.
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Starters are important - I used Brooklea Natural Tub Set Yoghurt, available from Aldi. It's actually a "fat free", which shows I didn't read it as closely as I should have, but it works.
Ingredients - skim milk, nonfat milk solids, live cultures ABC.
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Just found this thread CB79 and had posted some questions in another :P :P Now all my queries have been answered, thanks indeed. Now all I have to do is find a good starter - would a health store be a good place to start do you think. No Aldi here in Sth Aust.
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Judy, the health food store will definitely be able to help you. But you should be able to get one from Coles or Woolies etc, unless you specifically want organic. Look for something that mentions "pot set", and check that the ingredients is a really, really short list like the one I mentioned. No fruit, honey, sweetners etc.
There is one that is advertised regularly on TV - I think the brand might be Jalna, or something like that.
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Judy, here's a link, Cathy's right, you'll find this one in supermarkets.
http://www.jalna.com.au/truly-natural/taste-the-pot-set-difference.html
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Yep, that's the one I was thinking of. Should work a treat!
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Thanks Cathy & Julie. I'm actually going out for the first time next Tuesday with Mum to a shopping centre, being dropped off and picked up a few hours later so I have it on my list to get. I am quite excited about making it and have spend the whole morning researching recipes to make with yoghurt cheese too. Have come up with lots of things to try and eventually post but enough to keep me going all summer I would think. Oh, the things you do when you can't do anything else and are home alone ;) ;) ;) One more question, Valerie uses full cream milk - has anyone tried it with skim milk or wouldn't this work?
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Thanks CB79 - think I have transferred 3 or 4 yoghurt recipes to this thread. Maybe we should have a yoghurt thread.
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Wouldn't hurt!
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In that case, I'll put my 'further yogurt comments' on this thread ;D
In the UK, effective starter yogurts that my research has found are:
the Greek yogurt, Total
The basic probiotic Lidl yogurts (come in packs of 4, green & blue on packaging)
St Helen's Farm Goats Milk Yogurt (the one with the white goat looking out of a blue circle). This is the one I'm using, and it's producing thick, excellent yogurt - better even than Easy Yo. My DH and DD love it, because of its mild flavour. I love it with jam, etc, as a flavoured yogurt, but would ideally like a bit more tang in my natural yogurt. I don't plan to change, though, because the rest of my family prefer the milder flavour (like Easy Yo).
A highly recommended starter (which I haven't found yet) is organic Sheeps Milk Live Yoghurt 450g . Made by Woodlands. Apparently available in Sainsburies, Waitrose some Tesco's and many small shops (but not in our local Sainsburies).
There are starters which work listed for different countries here http://www.breakingtheviciouscycle.info/beginners_guide/yoghurt/yog_starters.htm (http://www.breakingtheviciouscycle.info/beginners_guide/yoghurt/yog_starters.htm) . The server is busy just at the moment, or I'd also list them here. It was fine when I visited it for advice earlier this month, though, so presumably it's temporary.
Hope this is helpful.
Also, remember that it doesn't need to be a thermoserver which is used to make the yogurt. A wide mouthed thermos, Easy Yo thermos (without the water), and the Thermomix jug left overnight all work perfectly (I've used all of these methods)
Apparently heating the yogurt 'mix' to 50oC (rather than 37o as I'm doing with Valerie's method), pouring it into a container and wrapping it in a blanket or towel overnight also works fine, but I haven't tried that personally.
I made the yogurt cheese for the first time overnight, by the way. It's lovely.
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Caroline, why no water in the Easy-yo thermos?
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Because the hot water in the Easy Yo is to bring the cold water with the yogurt mix upto 37oC. But the yogurt going in from the TMX is already at 37oC. So it would make it too hot.
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Ta - maybe some 50 degrees water ? Half boiling and half cold? to keep it warm?
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That would probably work. But it seems to keep the contents at the right temperature anyway. Perhaps I'll try both ways and see if one is better than the other ...
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CarolineW - thanks for all the information on starters. Talk about one comprehensive thread ;D.
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Hi everyone!
Here in North America, we have a product easily found in the Health Food Stores... it's a starter powder in a 'sachet' or envelope. I wouldn't be surprised if it's available where you live too... Here's a link for more info:
http://www.google.com/products?hl=en&rlz=1B3GGGL_enCA328CA328&resnum=0&q=yogourmet+starter&um=1&ie=UTF-8&ei=erAMS6qQAYH8sQPS0LCdAw&sa=X&oi=product_result_group&ct=title&resnum=1&ved=0CBoQrQQwAA
( phew -- that's a long one! )
Also, in our family we put the yogurt in the oven to incubate over night. Best way is to simply let it incubate from the heat of the oven light left on. Perfectly ready for breakfast! Thermoserve works great for this, but several smaller glass containers work equally well. Just remember to cover your glass jars with a lid, or plastic wrap, as this helps keep in the heat for slower, better incubation.
Also, we sometimes add a teaspoon of proofed gelatin powder for a more solid and and more healthy (for bone health) yogurt.
I have it on my calendar to try a revolutionary new starter method later this week. Will keep you posted. If it works, that is. Oh alright, I'll report back if it doesn't work too. We can all learn from my mistakes :D :D :D
Cheers!
TMB
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I asked in the health food shop if they had starters for yoghurt but they didn't TMB so I bought the Jalna one that CB79 & JulieO came up with. The 5 hours sitting time has just expired and with trepidation I opened the lid of the thermosaver and yay, it is nice and thick. Funny thing is I don't really like natural yoghurt but wanted to prove to myself that I could make it from scratch. I have spent most of the afternoon printing off recipes and ideas to use natural yoghurt in and will be doing things like Lamb & Yoghurt pasta bake, Chicken Korma, beef pilaf, chicken souvlaki wraps, smoothies, cakes. Oh, lots of lovely things all needing to be converted though so as I make things I'll post them under a new topic 'Recipes using plain yoghurt'.
Can anyone tell me how long this batch of yoghurt will stay fresh - 2 litres is a lot of yoghurt :-)) :-)) :-)) :-))
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I have asked Valerie on her blog if you could add sweetener like sugar or honey or fruit before you set it and she said it would not set if you did it before but could do it after. :-\ How does Jalna do it?? It is suppose to be "pot set" ???
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Maybe the fruity yoghurts by Jalna aren't pot set - I didn't check them out Nay Nay. Some ideas I found today for fruit yoghurt are
Stir in fresh or frozen fruit and a dash of vanilla extract or a sprinkle of ground cinnamon.
Pina Colada yoghurt - 1/8 cup crushed pineapple and a dash of coconut essence into 1/2 cup plain yoghurt.
Drain a can of fruit - blend and add to the yoghurt
Put in a blender with fresh fruit and lots of ice to make a smoothie.
Mix with granola and eat as a snack.
And the 2 I like - coat a chicken in yoghurt and apricot jam mixed together and bake or grill OR
coat a chicken in yoghurt and fried onions and roast it.
Make tzazki
These are just a few ideas I found plus lots of recipes so I have plenty to choose from and will start with the more simple things then move onto making the yoghurt cheese down the track sometime.
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JD I also remember seeing a segment on Ophra where they made 'fried chicken but it was yooghurt coated then coated in bread crumbs and baked :)
We use natural yoghurt for everything here. eating, mixing up with bircher muesli and soaking overnight, on baked potatoes with cheese on tacos as an alternative to sour cream, in curry instead of coconut milk, wix it with berries and freeze it in icypole makers for my son to have :)
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Can anyone tell me how long this batch of yoghurt will stay fresh - 2 litres is a lot of yoghurt :-)) :-)) :-)) :-))
;D ;D That's why I halve everything and make 1 lt unless I'm making cheese :D
In scientific, accurate terms - it lasts a 'very long time' in the fridge ;) :D
I have never known it to go off, even when it's sat in the fridge for several weeks. But I couldn't tell you exactly how long it's sat there happily at its longest - time all blurs and runs together for me. Sorry.
You can also freeze it quite happily in portions ready to use as starter next time you want to make yogurt / cheese.
Regarding how to use it, we love it with nuts and honey, also with jam stirred through. And this may sound obvious, but have you considered making the cheese with some of it? It's really nice, and knowing you you'd have fun going to town with the different ways you could flavour it ;D
In the new recipe book I've just got from UK Thermomix, there's a recipe for making fruit yogurt. You basically make a compote and then continue on adding the milk and yogurt culture to it, then ferment. I haven't tried it out yet to know how well it works / what the texture is like. But I'll report back on it. So don't get rid of all of this batch - make sure you keep some back (frozen if necessary) just in case it makes really nice fruit yogurt.
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Thanks for that information CarolynW, I wondered if you could freeze portions for starters. I have so many recipes for things to do with this first 2 litres and will get around to the yoghurt cheese next time. I'll keep a list of things I do and when my 2 litres has all been used, I will post a thread detailing everything I've made and the recipes. I just had a strawberry smoothie for breakfast. Starting off with the more simple ideas. I like the idea of that recipe you mentioned for fruit yoghurt so will be interested to see how you go with that one.
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So far we have simple, traditional uses for our yoghurt. I am wanting to try some of the chicken dishes.
I mix in homemade yoghurt (strawberry) usually as my DD's always had bought strawberry yoghurt. As a real treat, I mix in some "Brownie Milk" and they have chocolate yoghurt. Only need a little bit so that it is barely chocolate.
Woops, that should say I mix in homemade jam (strawberry). No I don't mix yoghurt into my yoghurt.
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In one of the summer official bimby magazines was a wonderfull recipe for a kiddies yoghurt - Banana, orange juice and marie biscuits - I made it last week and it was really nice and sweet (I am a sweet tooth) and I have made also their coconut (sweet) yoghurt. If anyone is interested, I can post the recipes.
p.s. I went to the official opening of the Algarve Vorwerk shop - quite interesting, they had 3 bimbys in use but made some boring things (in my opinion): they made the varoma bread in one, lemonade to serve in the second and showed how to shred shrimp and chicken for salads in the 3rd bimby. I was expecting to see them make real food so now have to wait until the cooking courses start to satisfy my curiosity.
Cheers
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Yes please, Barbara :-*
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Here it is then:
Banana, Orange and Marie cookies Yogurt
80grs cookies
200grs banana
juice of half an orange
80grs sugar
1000grs milk
50grs milk powder
1 natural yogurt
Place cookies in TM and programme 10seconds, speed 9. Reserve
Place banana, orange juice and sugar and programme 5 seconds speed 5 and then 8 minutes, Varoma temperature, speed 1.
Let cool - remove TM from main machine so that this mixture cools quicker
Add 500grs milk, milk powder and the crushed cookies and programme 1 minute, speed 7.
Add remainder milk, yogurt and programme 4 minutes temperature50º speed 4.
When finished cover Bimby with a blanket to retain the heat or proceed as you would usually (I now use a yogurt maker bought for 20 euros) and let the mixture become firm, maybe 8 to 10 hours.
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Raspberry Yogurt
200grs frozen raspberries (or fresh I would assume)
80grs sugar
1000grs milk
1 natural yogurt
Place raspberries in main unit with the sugar and programme 8min/Varoma/Speed 2
Remove unit from main machine so that the mixture cools quicker
add milk, yogurt and programme 4 minutes/50º/speed 4
Proceed as usual from hereon
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Coconut yogurt (delicious)
100g dessicated coconut
1000g Milk
80g sugar
1 natural yogurt
Place coconut in tm and process for 15 seconds on speed 9
add 500grs milk and process for 2 minutes speed 9
add remainder ingredients and process 4min/50º/speed 4
Proceed as usual from hereon
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Thanks Barbara. I have posted each of them under a separate thread for ease of finding later.
Was there a big Bimby convention over there recently? Some Australians went over.
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I wouldn't know - sorry - maybe in Lisbon...
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Thanks for the recipes Barbara, have printed them off for my 'what to do with yoghurt' file.
One question, how much is 1 natural yoghurt? The first two recipes are treated as if you are making a batch of yoghurt by leaving the mixture sit until firm but the last one (coconut yoghurt) doesn't have the 'proceed as usual from hereon' line. So, is it ready to go after you have added the remainder of the milk or does it get the same treatment as the first 2 recipes.
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I have a friend in Victoria who makes cheeses and yogurt. She buys starters for various cheeses and for yogurt from
http://www.cheeselinks.com.au/homestarters.html
I think I mentioned this company on another topic regarding the cheesecloth they sell - not the gauzy stuff - which can be washed and reused.
She visited me here in California several years ago and we have been corresponding ever since. At first by snail mail, then via usergroup and now by internet.
She writes that her favorite is the Type C aBY which produces a much thicker yogurt.
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Small world !!! They are just down the road. I see they now sell Kefir !!!!
They have been involved in cheese for some time.
This is the husband's website http://www.cheeseexpertise.com.au/ (http://www.cheeseexpertise.com.au/)
Carole does the more basic workshops for people like me and Neil is the professional and judge.
They worked at the Gilbert Chandler Dairy Research Institute or whatever and she may still be there - they sell the cheeses made in the workshops on Fridays - some good and some OK.
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:o Talk about small world - I've been looking at the Cheeselinks website ALL year wanting to go to one of these courses!!! Carol Willman runs a course up here in QLD at 'Witches Chase' at Mt Tambourine - one day............
http://www.witcheschasecheese.com.au/index.php?page=38&ssid=38&mid=1
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Thanks for the recipes Barbara, have printed them off for my 'what to do with yoghurt' file.
One question, how much is 1 natural yoghurt? The first two recipes are treated as if you are making a batch of yoghurt by leaving the mixture sit until firm but the last one (coconut yoghurt) doesn't have the 'proceed as usual from hereon' line. So, is it ready to go after you have added the remainder of the milk or does it get the same treatment as the first 2 recipes.
Thanks for drawing my attention to this. All three recipes are to make a new batch. I will correct the coconut recipe. The portuguese purchased natural yogurt normally have a 125gr weight.
:-*
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I made the yoghurt this morning (1 litre) and left in a thermoserver for the 5 hours.. Have just checked it and it's still thin and runny >:( Obviously something I've done and I'm glad I only made half serve. Used jalna low fat natural as the starter and a combo of full cream milk and reduced fat.
I wonder if it's because I put the heated milk in the fridge to cool down to the 37 degrees that caused the failure?
Have left it to one side in the kitchen and will check it again later, but looks like I may have to throw this batch away and try again tomorrow. ???
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Might be the low fat starter - best with a full fat starter. Also, better with full fat milk to start - but if you have been making it with half and half then the starter is the likely problem.
Check the ingredients for the low-fat yoghurt, and compare with their Natural.
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Thanks Thermomixer, maybe I'll buy the full fat starter too just to be on the safe side so I hopefully won't waste any more milk. :)
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Mmm just tried two supermarkets and neither have the full fat Jalna >:( Mine is the no fat one not low fat as I first thought, oh boy, maybe I'll just do a litre again using whole milk and see how that goes. :-\ At least if it doesn't turn out again I'll know it is the starter. :-[
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JulieO, I used Jalna BioDynamic Organic Whole Milk Yoghurt from Woolworths (in a 500g pot) and used full cream milk and it was perfect. Just left it in the TM bowl to cool down to 37o - took a while but I had other things to do so didn't notice the time it took. The next time I make it I want to try it with skim milk to see if that works as I don't generally buy full fat dairy products. Working my way through my 2 litres and by the end of the week will post everything I did with it.
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I made the yoghurt this morning (1 litre) and left in a thermoserver for the 5 hours.. Have just checked it and it's still thin and runny >:( Obviously something I've done and I'm glad I only made half serve. Used jalna low fat natural as the starter and a combo of full cream milk and reduced fat.
I wonder if it's because I put the heated milk in the fridge to cool down to the 37 degrees that caused the failure?
Have left it to one side in the kitchen and will check it again later, but looks like I may have to throw this batch away and try again tomorrow. ???
I put my milk in the fridge to cool Julie and it still thickens beautifully. Did you put the thermoserver in the fridge overnight (or for eight hours) after it had been left out undisturbed for 5 hours? That is when it should really thicken up.
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Update on using EasyYo thermos for TMX yogurt, instead of just warming it up with a bit of hot water and tipping it out as I would with any thermos, I left it in (about 1 -2 tbsp worth of hot water). Yogurt worked perfectly. So it works either tipping it out or leaving it in.
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Chelsea, after the 5 hours it was like thin milk, no thickness what so ever.
I nipped to the shops just after posting my last post and in my haste left without taking my reading glasses :-)) when I got to Coles, I was looking for the blue rimmed container of Jalna and couldn't see it. I'm sure I saw the one Judy is referring to above, but without my glasses I couldn't read if it was pot set or not :-[ So went to Woolies and same thing. >:( Didn't want to ask anyone because I felt like a right idiot, so got some more milk and came home.
Have now made another batch using the whole milk and I won't know until 11pm if it has worked or not. If not will try one more time after getting the other yoghurt. :-\
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My fingers are crossed for you Julie. I used the same starter as JD for my first batch, so hopefully that is the difference. :)
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best of luck Julie!!!
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I made this last night using full fat Jalna as the starter but it isn't as thick as I expected and it almost seemed a bit "slimy" when pouring into another container before putting the fridge this morning. After reading somewhere that it needed to be kept quite warm I wrapped the thermosave in a blanket overnight - could this be the problem? I'll try using this batch in cooking and make another batch but should I use the Jalna again as the starter or some of the yogurt I made?
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Thanks for the good wishes girls!
Well my second lot was a disaster too. Still the same thinness as the first lot. Has been thrown away and I will go back to the shops today (with my glasses) and have a proper look.
I hate it when something gets the better of me. ??? One more try. ;D
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OK JulieO, what's the verdict? ??? I think the low-fat ones have thickeners and stabilisers in them.
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Good on you JulieO for keeping on trying to get it right. Funny how yoghurt, even though some have success, others have all the trouble in the world. That's why I was amazed I got it right first time trying Valerie's recipe. I wouldn't have thrown the mixture away though, could have used it to make a drink of some sort. Hang your glasses around your neck so you don't forget them ;) ;)
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I currently have a new lot sitting in the bowl waiting to reduce down to 37 degrees. I bought the same yoghurt as Judy and full cream milk. Also have done full amount this time (2 litres), just covering all the bases. If it doesn't work this time, then it's obviously something I'm doing wrong, will post back tonight after the 5 hours are up. :D
Judy, I have a pair of glasses in my handbag, but because I went out with just my purse, completely forgot. Haven't been using glasses for very long and so quite often forget that I need to keep some on me just in case. :-))
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I currently have a new lot sitting in the bowl waiting to reduce down to 37 degrees. I bought the same yoghurt as Judy and full cream milk. Also have done full amount this time (2 litres), just covering all the bases. If it doesn't work this time, then it's obviously something I'm doing wrong, will post back tonight after the 5 hours are up. :D
How did your yogurt turn out this time. I have had the "slimy" experience. It is usually because I didn't use the correct kind of yogurt for my starter... I "thought" or, rather "hoped" what I found, or had would work. It has to be a yogurt that has ONLY milk solids, and yogurt culture in the ingredients. No gelatin, nothing else... or it just doesn't seem to make good thick yogurt. I have never had to wrap my thermo- bowl in a blanket, but I do use the thermo bowl. If you don't have one, my friends have just used a heavy pot with a lid, and set it in a warm corner of the kitchen over night... and like a thermous, you could pour really hot water in it, and dry it out completely, so it is already warm when you pour the 37 degree yogurt into it for the 5 hours (or over night). I also do not take it out of that thermo bowl when I refrigerate it. I believe it is important to keep it in the same original dish that it has started setting in to complete the cycle. Put it in the fridge to set up, and you should get beautiful, thick yogurt... but don't give up! It is worth the trying!
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JulieO - I really hope this one works for you. I'm up to batch 4 or 5 now and it continues to surprise me how it works, so I really hope you get to experience it soon.
Valerie - thanks again for the process and video. I was hoping you'd log in soon and see the yoghurt explosion you've created!
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Hope it works this time, JulieO.
It would almost certainly have been the yogurt you used as a starter which was the problem last time. The 2 ltrs certainly wouldn't make a difference - you can make whatever amount you want. And I've made yogurt with all sorts of different kinds of milk (full, semi and skimmed) over the years. There are only 2 things which can really send it wrong - the wrong starter (yogurt), or the wrong temperature.
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There's an hour to go before the 5 hours are up! I haven't sneaked a look in case opening the lid does something :o :D
Wish me luck! :D ;D
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The tension is killing me :D :D :D
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LOL me too Judy. :D :D
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(http://i260.photobucket.com/albums/ii26/ragdoll128/1lg014woohoo.gif) It worked!!! I'm so chuffed, it's lovely and thick, so have now put in the fridge where I will leave until morning.
Obviously didn't like the no fat yoghurt, so at least any one else wondering will now know not to use. (http://i260.photobucket.com/albums/ii26/ragdoll128/zrunningamok.gif)
Caroline, if making half amount, do you still use 1/4 cup of starter, or halve that too? (I halved it last time, and now wondering if that was right?).
Julie.
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I'm so pleased for you JulieO - bet it was a delight to see that lovely, thick yoghurt. Now you have to find things to do with it - it is a huge amount of yoghurt. I left mine in the thermosaver but it's times like this you need 2 of them.
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Yes I've got 2 thermoservers Judy, very handy.
I think I may freeze some in portions as it is a lot to go through and I'm conscious of keeping it fresh.
Oh what a relief it worked. ;D
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Caroline, if making half amount, do you still use 1/4 cup of starter, or halve that too? (I halved it last time, and now wondering if that was right?).
Julie.
Yay! I'm really pleased for you.
To answer your question, I have used 1/8 cup of starter and it worked perfectly. But I'm afraid I'm too lazy to bother usually - my 1/4 cup is sat there nice and easy to use next to my TMX, so I tend to just use it :-))
I can't remember whether I or anyone has mentioned that you can freeze some of this batch to use as a starter for future batches should you forget to reserve some of the last batch / it loses its quality? I'm sure you should probably get it out, defrost it, yadda yadda - but I just drop it in the milk when it reaches about 50oC, and let it defrost direct in the milk, which at the same time brings the temp down faster to 37oC. Works fine. It's essential that I keep a back up of frozen starter, as it is far from unknown for all of one batch of yogurt to be eaten up before I notice that I need to make some more! :o (note to self: must work on family communication skills ...)
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I started making yoghurt about 35 yeasr ago and remeber that the book always pointed out to stat with some fat to help it yog. Not sure what is is, but I know when I thought that I'd be smart and use only skim milk and low fat starter it alwasy failed !!!
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I started making yoghurt about 35 yeasr ago and remeber that the book always pointed out to stat with some fat to help it yog. Not sure what is is, but I know when I thought that I'd be smart and use only skim milk and low fat starter it alwasy failed !!!
After I posted earlier about having also used skimmed milk successfully, I started to wonder if that was in the days when I added a couple of tbsp of milk powder, too? I know there needs to be enough protein in the milk for it to turn to yogurt. I think I've made successful yogurt using skimmed milk without powdered milk, using a full fat starter, but I couldn't swear to it as it was so many years ago (I was at Uni!).
What I do know for sure is that I've never had a successful batch beginning with low fat yogurt as a starter.
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Thanks for those tips Caroline, I will freeze 1/4 cup straight off tomorrow so I know I've got the next one sorted. :D
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Ok can I have some definitions of thick please :) I like my yoghurt to be thick enough to stand a spoon in lol like greek style yoghurt. Has anyone managed to use this method to create a yoghurt this thick? ;D
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Ok can I have some definitions of thick please :) I like my yoghurt to be thick enough to stand a spoon in lol like greek style yoghurt. Has anyone managed to use this method to create a yoghurt this thick? ;D
If you watch the video Meagan you'll see what we mean by thick - it's almost like Greek yogurt. The only way to make it into Greek yogurt proper, though, is to strain it for a couple of hours on cheese cloth or muslin or whatever (or a clean tea towel on the varoma tray over a sink/bowl.
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I looked at the photos as the video wasn't loading for me. I made it the other day but it is not as thick as I am used to with easiyo and a bit of milk powder. I did you use the easiyo as a starter though so maybe I need to give it a go with Jalna. I am not unhappy with it I would just like to have it a bit thicker
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Meagan, I'll take a photo of mine for you this afternoon, to give you an idea of it's thickness. ;D
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In the bowl. Fingers crossed for 5 hours time!!
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(http://i260.photobucket.com/albums/ii26/ragdoll128/my_fingers.gif) :D
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hehe Julie... It's not looking too promising at the moment!!! It was liquid when I poured it in and it looks the same now! LOL
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I looked at the photos as the video wasn't loading for me. I made it the other day but it is not as thick as I am used to with easiyo and a bit of milk powder. I did you use the easiyo as a starter though so maybe I need to give it a go with Jalna. I am not unhappy with it I would just like to have it a bit thicker
Unfortunately EasyYo yogurt doesn't work properly as a starter :( They've messed with the beneficial bacteria a bit so that the balance won't allow a new batch to be made from it, so that you have to keep buying from them. Like most yogurt manufacturers now >:(
However, all the gear you use to make EasyYo is nice and convenient once you start making your own yogurt ;D
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That is interesting because I have made more from taking some yoghurt out of easiyo made yoghurt and it was fine
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That is interesting because I have made more from taking some yoghurt out of easiyo made yoghurt and it was fine
Hmmm, maybe it likes you ;) :D I tried it 4 times and it would only 'sort-of-almost-but not entirely-work' before reading about how they juggle the beneficial bacteria. Or maybe the Ozzie version is different???? Who knows - glad it worked for you though. That's the important thing.
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Meagan, here is a photo of the yoghurt in my thermosaver. I stirred it around a bit for you to see the thickness. Nicest natural yoghurt I've tasted. :)
(http://i260.photobucket.com/albums/ii26/ragdoll128/Sweet/Savoury/thur001.jpg)
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Good work JulieO - it is always good when you succeed - think that is one good thing with the forum, you just get encouragement and ideas to improve what you're doing.
How many people must have tried once and thought - YUK - NEVER AGAIN !!! ???
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hehe Julie... It's not looking too promising at the moment!!! It was liquid when I poured it in and it looks the same now! LOL
Snoozie, when you pour it in your thermoserver, it is supposed to look like milk, with maybe a tiny froth from all the stirring.
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It is 9 days since I made my first successful 2 litre batch of Valerie's Yoghurt and this is how I used it all (keeping back 1/4 cup as my next starter)
Ranch dressing (used it on a potato salad)
1 cup yoghurt
2 tblspns mayonnaise
1 tblspn fresh dill or a sprinkle of dried
pinch of curry powder
3 tblspns milk
1 teaspn apple cider vinegar
Strawberry smoothies
1/2 punnet strawberries
1 cup milk
1/2 cup yoghurt
2-3 tspns sugar
2 ice-cubes
Iced Coffee
3/4 cup milk
2-3 tspns sugar
1-2 tspns coffee powder/granules (or to taste)
1/4 cup yoghurt
1 tblspn vanilla ice-cream
2 ice-cubes
Fruit Yoghurt
Equal quantities of yoghurt mixed with drained, blended, canned peaches (or fruit of choice)
Steak with plum sauce (from the Easiyo Yoghurt Cookbook) Serves 4 or 2 very big meat eaters
500g oyster or blade steak (I used blade steak)
1/2 cup yoghurt
1/4 cup plum sauce
2 tsp plain flour
1 red onion, sliced thinly
Trim the fat from the meat and cut into 4 servings. Line an ovenproof dish or tray with foil and place a piece of baking paper on top of it. Mix the yoghurt, plum sauce and flour together. Place half the yoghurt mixture in the centre of the paper and lay the
meat on top. Place the sliced onions on top of the meat and spoon over the remaining yoghurt. Fold the alfoil over to make a parcel so that there is no leakage. Cook 1-1/4 to 1-1/2 hours 180o or until tender. I opened the parcel for the last 10 minutes to let some of the liquid evaporate. The meat was tender as could be and we had the leftovers the next night - it reheated beautifully and was probably even tastier.
Final recipe was the Yoghurt Chicken from the forum which serves 6 and lasted us 3 nights.
I made a couple of other drinks which I wasn't happy with so I haven't posted them. Looking forward to making my next batch so that I can do lots of the other recipes I have gathered.
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hehe Cathy it was 5 hours later and still milk but I left it overnight and it was all good the following morning so it is now in the fridge yaya... had the same deal with using the easiyo
It tastes yummy... can't believe I have like 2lt/kg yoghurt for $2.50! (Used organic milk that was on sale because it was nearly out of date).
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Judy thanks so much for doing this. I have now copied all of these to try. ;D
Snoozie, great news that it worked in the end. :D
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Thanks for all those recipes JD. Just can't keep you down - Thank goodness!! :-* :-*
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Good work Snoozie - great when it all yogs. ;D ;D ;D
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Just an update. I made the fruit yogurt as couple of days ago I was talking about earlier in the thread (to Judy, I think?). At the last moment I saw that it called for milk powder, which I didn't want to use, so I just tried it without. Also, the fruit puree was probably a bit liquid as I'd used frozen fruit and hadn't defrosted and drained it. Anyway, I was well unconvinced that it would work, but thought that it might produce drinking yogurt, so I made it in my EasyYo drinking yogurt container just in case.
It made the most perfect drinking yogurt, and was a huge hit with the whole family. If I make it successfully as drinking yogurt again, then I'm going to post the recipe. It was all gone within 24 hours, as we all loved it so much! DD was really proud of me, bless her, saying how much better than actimel or any of the shop bought drinking yogurts it was (high praise, as she loves actimel).
Once I'm sure I've got the drinking yogurt recipe off pat, I'll work on the fruit yogurt proper :)
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Has anyone tried the yoghurt cheese yet? Made some today - a few points.
Don't underestimate how long it takes to drain off the whey - it can be done ahead of time, so make sure you do.
Tricky with just a melon baller. Certainly don't have perfect balls, but no one but me knows what the experts look like.
I've marinated some in oil and herbs, and some in sweet chilli sauce. Will give the verdict when I get it officially tomorrow night.
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I tried making low fat yoghurt today and am pleased to say it was successful. Only made 1 litre using Long Life skim milk with
1/4 cup yoghurt from my previous full fat batch of yoghurt. It is not quite as thick as the full cream milk batch was but is so close, it doesn't matter. I poured it into my Easiyo container and let it sit in the Easiyo thermos for the 5 hours. I didn't want to tie up my thermosaver for another week or more.
Haven't tried the yoghurt cheese yet CB79 but will try it with this batch as I have a cheesecake recipe I want to do.
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Has anyone tried the yoghurt cheese yet? Made some today - a few points.
Don't underestimate how long it takes to drain off the whey - it can be done ahead of time, so make sure you do.
.
That's the exact reason that I began using a salad spinner to expel the whey. I had a fresh batch of yogurt and needed the cheese immediately! It was desperation time and that was the only solution.
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I poured it into my Easiyo container and let it sit in the Easiyo thermos for the 5 hours. I didn't want to tie up my thermosaver for another week or more.
I understand it's best to keep it in the thermoserver, but as I only have one, it's not an option. Pouring it into another container after the 5 hours has never caused me any grief. Still works beautifully.
By the way, to me the yoghurt cheese tastes a lot like a cross between sour cream and cream cheese.
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Made the yoghurt cheese this morning and then 6 little lemon cheesecakes made in a muffin pan. 1 litre of yoghurt only yielded 1 cup of yoghurt cheese so I had to halve the original recipe. They were only about 2cm deep, I sat a fanned strawberry on top and poured over some coulis. Not enjoyed by 5 year old GD but the adults didn't mind them - low fat and cheap to make although a fair bit of fiddling to get to the end product. I think people prefer full on cheesecakes made with cream cheese not those made with yoghurt cheese so don't know if I would make them again.
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Don't forget Bron's icecream (frozen yoghurt) recipe if you have excess to use or if your yoghurt hasn't thickened well. We really love it and I find it scoops reasonably well straight out of the freezer without being churned. :)
http://www.forumthermomix.com/index.php?topic=852.0
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Don't forget Bron's icecream (frozen yoghurt) recipe if you have excess to use or if your yoghurt hasn't thickened well. We really love it and I find it scoops reasonably well straight out of the freezer without being churned. :)
http://www.forumthermomix.com/index.php?topic=852.0
Thanks for the tip Chelsea.
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Meagan, here is a photo of the yoghurt in my thermosaver. I stirred it around a bit for you to see the thickness. Nicest natural yoghurt I've tasted. :)
THAT IS FANTASTIC! BRAVO! What a thrill to see a photoe on this blog - and one that is so lovely!
Three CHeers!
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I've marinated some in oil and herbs, and some in sweet chilli sauce. Will give the verdict when I get it officially tomorrow night.
Served these last night. The sweet chilli sauce balls were a big hit. Everyone loved how they were bite sized balls that could be smeared on a cracker or just popped into the mouth. The herb ones were a bit disappointing - the cheese was great, but not much extra flavour. Maybe I was supposed to grind the seeds?
Also, they were delicious on a toothpick with a chicken meatball.
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[/quote]
Snoozie, when you pour it in your thermoserver, it is supposed to look like milk, with maybe a tiny froth from all the stirring.
[/quote]
Yes - that is exactly what it looks like. :)
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How long does this keep for? lol My yoghurt got lost in the recesses of my fridge... it has a bit of a taste but not an awful taste IYKWIM? Maybe it's just because it's made? lol
TIA!
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I had some in my fridge that had a tang but smelt fine. I tried to use it for a starter. No good. :-))
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The acidity levels will kill the bugs, and it will be sour, but unless nasty bugs get in it should be OK to use for some things.
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I just wanted to add to this that, they had no Jalna at the supermarket so I bought and used Mundella Premium Natural Yoghurt as my starter(not sure if it is available WA only or Australia wide) and it worked beautifully. I made it late afternoon and by the time it had cooled to 37 and I then did the second step it was 8pm so I put it in the thermoserver and left it overnight then into the fridge in the morning and I checked it this afternoon - looks great :) I am about to go and have a spoonful before I head to bed ;)
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Meagan, you've reminded me to update this thread. My yoghurt 5hours in the thermoserver always seems to finish at 2am - the first few batches I diligently set the alarm got up at 2am and put it in the fridge.
I figured that I had to sort this one, so last time I just checked on it when I woke up, so it had approx 4 extra hours of setting. Still worked, so no need to be too diligent about that part of the timing.
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How exciting to see we are all making our own yogurt. I always have it on hand and won't be without it. A couple of things that may be helpful:
1. After it sets overnight in the Thermo-bowl, i take it out and repot it so I can use the bowl.
2. It will keep a very long time in the fridge, but the longer it keeps, the stronger and tangier it becomes; you may not care for that
3. If you saw the video I put together on making the cheese, at a certain point it is excellent for a dip, and the longer you leave it, the more dense it becomes
4. The yogurt cheese will not start a yogurt, you have to save some yogurt as your starter
The cheese will get stronger and tangier the longer it is in the fridge, too; it will mold in about 3 weeks
5. If the yogurt cheese is formed into balls, and submerged fully in EVOO, they will keep indefinitely; this is what I do now - and just take out what I want to serve, or use, when I need some
6.For Fruit yogurt, I just add fresh fruit or berries, and when it is off season, frozen berries are great
7. The recipe I gave for the yogurt cheese ball marinade is deadly - I see no one has tried it, and you really should - everyone here goes nuts over these little appetizers served with crackers or mini melba toasts
Has anyone made tzitziki? The yogurt ready at the dip phase makes fabulous and effortless tzitziki
My recipe:
Tzitziki (Greek Yogurt Dip)
2 cups of soft yogurt cheese (yogurt hung to the dip ready, or very thick, stage)
1 medium long English cucumber, grated, and wrung out in a tea towel until all liquid has been removed
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1-2 tablespoons of EVOO to taste
1 teaspoon of salt, or to taste
shredded fresh mint to taste
Love this on just about anything, but especially on Dolmades.
I love the salad spinner idea; that is the perfect solution for a soft yogurt cheese when in a pinch! Brilliant!
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When I made my yoghurt I made the full 2 litres, so I froze one litre. Took it out of the freezer this morning and I've just had a look at it and it's as thin as water. ??? I won't be able to use it as yoghurt. What I'd like to know is if I take 1/4 cup out of this to use as a starter, do you think it will work or should I buy another jar of pot set and start again?
I think I'll just make 1 litre for my next lot so I don't have this problem again.
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I thought it could be frozen and used in smoothies etc. I'm surprised it didn't work.
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Cathy, the flavour is still good, but just like water IYKWIM. I'll use it up in drinks, but it can't be used as a normal thick-like yoghurt. I know some have put 1/4 cup aside in the freezer to make their next lot, but I'm concerned it won't work. I guess there's one way to find out. :D
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My first lot of starter is still in the freezer JulieO - will not be making another lot again until I make another menu plan with yoghurt recipes so that I know how I am going to use it up (like I did with the first lot). We are not great yoghurt eaters in this house so it was made for cooking more than anything else. I will be interested to see if your frozen batch works as a starter for the next lot.
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icecream if it doesn't work Julie ;D ;D ;D
I freeze it all the time but use it frozen IYKWIM - icy poles for the kids and smoothies etc so never really see it defrosted to help you out.
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Thanks girls, I've just been to the shops and decided to get a small container of Jalna pot set again, just to make sure. I will only make 1 litre next time as it does last for quite a while in the fridge, and I will use 1/4 cup of that to start my next lot.
We too aren't big eaters of yoghurt, but at the same time I find I need small amounts often to use in recipes and have found the one litre container I kept in the fridge was great for this. (I used the last up in the chicken tikka masala the other day).
I do keep meaning to make a nice fruit sauce type thing to have with some because it's the only natural yoghurt that I can eat on it's own without pulling a face, so can imagine mixing it with fruit/sauce would be really nice. Trouble is I get pulled in so many directions on things to make that sometimes these things can get missed. :-\
Faffa, you've just reminded me to go and churn the lemon custard from yesterdays failed LMP filling. ;D
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Isn't is fantastic that from a failure we can make a success. eg icecream etc. I don't know if I have more failures with the TMX or are just thinking a little more laterally.
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I think if you can use the 'failures' in a productive manner then it doesn't seem so bad (no wastage of ingredients). ;D
I have just churned the lemon filling and it's oh so nice, real tart. Have put it into the freezer but won't have it today as we have the LMP for after tea. :)
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I've marinated some in oil and herbs, and some in sweet chilli sauce. Will give the verdict when I get it officially tomorrow night.
Served these last night. The sweet chilli sauce balls were a big hit. Everyone loved how they were bite sized balls that could be smeared on a cracker or just popped into the mouth. The herb ones were a bit disappointing - the cheese was great, but not much extra flavour. Maybe I was supposed to grind the seeds?
Also, they were delicious on a toothpick with a chicken meatball.
If you checked out the recipe I used, they are really flavourful...the garlic and the salt add the extra kick. I didn't grind my seeds, but do let the balls sit in them a bit with the oil and they become soft. Sorry yours weren't the hit mine are... and AI am surprised, because it seems whoever I serve them to go nuts over them - and that continues to suprise me!
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2 or 3 weeks ago Thermomixer posted about cooking the milk at a higher temp (90C/15 mins, compared to 80C/20 mins) to possibly make the yoghurt slightly thicker. I made 1 litre doing this method about 10 days ago and I'm much happier at the outcome of the yoghurt.
Funnily enough I didn't think it had set at first as instead of putting it into the thermoserver for the 5 hour standing, and then putting it into another container to keep in the fridge, I decided straight away to pour into a sterilized 1 litre EasiYo container. I put that inside the empty thermos that comes with it, and left it for about 6 hours.
When I checked it, it was still liquid and thought it hadn't worked, but just in case I decided to put hot tap water into the thermos and put the EasiYo container back in and then I left it overnight. The next morning, it was perfect. :D
I think because it was sitting in a deeper container, it took longer to set than in the shallower thermoserver. Anyway, I was very happy with it and I will continue to do it this way from now on. I find 1 litre the right amount to make for us and using 1/4 cup of the previous batch makes for a very cheap container of yoghurt. :)
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Thanks JulieO, nice to know. Clever Thermomixer :-* :-*
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Thanks Julie... I will need to try this tweak I think! :)
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Well at long last I made some of this lovely sounding yoghurt. I had exactly the same problems JulieO had. Mine was a sort of slime. I've used some to make a low cal pannacota (if it works I'll post the recipe) and will freeze the rest for icecream.
I used Mundella as a starter and it seems to fit all the pre requisites. I used hi lo milk. Perhaps-after reading through the entire thread I didn't leave it in the easi-yo thermos long enough.
I will give it another go tomorrow. The taste is lovely, just runny.
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I can't believe I've only just found this thread! I adore plain yoghurt and have it almost every day - instead of sour cream, for bircher muesli, in Indian cooking etc.
I've run out as I recently had an Indian Feast night and used a whole litre of Greek Yoghurt. I don't have any starter, but found some EasyYo Greek Yoghurt mix in my pantry that was still in date. It's in the Thermoserver now.
Valerie, your videos are wonderful! Thanks so much for all the effort that you go to in making these.
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I've used up my 1 litre of semi set yoghurt already. Some in this afternoons milk shakes, some in the freezer to do Bron's icecream and some in tonights curry.
I have another lot in the easi-yo thermos so we'll see what happens.
MJ I am like you and love natural yoghurt. The farmer's market at Albany had some really beautiful natural yoghurt. It was the nicest I have ever tasted.
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IT WORKED IT WORKED!!!!!! I'm sure you may see that I'm pleased. This is truly the best yoghurt I have ever tasted. I used hi-lo milk, the Mundella starter, I did 900C for 15 minutes and left it in my easi-yo thermos without water for near enough to 13 or so hours. I'm thrilled. Thank you all, especially Valerie. Next I'll try the cheese. It sounds nice with the sweet chilli sauce.
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:D Here's a smiley for you: (http://www.thedishforum.com/smilies/happy-clapping/bliss.gif)
Mine is made too, but it's a different texture to normal yoghurt. It's kind of 'stringy'. Nice and thick though. I'm a bit disappointed in the flavour, but perhaps it needs to mature.
It just doesn't have that 'tang'.
I had to use Hi-Lo milk as that was all I had. I added two tablespoons of full cream powdered milk in case there wasn't enough fat in it. I used Mundella for my starter too!
I used up the rest of the Mundella yoghurt for Yoghurt Cheese. It took ages to drain. I used muslin, so maybe a tea towel is better. I've just rolled the cheese into balls in a blend of dukkah and dried herbs and they're marinading in EVOO as I type!
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We probably like it so much because it doesn't have the tang. Means I don't have to sweeten it up too much for my toddlers.
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Does it develop a sourness after a while cathy? I'm also wondering why mine has a stringy, gluey texture... ???
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That little fellow is going to get awfully tired running around like a mad-man MJ ;D ;D ;D (or should I say mad-person, just doesn't sound the same :-\) So clever of you.
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Does it develop a sourness after a while cathy? I'm also wondering why mine has a stringy, gluey texture... ???
Yes mine does get sour after a little while. I guess it's a matter of preference - some think it's getting better with age.
Stringy and gluey? That does not sound right at all. I've always used full-fat milk and full-fat yoghurt, and I've never added powdered milk. So maybe those changes could be contributing to the texture issues?
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Stringy and gluey sounds like a bad bug has gotten into the mix. Not sure though. Happened to me years ago - may have to track down a reference.
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It just doesn't have that 'tang'.
MJ my texture is good (although I did have to strain it first) byt it doesn't have the tang either - is that what other peoples' taste like? I really like the tang and am hoping with subsequent batches that mine thickens up a bit and gets tangier.
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I used hi-lo milk and I find that it gets more tang as it ages.
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the lower fat the milk the tangier it is - if you really want tang, you need to use skim milk ;) know this from experience trying to make yoghurt even cheaper and using milk that is out cheap.
Using organic full cream (unhomogenised as well it was) made a creamy creamy yoghurt with absolutely no tang to it at all :o
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I have been using a 2% fat organic milk from Mungalli farm in the Tablelands. at this time of year the milk seems very rich so my yoghurt and yoghurt chees is creamy and tangy. Maybe too tangy for some but I like it. If I do not have sour cream I can use this yoghurt.
Those in and around the Cairns area can get Mungalli products in Coles.
Gretchen
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Mmmmmm Mungalli milk... we can get here in SEQ at health food stores and organic suppliers.. love it but I will buy local organic milk products in preference due to freight and energy concerns. :)
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I'm surprised it travels that far. Nah I wouldn't buy it either.
Gretchen
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my first batch was made on barambah organic full cream milk and yoghurt and it was very creamy with no tang but after a few days developed a tang. interesting.
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I use whole milk (Horizon organic) and always have plenty of tang. I do leave it in the yogurt maker for 12 hours - I prefer the longer time as I feel the flavor, not just the tang, develops more fully.
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Hi, I havent had much success with yoghurt recently but am going to try again. I was just wondering what people use when they only make 1L of yoghurt. Do you still use the thermoserver or find another 'keep warm' thing?
thanks,
deb
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I did a 1kg batch and put it in my Easi-yo container Debs. If I didn't have that I would have used the thermosaver.
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I make 1 litre at a time too and do the same as Judy. Into the Easi-yo container.
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I did 1 litre in an ordinary thermos flask and it worked well.
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The "trick" to yogurt with good consistency (the gluey and stringy stuff means some organism that is not compatible with the casein in the milk has contaminated the culture) is first heating the milk to the temp where the protein strands are able to relax and this is
82° C.
Then cooling the milk to 45° C and then adding the culture and then maintaining the mile at a fairly constant temperature above 25° C for a minimum of 8 hours - I know some recipes specify shorter times but in my experience the consistency is not as good and I usually extend it to 12 hours, which for me produces a better flavor.
If you are having difficulty using store-bought yogurt, which has to be "pure" with absolutely no additives, no preservatives, do try the yogurt cultures from cheeselinks (http://www.cheeselinks.com.au/homestarters.html) and I am sure you will be much happier.
You can save some of the finished yogurt to make more but it does have to be re-started after about four batches.
I buy my cultures here in the US from the New England Cheesemaking company and get perfect results every time. I do make repeat batches, using about 1/4 cup of the yogurt, mixed with some of the whey, which I save, but start with a new culture after three batches (2 liters in a batch).
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Thanks for the replies.
Judy/Cookie - I have the easiyo thermos as i used to make the yoghurt from powdered milk. Do you use the container inside the thermos with warm or hot water?
Andiesenji - Thanks for the cheese links link, will check that out.
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I used the Thermoserver to keep my yoghurt warm as that's what Valerie does. The original yoghurt was full fat and fresh. Next time, I won't add the full cream milk powder but will use full cream milk instead.
It's not so much gluey, as stringy. It tastes fine and the yoghurt cheese balls coated in dukkah are just delicious!
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I don't think I put any water in it Debs - just used it as a thermos really. What did you do Cookie1?
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Thanks Andie. There is an article on the net and some info from McGee about heating above (I thought) 85 deg - so 90 on the TMX - to change the protein (lactoglobulin) structure.
Found it here http://www.medicinalfoodnews.com/vol01/issue5/kalab.htm (http://www.medicinalfoodnews.com/vol01/issue5/kalab.htm)
So 82 may be enough, but still have to do 90 in the TMX.
Thanks again
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I used to use my Easiyo container with water in the Thermos until I saw Valerie using her Thermoserver!! Now sold the said Easiyo and use my Thermoserver ... another thing gone from the cupboard ;D ;D ;D I generally make my yoghurt after I have done dinner and then leave it in the Thermoserver over night on the bench until I remember to put it in the fridge the next day ;) ;) (if you know me that could be anywhere up to 15 hours lol) :o :o
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Thanks Andie. There is an article on the net and some info from McGee about heating above (I thought) 85 deg - so 90 on the TMX - to change the protein (lactoglobulin) structure.
Found it here http://www.medicinalfoodnews.com/vol01/issue5/kalab.htm (http://www.medicinalfoodnews.com/vol01/issue5/kalab.htm)
So 82 may be enough, but still have to do 90 in the TMX.
Thanks again
You are entirely correct. I only posted about the process I have been using for years because the minimum temp recommended to obtain the desirable protein structure is 180° F. and I converted it to C. in my post. There is a maximum temp that should not be pushed or there will be excessive casein breakdown but 90° C. is below that.
The TMX does not have the capacity for the amount I usually make and since I have an electric pasteurizer that can be set for variable temps, I use that (holds maximum of two gallons) and has an automatic shut off when it reaches the set temperature and shows the internal temp as the milk cools, which saves me watching it constantly. (sometimes I am quite lazy)
I use the pasteurizer to pre-heat cream when I prepare clotted cream (http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?/topic/109933-preparing-clotted-cream/page__p__1494914__hl__clotted%20cream__fromsearch__1&#entry1494914) as it speeds the process somewhat. (It still takes a very long time.)
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OMG - clotted cream - now we're talking. That is a real winner. Thanks
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Wow Andie, you must have an amazing amount of kitchen equipment! I'm green with envy... ;D
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Wow Andie, you must have an amazing amount of kitchen equipment! I'm green with envy... ;D
I have to admit that I am a kitchen gadgeteer, always have been and will continue to be for the foreseeable future. My non-foodie friends think I am an nutcase but then I don't spend money on fancy cars (as they do) - my Dodge van is fine for me - and I don't go to spas or go out drinking and don't buy a lot of jewelry or clothes. (Shoes are another matter... :D)
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(Shoes are another matter... Cheesy)
We all have our little weaknesses!!
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I just put my yoghurt into the easi-yo with no water and leave overnight. I made a full fat batch last night but haven't tried it yet.
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I use the easy-yo the same as cookie, no water and leave over night and turns out nice and thick. :)
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Hi, everyone. I have been succesfully making thick greek-style yoghurt using the recipe in the EDC, and leaving it overnight in the easy-yo thermos filled with boiling water.
I tried the recipe from the My Way Of Cooking book, and wondered if there was a misprint. The time to cook the yoghurt was only 4 minutes (which was great, and no "baked on" milk in the TM bowl), but the resulting yoghurt was very thin and "slimy". Not wasted, though, as I froze it in ice cube trays and churned it with fresh banana for a yummy dessert.
Has anyone else tried this recipe? I would be interested to know how it turned out, or is 4 minutes just too good to be true? ???
Thankyou, Sue
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Sue I have made the yoghurt from the mwoc book and found it really slimy too :o
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Welcome to the forum Sue. Look forward to lots more posts from you.
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I use Valerie's instructions to the letter and it works a treat. Haven't seen MWOC book yet.
By the say, sue_purrb I love your name - it is a word we say alot around here now that the TMX is a part of the family!
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I think those in Spain/Portugal have made it successfully ?
Check out the recipes following on from this post. Basically the same temp/speed
http://www.forumthermomix.com/index.php?topic=2302.msg24876#msg24876 (http://www.forumthermomix.com/index.php?topic=2302.msg24876#msg24876)
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thanks for reminding us about those - the shorter time would certainly be useful if it works. i'm going to give it a go.
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Hi All,
I've been successfully making this yoghurt for a while using pasteurised milk but today I used RAW MILK and it failed :( Does anyone know how I can make it work with raw milk?
Meanwhile I'll whip up some pancakes :)
Hoping someone has some answers for me,
Thanks,
Lauren :)
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The RAW factor shouldn't be a problem - you heat it well past the temp needed to pasteurise it. It may be a problem if you use the recipes which only go to 50 deg.
Maybe the milk had a lower protein content?
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I agree with Thermomixer.
Once the milk is heated at least to 85° C., even skim milk should produce a suitable result.
You do have to be sure and cool it down so the temp in the entire mass is no warmer than 45° C., otherwise the heat will destroy the culture you are mixing into the warm milk.
It can be a little cooler but absolutely not below 30° C. or the culture won't have optimum conditions in which to grow.
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I've finally cracked the yoghurt making! I was so disappointed with my initial efforts, but I just wouldn't give in!
I heat the milk to 90 degrees C, then cool to 37 degrees, but I check with my (clean) finger to make sure that it's tepid, because the TMX might say 37, but it's anywhere between 45 and 37.
I add the starter yoghurt and put the TMX on for 20 minutes, but don't do Time and Temperature. The bowl stays warm for all that time and still shows 37 degrees.
While it's doing this, I place my Le Creuset lidded casserole in the oven and heat oven to 50 C and then turn it off.
Pour milk mixture into the casserole and place in the oven for the required 8 hours or overnight. Lovely thick yoghurt.
The cast iron of the Le Creuset holds the heat so well. You probably could do the same with the Thermoserver too.
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I tried to make the yoghurt using the 50 degree method and FAILED. It resulted in the slime that others speak of. Perhaps because this came from a European cook book it might indicate that they like their yoghurt at a different consistency to us? I'm sticking with Valerie's original method as it gives me a yoghurt consistency I like. I used the failed yoghurt (which still tasted fine) to make frozen strawberry yoghurt which was beautiful.
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I tried to make the yoghurt using the 50 degree method and FAILED. It resulted in the slime that others speak of. Perhaps because this came from a European cook book it might indicate that they like their yoghurt at a different consistency to us? I'm sticking with Valerie's original method as it gives me a yoghurt consistency I like. I used the failed yoghurt (which still tasted fine) to make frozen strawberry yoghurt which was beautiful.
versaceyoyo, what's the 50 degree method? I've only used 80 or 90 degrees.
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MJ it is the yoghurt recipe in the my way of cooking book.
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Oh, righto. I don't have that book. I shouldn't imagine 50 degrees would be successful either.
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MJ There are also some other recipes on this thread from Gralke using 50 degrees.
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MJ There are also some other recipes on this thread from Gralke using 50 degrees.
Had to search to find them. I didn't read them properly when I read this thread initially, as I wasn't interested in making sweet or flavoured yoghurt, just natural.
Anyway, I'm glad you found the right method for you. :)
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As I mentioned in an earlier post, as did Thermomixer, there is a chemical change in the milk after the pre-heating to a specific temperature, that allows the yogurt culture to change the structure of the milk solids - the casein proteins, of which there are four types in cow's milk.
Without this process the culture can't "invade" the cells efficiently and there is the possibility that an undesirable organism (that is less fussy about the structure of the milk proteins) can propagate and produce what you describe as a "slimy" end result.
Pasteurization does not kill ALL the bacteria in milk. There are always some organisms that are not exactly pathogenic but are also undesirable. Without the heating to a high enough temp to inactivate these organisms, you will give them an opportunity to take over and actually prevent the development of the desirable bacteria.
Following is a quote from the California Milk Board:
"Yogurt is formed by the growth of two bacterial organisms in milk; Streptococcus thermophilus and Lactobacillus bulgaricus which turn the milk sugars into lactic acid. These are two separate bacteria that are active at different times during processing. Some times you will also find yogurt that contains other ""Probiotic"" cultures such as Lactobacillus acidophilus, Bifidobacterium longum, and Bifidobacterium infantis which are bacterium normally found in your intestines. Together these bacteria aid in digestion and the synthesis of vitamins. Here are the required steps. Heat milk to between 180 and 200 °F. Heating the milk is done for a few reasons. First, to sterilize/pasteurize the milk so that the yogurt bacteria/culture has a hospitable place to grow in. It is not desirable to incubate contaminating bacteria that might be present in the unsterilized milk. Heating should be done even with pasteurized milk to help make a smooth thick yogurt. Heating the milk also helps stop the whey from separating out quite as much. You must then cool milk to 115 °F and add yogurt culture. (If the milk is too hot it will kill the yogurt bacteria.) Stir in yogurt culture gently until dissolved. Hold temperature at 105 to 110 °F for approximately 8-10 hours. This allows your ""good"" bacteria to grow. The methods listed in the post are suitable for this. Finally, you must refrigerate the processed yogurt for at least two hours. Refrigeration help slow the continued bacterial growth. If yogurt is not refrigerated it will become sour."
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wow andiesenji, very comprehensive - thank you for the info!
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MJ There are also some other recipes on this thread from Gralke using 50 degrees.
Recipes here: http://www.forumthermomix.com/index.php?topic=2340.0 (http://www.forumthermomix.com/index.php?topic=2340.0) and here: http://www.forumthermomix.com/index.php?topic=2339.0 (http://www.forumthermomix.com/index.php?topic=2339.0)
But, yes - the recipe is in the new My Way of Cooking too
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In case anyone is after some recipes using yoghurt, the easy-yo site has a glut of them:
http://www.easiyo.com/recipes/
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Thanks for the link - very helpful
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interesting - I might try this original recipe way back at the start of this thread. I'm looking to get back into making my own yogurt (keep buying it, and it's so expensive), but am currently trialling A2 dairy products for digestive issues and there's no powdered A2 milk which rules out the TMX book recipe. Jalna do a potset natural A2 yogurt to use as a starter :)
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Quick question; using the 900 15 minute method, is it 15 minutes from the time the milk reaches 900 or 15 minutes from the time you put it in the TMX?
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Quick question; using the 900 15 minute method, is it 15 minutes from the time the milk reaches 900 or 15 minutes from the time you put it in the TMX?
Well in the absence of any reply (yes I'm impatient ;)) I decided to go with my gut which was the former (i.e. 15 mins from the time it reached 900. It took almost 15mins to get to 15 so is about 30 mins in total.
In the fridge now cooling to 370. I have a remote probe that I use for roasts and this really does the trick here as well!
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tonydav, recipes are written for total time, so it should have only been 15 mins - the heating process is taken into account ;) Hope that helps. Which recipe are you using? I use the one that is at the start of this thread every second day with great success.
also Goergie, the same recipe at the start of the thread doesn't use powdered milk so you should be able to make it with the A2 milk and A2 yoghurt for a starter and then after that save some of you batch for the next starter and you will be fine :)
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Using that recipe, with the variation discussed on one of the (many) pages of this thread to change to 900 and 15 minutes. I didn't think that this is how they're normally written (including by me with my recipes :)).
Also must remember next time not to put it in the Thermoserver before I put it in the fridge :-)). I somehow forgot that it insulates and that would slow down the cooling heaps..... Oh well, long day and was in a hurry to free up the TMX to make Pizza dough... yum...
tony
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I prepare yogurt in one gallon batches (3.78 liters) and getting it up to temp is not a problem but that volume can take some time to cool.
I have a tall, round container (I think it was originally intended to store long pasta) that I fill with ice water and immerse in the hot milk, moving it around gently and using the probe thermometer to constantly check the temp.
This will rapidly bring the milk down to the correct temp for adding the culture.
I learned this "trick" many years ago from an Armenian neighbor who used a baby bottle filled with ice water.
*I use the same method for rapidly cooling chicken or beef stock that is going straight into the fridge or freezer. Stock pot in sink full of ice water and the ice water filled container in side the pot will cool stock down in five to ten minutes, depending on volume.
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Excellent idea andie!
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We use a similar system for home brewing. Called an immersion chiller.
I think my biggest problem was putting it in the fridge in the thermoserver :-)). It really insulates well!
My batch turned out well. Now I just need to find uses for 2L of yoghurt!
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My batch turned out well. Now I just need to find uses for 2L of yoghurt!
LOL I can send you a couple of teens that will eat it in a day or so ;D :o :-))
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How do you prepare it for them for 'normal' eating? My kids are 5 & 7 and used to the typical small tubs at the supermarket.
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Also, as mentioned in earlier posts in this thread, you can strain off the whey and end up with "yogurt cheese."
I usually do half of a batch this way (I use a salad spinner lined with cheesecloth to speed up the process) and my breakfast often consists of bread or toast, thickly spread with it and topped with tasty things such as roasted sweet peppers or spicy peppers with thinly sliced onions, chopped olives with herbs and spices or with some sweet things such as preserves (low sugar as I am diabetic) or fresh fruits.
This morning I had just such a sandwich filled with halved yellow cherry tomatoes from my garden and sliced red onion.
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How do you prepare it for them for 'normal' eating? My kids are 5 & 7 and used to the typical small tubs at the supermarket.
My yoghurt is now quite thick so all I do is make up a raspberry coulis and pour some of that over the top for my 3 yo to mix into the yoghurt at daycare and she eats it no problem. If they are used to sweet yoghurt then you could start with this and see how they react!
I also experimented with making a sugar syrup to add along with some vanilla which was pretty good too.
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Wow what a great thread full of useful information and recipes. Will have to have a go at some yoghurt in due course. Thanks.
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How do you prepare it for them for 'normal' eating? My kids are 5 & 7 and used to the typical small tubs at the supermarket.
My yoghurt is now quite thick so all I do is make up a raspberry coulis and pour some of that over the top for my 3 yo to mix into the yoghurt at daycare and she eats it no problem. If they are used to sweet yoghurt then you could start with this and see how they react!
I also experimented with making a sugar syrup to add along with some vanilla which was pretty good too.
I do the same - have made the pineapple and banana (I think it is) on this forum, strawberry anything really that they like. Mine also eat it with just some honey mixed into it
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Same here - mix up a small container with some homemade jam, honey, pureed fruit - whatever flavour you think they'd like. At home, mine love some homemade milo mixed through.
The supermarket and places like Big W have "Take and Toss" containers - very well priced, and if they don't come back occasionally, it's no big loss to the pocket.
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I've been looking for ways to improve my relationship with my TM lately ( http://www.forumthermomix.com/index.php?topic=3661.0 ) and am pretty pleased to announce I've just had my first go at making Valerie's yoghurt :) I wasn't exited about the powder in the EDC recipe and since EasiYo sachets (other then Greek) have some additives, I've never tried it. I'm not a fan of the tang of Greek style yoghurt, but I absolutely love love love a plain mild European style or Jalna premium vanilla which isn't too sweet. So, I used Jalna Leben as starter (just the cultures and milk solids are listed as ingredients), and from the tiny bit I tasted from the TM bowl after pouring the cooked mix, it has a lovely mild flavour so I hope it works!
There was a mix up with my delivery demo and we didn't have enough households represented, so I didn't receive my thermoserver, so tonight I made a 600ml amount (also incase in doesn't work) measured with, and now culturing in, my Aladdin brand thermal bento bowl. It's basically a 700ml very short and wide thermos with a clever lid which stacks by locking into the base of another bowl. (We don't use microwaves so I pop hubbies' lunch in in the morning and he gets a hot/cold meal at lunchtime - I highly recommend them!) We have 4 so one can be sacrificed for a few days if this batch works! I think I'll just leave it overnight rather than get up at 1am to check on it. :-))
I still used 1/4 cup of starter even though I had such a small amount of milk. Just experimenting really so fingers crossed it will work! I will save a small fortune if it does because we go through 2L a week here and it's mostly just eating for dessert or putting into smoothies! Will post back tomorrow with photos.
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Good on you for getting back into it with yoghurt making HLD. Hope it work out for you :)
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Ok, so what I have created smells like yoghurt and tastes like yoghurt but doesn't exactly look like yoghurt. I don't know if I would describe it as "stringy" but it's quite gelatinous in texture. Kind of gloopy, but not slimy. I used unhomogenised organic full cream milk, and the yoghurt had a thin layer of cream on top when I opened it - I wonder if that may have affected the way it cultured? ??? ??? Or maybe I needed to use Greek style as a starter and not European?
I'm worried it might have fallen victim to the "bad bugs" that Andie and others' have talked about. If it has, should I not eat it? Is likely to make you sick? :-\ :-\
I plan on trying again just as soon as I go out to get some more milk! Glad I only made a small amount though!
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You should be able to discern an "off" taste if it has gone bad. It will have a bitter aftertaste that is quite distinctive.
I don't think there has been enough time for any unwanted pathogens to develop - they produce toxins only after 48 to 72 hours and the taste will certainly put you off from eating enough to cause any problems.
Try stirring it well - I would use a whisk - then try straining off some of the whey and see if the texture/consistency improves.
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Ok, so what I have created smells like yoghurt and tastes like yoghurt but doesn't exactly look like yoghurt. I don't know if I would describe it as "stringy" but it's quite gelatinous in texture. Kind of gloopy, but not slimy. I used unhomogenised organic full cream milk, and the yoghurt had a thin layer of cream on top when I opened it - I wonder if that may have affected the way it cultured? ??? ??? Or maybe I needed to use Greek style as a starter and not European?
I'm worried it might have fallen victim to the "bad bugs" that Andie and others' have talked about. If it has, should I not eat it? Is likely to make you sick? :-\ :-\
I plan on trying again just as soon as I go out to get some more milk! Glad I only made a small amount though!
OK I'm no expert but I have tried unhomogenised organic full cream milk and I get a much better result with homogenised (Coles now makes it). Not sure if that really has anything to do with it, but from my experience it works better. Andie perhaps can explain whether this really makes a difference or not?
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Thanks Andie and Versace :-* :-*
Andie there is something about the taste that isn't quite right - maybe my little thermos let the temperature drop too much overnight - it was very cold in our house last night. And the milk I used was just the end of our carton from a few days earlier so maybe very fresh milk will make a difference.
And Versace thanks for the tip! I'm about to pop out to pick up some more milk so I'll try homogenised this time to see if makes a difference. (I think it may be cheaper that way, too!) I'll also try it at TM temp 90C as suggested in this thread - maybe the temp was just a fraction too low to break down the proteins. There was quite a bit of cream on top when I opened it this morning and I was surprised to see how much it had separated.
Anyway, will let you know how I go....try try again.....
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Well I tried it with homogenised milk and I must be doing something wrong because it didn't work! : ??? ???
After letting it sit to culture for 8 hours it was just like it was when I pored it in - not set at all. And now the first batch I made, the gloopy one, is getting runnier and runnier, even though it's stored in the fridge. Its now the consistency of thin custard :'( :'( :'(
Maybe I need to use a different starter, and maybe the little thermos bowl just doesn't keep it warm enough for long enough. I'm determined to get this right.....
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In terms of keeping it warm (as our house is freezing at the moment). I placed my batch in the oven on top shelf with the light on. Not sure if that's your problem though...
tony
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Before Valeries recipe, I made a few batches of crockpot yoghurt. Once it was "cooked", you wrap the crockpot dish in a few towels and leave it to cool for a few hours.
That might work instead of a thermoserver? The crockpot recipe did work, but not as good as this one, so should work in theory.
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lol after reading through HLD's woes, I was just going to suggest wrapping it in a towel and having a look at your thread Cathy for the crockpot yoghurt to get a gist of what I meant ;D
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Would it need to be a cast iron crockpot or is ceramic ok?
Tony I'll have to give the oven light a go, thanks. I'm not sure if it will get warm enough as a fan comes on in my oven even just for the light, and I can't override it - so hopefully it won't be too breezy!
I'll have to wait until next week to try again I think......can only justify the purchase of so much milk in one week!!
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Would it need to be a cast iron crockpot or is ceramic ok?
Mine is ceramic.
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I had success with this when I first made it but today's lot was a failure and is not going to set. I did use a starter that had been in the freezer for 6 months so this may have had something to do with it. We will drink it instead.
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or make ice cream as Bron would say JD :D :D
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Now, that's a better idea. Thanks Kathryn. I have some frozen strawberries I want to use up, some grated white chocolate and the liquid yoghurt. I reckon I could turn that into ice-cream.
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It's in the TMX as we speak, will let you know tomorrow how it turned out.
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Yes, not too bad at all. Blitzed a few cubes tonight, added another couple of frozen strawberries and a dash of milk and a spoonful of icing sugar.
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You are a true hero JD ;D ;D ;D Well done
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Hello, I am struggling with this recipe a bit and hope someone can help.
I have now made 2 batches with only varying success. The first batch was better than the second but the consistency was very "stringy" so I ended up freezing it to make frozen yogurt (passion fruit, very delicious :)). The second batch didn't set and is still very runny in the thermoserver in the fridge. I have followed the instruction to the letter both times.
With the second batch (to try improve the texture) I tried someones advice and let it cool until the 37 light went off then I heated it until the light went on. This seems to have been counter productive though.
I have used the same yogurt as a starter both times. It is made by Mundials and contains the "a,b,c" and no additives etc.
Can anyone suggest what else I can try? Or can anyone in WA tell me what yogurt they have had luck with as a starter?
Cheers.
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Hi I think I used Jalna Biodynamic yogurt for my starter and I use the recipe from the EDC book and get a lovely thick yogurt. It's just trial and error which can be a bit of a pain sometimes. :)
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Hello, I am struggling with this recipe a bit and hope someone can help.
I have now made 2 batches with only varying success. The first batch was better than the second but the consistency was very "stringy" so I ended up freezing it to make frozen yogurt (passion fruit, very delicious :)). The second batch didn't set and is still very runny in the thermoserver in the fridge. I have followed the instruction to the letter both times.
With the second batch (to try improve the texture) I tried someones advice and let it cool until the 37 light went off then I heated it until the light went on. This seems to have been counter productive though.
I have used the same yogurt as a starter both times. It is made by Mundials and contains the "a,b,c" and no additives etc.
Can anyone suggest what else I can try? Or can anyone in WA tell me what yogurt they have had luck with as a starter?
Cheers.
I suggest that you order yogurt starter from cheeselinks (http://www.cheeselinks.com.au/homestarters.html)
that way you are guaranteed to have a very good product and can save some of each batch to start a new one.
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For those of you who use low fat milk (but with a full fat starter yoghurt), do you therefore have to buy a new starter each time? If so would it be better to buy the starter from the cheeselink?
I made my first batch of this last night (took 2.5 HOURS to get to 37degrees from the 80), but was nice and thick this morning before I put it in the fridge, when I get home I will see how it tastes :)
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Well got home, and it is actually rather thin and stringy :S
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Back to the drawing board Jules :'( :'( For something so easy, yoghurt is really hard to get right isn't it? Personally, I have given up and just buy it when I need it which isn't very often so it doesn't bother me. Good luck with your next batch.
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For those of you who use low fat milk (but with a full fat starter yoghurt), do you therefore have to buy a new starter each time? If so would it be better to buy the starter from the cheeselink?
I made my first batch of this last night (took 2.5 HOURS to get to 37degrees from the 80), but was nice and thick this morning before I put it in the fridge, when I get home I will see how it tastes :)
To cool the milk down more rapidly there is a simple solution. Freeze a skinny plastic bottle of water (fill it only half full so it won't split)
Use the frozen bottle to stir the hot milk while checking the temp with a probe thermometer. It should not take more than five minutes, at the most, to reduce the temp to 37° C.
I use this method, with a bigger container, to cool large stockpots full of stock or soup that is going into the fridge or freezer. Less chance of contamination than when it is left to cool at room temp.
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Andi you always have some good tips, thanks for sharing them with us. :)
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Here's my latest batch (1/2 gallon) of yogurt, made with the regular culture purchased from New England Cheesemaking supply.
This has not been strained, the consistency is exactly the way it is when it has finished "working" and has been refrigerated overnight.
(http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h129/Basenjibabe91/Cooking/10.jpg)
(http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h129/Basenjibabe91/Cooking/10-1.jpg)
This batch incubated for twelve hours because I like it fairly "tangy" and for my taste this is perfect.
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Andi that looks perfect. ;D I'm thinking it may be a good idea to buy a starter from cheese links here to see if there's any difference to using the pot set yoghurt. I'm happy with my incubator so I think this is the next step. :D
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I wish I could get the firmness like that. I might go and put a batch on now as I have all day at home.
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I have ordered the culture from cheese links, it's enough to make 250 litres :o That will keep me going for a while. :D
Will report back next week after it has arrived and I make some, so hope it sets like Andies. ;D
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I couldn't use 250 litres of yoghurt in a lifetime JulieO - does the culture just keep in the fridge and not spoil before you use it all ??? ???
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it says it keeps at least a year in the freezer from memory
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Which one did you get, Julie?
My friend uses the C3 and dilutes part of it with plain milk to produce something like kefir - she flavors it with fresh fruits in a blender.
She also uses it a lot in her baking, instead of buttermilk. She bakes for a neighbor who runs a B&B in Mt. Dandenong, and also makes frozen yogurt to be served in a bowl and made into popsicles or frozen pops. (Do you call them popsicles in Australia?)
Popsicle molds (http://alphamom.com/family-fun/food-home/the-very-best-popsicle-molds/)
So there are lots of ways to use yogurt, besides the usual. I use a great deal - I make at least one two-liter batch each week, usually more - this week it is just Thursday and I have another batch working right now and will probably make another batch on Sunday because this batch will mostly be used up on Saturday.
I also use a cup or so every week, along with raw rolled oats, for an exfoliating and soothing facial and skin scrub. Very good for the skin after exposure to sun and wind.
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Yes, it's the C one, here's the link. Thanks for your ideas Andi. :)
Judy, it will keep in the freezer for at least 12 months, I think it's in a powder/grain form so will be easy to scoop out as much as is needed each time. It will be like keeping dried yeast in the freezer, it doesn't actually freeze, the grains stay loose.
It's been posted so should receive early next week which is good as I've only got a bit left. :)
http://shop.cheeselinks.com.au/Cheese-and-Yoghurt-Starters-Mould-Spores-and-Aroma-Cultures/Type-C-aBY-Yoghurt-Starter-p37.html
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I will be really interested to see how it goes JO :)
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I received the culture this morning and I have made 1 litre which is now in the incubator. Will check it before going to bed tonight as I want to leave it for 12 hours, so will report back in the morning of my results. I'm so hoping it's as nice and thick as Andies. ;D
My thoughts so far. The amount of grains received don't look anywhere near enough for 250 litres, but I could be wrong. You need to use 1/10 tsp for each litre of milk. I don't have that measurement tsp. I do have 1/8 tsp so used that, but no way could I dip my spoon in 250 times or even 200 times - not enough grains. Mmmm. I have emailed cheeselinks to ask if they sell the proper sized measure but as I don't see one advertised anywhere on their site I'm presuming not. I think it would be a good idea if one came with the packets, makes sense to me. I know I could guess the amount, but I like to get these things right.
If anyone knows of where one this size could be purchased, I would be very grateful. :D
Julie.
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Update ;D
Just checked the yoghurt after around 7 hours in the incubator and it's looking really good, quite set, but I'm going to leave for another few hours and then refrigerate. Will take a photo in the morning.
I got an answer back from Cheeselinks and they said you don't have to be pedantic about the amount you put in, the lady herself never measures what she puts in, only adds a few grains and it works no problem, so that would explain how you are supposed to be able to get 250 litres from the packet. So it's looking good. The grains have been put in the freezer in a sterilized jar and the use-by-date is May 2012. ;D
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Another success story from the JulieO household 8) 8)
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Update ;D
Just checked the yoghurt after around 7 hours in the incubator and it's looking really good, quite set, but I'm going to leave for another few hours and then refrigerate. Will take a photo in the morning.
I got an answer back from Cheeselinks and they said you don't have to be pedantic about the amount you put in, the lady herself never measures what she puts in, only adds a few grains and it works no problem, so that would explain how you are supposed to be able to get 250 litres from the packet. So it's looking good. The grains have been put in the freezer in a sterilized jar and the use-by-date is May 2012. ;D
How it works is that you save back a small amount of the first batch to make the second batch - also save some of whey and mix it with the solids - and you can do this two or three more times, depending on how long you have held it.
I make a 1/2 gallon (2 liter) batch every three or four days and I always take two or three tablespoons immediately after the batch has finished incubating and put it in a tightly sealed glass container (sterilize it) in the coldest part of the fridge - I add an equal amount of whey when it appears.
I use this starter for the next batch, and so on.
I do it this way so it won't be contaminated by opening and closing the bigger container and introducing spoons, etc., into it.
I also get a Bulgarian culture which is lots more tangy - and somewhat more expensive - from the vendor here in the US and I have kept that culture going for ten repeat batches because it is a very vigorous culture. After the tenth batch the results were not as firm and I started over with a new culture.
The thing is to try it and see how many batches you can get from a single starter.
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Urgh, I did a big long response here, added my photo, posted it, and it disappeared! Have to do it all again, I should have copied it first >:( ;D
Thankyou Andi for taking the trouble to respond to my post. ;D
I took out a scoop this morning and at first glance it looked a little 'lumpy',as in the photo, but after swirling through the yoghurt, it all became smooth. I guess what I did was combine the whey back into the yoghurt?
It's more tangy than what I've made before, but it does taste nice and more yoghurt like if that makes sense. It will go well in my cooking. I can't wait until I make another batch only using a few grains to see how it turns out. At this stage I won't use any of the previous batches to make the next lot simply because I don't go through it as much as you do Andi and if what they say is correct, this should last me quite a while. I can always start to do so a bit down the track anyway.
With the instructions they say that skim milk powder can be added also if a thicker mixture is required, have you used it and found any difference?
I notice my incubator container is the same as yours, they work well don't they. Very happy with it.
(http://i260.photobucket.com/albums/ii26/ragdoll128/misc/IMG_4553.jpg)
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Julie, that looks beautiful.
I love the tangier flavor - some of the commercial ones are much too bland for me but they are aiming for the norm, not a supertaster like me.
I don't use milk powder - I personally can detect the flavor and don't care for it. I've tried it in the past and was not satisfied but the thing to do is try it, you might like it better.
Do try straining it for yogurt cheese - that is when you really notice the difference.
You can always add a little sugar or other sweetener to it to balance the tangy flavor - it doesn't take much and you have to stir it in and allow the sugar to dissolve a bit before tasting.
I have several yogurt makers and sometimes have a couple of batches going at the same time, if I have an immediate use for a lot.
I have one (electric) that holds a gallon, the others are all half-gallon or 2-liter. Two each, electric and non-electric.
The containers for two, one each, electric and non, are interchangeable. That is, the inside containers are exactly the same - the electric one has a larger outer container as it holds water. The other one is just a plastic foam insulated "jacket".
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Good work JulieO That does look good indeed.
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Thankyou Andi, Thermomixer and Judy. I was quite chuffed how it turned out. If you'd have seen me whip the covers off me this morning and jump out of bed saying "got to check my yoghurt" you'd have been amused. DH wondered what was going on, but I couldn't wait to have a look. :D
I don't think I would add the milk powder either Andi, want to keep it as 'natural' as I can. I really like the tangier flavour and I must try making the yoghurt cheese and will hunt for the recipe, thanks for reminding me.
I'm really satisfied now and no longer worry whether it will turn out or not. I guess persistence pays off. :D
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JulieO that looks great :) I am seriously considering the kit from cheeslinks now...maybe I will ask for it for my birthday next month 8)
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Thanks Meagan, it would make a great and useful birthday gift for sure.
Make sure you pick the right culture that you want, there are a few on their site, the one I bought specifically says it's a thicker set type yoghurt (C aBY), though I'm sure any of them would be good.
I've only got about an inch of yoghurt left in my container, used a fair bit yesterday so will need to make some more over the coming days. :)
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Hi Everyone
I made the yoghurt yesterday using this method and it sort of worked!! The yoghurt itself is thick-ish but the texture is strange. Its very slimy and stringy if that makes sense. My kids don't seem to mind it, but I was wondering if this is right??
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Hi Everyone
I made the yoghurt yesterday using this method and it sort of worked!! The yoghurt itself is thick-ish but the texture is strange. Its very slimy and stringy if that makes sense. My kids don't seem to mind it, but I was wondering if this is right??
Describe your exact method, steps, temps and time.
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Julie do you decant from the container in the yoghurt maker or do you just store the yoghurt in the container you make it in? Also what is the capacity of the maker?
ETA - sorry don't bother replying I just answered my own questions by looking on the cheeselinks site. The container comes with a lid and you can store it in the fridge and the capacity is 1L
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Julie do you decant from the container in the yoghurt maker or do you just store the yoghurt in the container you make it in? Also what is the capacity of the maker?
ETA - sorry don't bother replying I just answered my own questions by looking on the cheeselinks site. The container comes with a lid and you can store it in the fridge and the capacity is 1L
The non-electric one I have holds 2 liters. Most of the ones sold here in the US are either 2 liter or several little jars (too small and for my purpose, useless.
This one, the Yo Life (http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h129/Basenjibabe91/Cooking/Yo-Lifeyogurtmaker.jpg) has both - here you see the high dome with the 2-liter glass container and it also comes with a low dome and 7 small containers (6 ounce each). I've put the little jars to other uses and use the low dome as a moisture control cover for seedlings in my greenhouse. (nothing goes to waste around here)
I also have one that makes a gallon (also will hold up to a 2-gallon jar) - currently on loan to a neighbor who is coping with 9 grandchildren and really needs it - and it is one that is electric, has a low voltage water bath to maintain the correct temp.
It looks sort of like a big, deep crockpot with a high domed cover. I purchased it at a restaurant supply store.
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If anyone knows of where one this size could be purchased, I would be very grateful. :D
Well going by http://www.fantes.com/measuring-spoons.html 1/10 is 3x a Smidgen, so you could do it that way?
http://cgi.ebay.com.au/Norpro-Mini-Measuring-Spoon-Set-5-Pc-18-10-S-S-NEW-/270567907065?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3eff1a9ef9
Me - I'm about to order the cheeselink culture and incubator :)
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Thanks Jules, I'm just going to use my 1/8 tsp, putting a bit less in seeing that it doesn't have to be spot on. :)
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I came across this site with instructions for making kefir and/or yogurt with young coconut (http://www.bodyecology.com/mcoconutkefir.php).
If anyone is lactose intolerant or vegetarian, I think this might be of some help. I'm not sure if it is okay to double post the same thing on another topic (Vegetarian) but since this topic has been fairly active, I am posting it here.
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Well my batch in the yoghurt maker definitely worked better. Although I had a lot of moisture around the yoghurt (which I just poured off), not sure if this is normal though. I am considering trying it with long life milk next time though which apparently saves the heating/cooling of milk step.
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CarolineW,
You mention leaving the yoghurt in TMX jug over night, are you leaving this turned on and set to 37 degrees?
Thanks
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Well my batch in the yoghurt maker definitely worked better. Although I had a lot of moisture around the yoghurt (which I just poured off), not sure if this is normal though. I am considering trying it with long life milk next time though which apparently saves the heating/cooling of milk step.
The liquid is the whey which Andi talks about earlier in the thread You can drain off and use in cooking or drink it, or just mix it back in the yoghurt which will make a runnier yoghurt though.
I have made a batch using long life milk too (Devondale full cream milk) which worked a treat. You will however notice the flavour of the milk in the yoghurt that you don't get using normal milk (if this makes sense?). :)
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CarolineW,
You mention leaving the yoghurt in TMX jug over night, are you leaving this turned on and set to 37 degrees?
Thanks
Ronvw - you wouldn't be able to leave it set to 37 degrees in the TMX jug as the yoghurt needs to be left undisturbed to set and you only get temp with the TMX when you have time and speed set as well. I think it would have been left to sit in the jug to set ;)
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Well I made a batch in the machine with the long life milk (so much quicker and easier), but this time the whey did not separate out like the first batch did. So when I put it into a container to take to work this morning (still nice and thick) it was not much thicker than milk when I got to work. SO thinking the whey thinned it out or something, or for what ever reason it just did not work :(
I guess back to using "real" milk and heating/cooling it - but it just takes sooo long.
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There are ways to speed up the process which are not all that difficult.
I heat milk (2 liters) in the microwave. I have a 2 1/2 liter measuring pitcher - not Pyrex but a similar type of glass.
I take the milk out of the fridge and let it stand at room temp for 2-3 hours so it is not ice cold. I pour it into the glass vessel and microwave it (my microwave is 1000 watts) for 12 minutes which brings it close to the desired temp and then I stir it with a whisk to lift off the "skin" on top, check the temp as I stir with the probe and microwave an additional one or two minutes until it has reached about 185° F. or 85° C.
(You must stir it prior to checking the temp because all liquids heat more rapidly at the upper portion of the mass when there is as sufficient volume and temps can vary by twenty degrees from top to bottom.)
There are various ways to rapidly cool the milk.
Place the container into a larger bowl and fill it with cold water then add ice to the water.
For larger volumes as when I prepare a gallon, I use a narrow plastic cylinder filled with ice that I set down into the milk but for smaller amounts, you can use a couple of large stainless steel spoons that you have placed in the freezer to chill some hours earlier.
Chilling it from both the outside and inside can really cool it within a few minutes.
You have to check the temp often.
The temperature range that is best for adding the yogurt culture (according to the California milk board) is no cooler than 40° C. and no warmer than 46° C. (105 to 115 F.)
Being a little cooler is okay but these are optimum temps to guarantee the best results.
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I am sooooooo excited!! I made yogurt last night!! And it worked!!! Yay!! I only did 1 lt just in case it didn't!! I used woolies lite milk and farmers union natural yogurt European style for my starter. Then I poured it into my easy-yo 1lt container and put hot tap water into the thermos part of the easy-yo and left it till this morning and opened it holding my breath and hoping it worked!!! And it did.... oh so nice and thick too!!!
So THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU to all the wonderful people who contribute to this forum. All the recipes, tweaks, all the help and advice!!!
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Good for youn terstoo, I take it that you are quite happy with the results :D :D :D
This has to be one of the longest threads on the forum, certainly has created a lot of interest.
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I had a brainstorm a few days ago and decided to try something different. I had promised a friend to make a batch of clotted cream that takes a very long time doing it the traditional way. I got busy with something else and managed to forget all about it until the evening before.
I warmed the heavy cream (2 liters) the same way I do when preparing regular yogurt, placed it in the Yo Life container, added a packet of the culture and put it in the (electric) Yo Life yogurt maker and left it until next morning. Checked it at 6 a.m. and it was very thick. I left it to incubate until 11 a.m., and it was perfect. Very thick, almost crusty on top, exactly what one wants in clotted cream, and the flavor was wonderful. I may never go back to my old, long, tedious method.
Yesterday I tried making a 1 liter batch with half & half and it was also much thicker than with regular milk and holds it shape nicely.
It's rather odd that as long as I have been making yogurt, (50 years) that I had never thought of trying this. I've made yogurt with soy milk, coconut milk, almond milk, etc., but never with cream. I guess I had a blind spot when it came to changing my habits.
My regular method for preparing clotted cream, similar to Devon or Cornish, with photos, is documented here! (http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?/topic/109933-preparing-clotted-cream/page__p__1494914__hl__clotted+cream__fromsearch__1#entry1494914)
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I would also like to express my gratitude to all those who have posted on this thread. I made yoghurt yesterday and when I got up at 5am this morning I had a sneak peek and it was set beautifully. Phew! Tastes really nice - doesn't have a huge amount of tang as others have pointed out, however, that won't matter in this house as DS1 doesn't get along with the tang so much.
Again, thank you all!!! ;D
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This is resting in my thermoserver as I type ;D Fingers crossed
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This time my yogurt was a failure, can it be used to make ice cream?
ciao
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Hi fundj,
The first time I tried, mine was a failure too (earlier this week). I mixed quite a lot of the 'milk' with some of Tenina's brownie milk mix and churned it in my icecream machine. It's a little icy (due to lower fat content) but my DS loves his chocolate 'icecream'. Or, as others have suggested on this thread somewhere, freeze it in icecubes and whizz it up in the thermomix for instant icecream.
So, the answer is yes :)
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Very happy with how this turned out. This will be on our fortnightly menu as my two little ones love yoghurt ;D
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I gave up trying to make yoghurt, mine just didn't work properly. I now use the EasiYo. I buy the Greek Yoghurt mix and often make yoghurt cheese with half of the mixture.
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I'm a bit like you MJ. I don't have success all the time so it's easier to go with easi-yo.
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Hmmmm, just tried this last night and woke this morning to yoghourt which had lifted the lid off of the thermoserver, seperated into curds and whey and bubbling with a life of its own.
Any ideas what's happened?
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:o :o Good thing it didn't escape from the bowl TheCrone, heaven knows where it would have gone from there and what it would have attacked :D :D
Seriously though, it will be interesting to see what those in the know say about this strange occurrence.
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It seriously looked like a souffle the way it raised up!
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I would say some bacteria in there made it grow?? I always boil the kettle and pour it in after washing out my mini thermoserver and my electric yoghurt maker bowl with soap and water, to ensure it is clean. Weird though........
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Could/would it have been because of the high overnight temperatures we've been having? I'm curious.
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I had a similar event a few years ago - I made a batch while visiting a friend and as she did not have an accurate thermometer I had to guess at the milk temp and I believe it did not get hot enough. It was in the summer and temps were in the 90s (Fahrenheit).
It had a thick foamy layer on top that also turned a faint pink color at the bottom of that layer. I tossed it as it seemed indicative of unwanted bacteria growth.
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Yesterday I started one batch of almond milk yogurt, using the same formula I use with regular milk.
I used a culture from New England Cheesemaking, almost identical to that from Cheeselinks.
I had previously flavored the almond milk, while making it, with vanilla (forgot that I planned to try making yogurt) but it has turned out fairly well. It is not as thick and "set" as the yogurt I make with skim milk but I used the Yogotherm as I also had a batch made with half & half (light cream) in the electric YoLife. (I need sour cream for an upcoming taco party for which this will be used.)
The almond milk yogurt is also sort of a tan color. It is now chilling and I think will be firmer after it has been in the fridge for awhile.
Some time ago I tried making yogurt with some commercial oat milk but it was not to my taste. It had a sort of "cardboard" flavor that I found unpleasant, although others, who mixed it with fruit, said it tasted fine.
When I use the half & half or light cream, I leave it to incubate for at least 18 hours and have found the consistency to be much more stable and with less whey with this length of time.
I just took it out of the incubator and as you can see, it is very firm and is perfect for use as sour cream. It will also be much firmer after it has been chilled.
(http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h129/Basenjibabe91/Cooking/2yogurt.jpg)
(http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h129/Basenjibabe91/Cooking/2Yogurt2.jpg)
(http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h129/Basenjibabe91/Cooking/2Yogurt3.jpg)
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That is impressive! Did you make your own almond milk??
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The yogurt in the photos is the batch made with half & half or light cream - this is what I will use for sour cream at a taco party.
I have yet to take photos of the yogurt made with the almond milk.
Yes, I made my own. I have an appliance specifically for that so it comes out filtered.
I did try one batch in the TMX but filtering it was sort of messy so I went back to my old Soyabella.
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I made the yoghurt this morning (1 litre) and left in a thermoserver for the 5 hours.. Have just checked it and it's still thin and runny >:( Obviously something I've done and I'm glad I only made half serve. Used jalna low fat natural as the starter and a combo of full cream milk and reduced fat.
I wonder if it's because I put the heated milk in the fridge to cool down to the 37 degrees that caused the failure?
Have left it to one side in the kitchen and will check it again later, but looks like I may have to throw this batch away and try again tomorrow. ???
sorry if someone has already answered this and i know this dates back a while but answering anyway..when using low fat you just need to let it set ALOT longer ..over here 8 hours is normal for full fat and up to 15 hours for low fat yoghurts...
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I took a photo of the yogurt made with the almond milk.
It is a beige color and produced a lot more liquid "whey" than with regular milk and the liquid is clear.
When I try this again, I will make the almond milk "double strength" so it is more like almond cream.
My next project will be trying it with rice milk and from this result, I will also make the rice milk extra thick.
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Hello Yoghurt Gurus :)
I have had moderate success with my yoghurt would would like to tweak a little. I am on the Dukan diet healthy eating plan so am using skim milk. I am also "setting" it in a hot water rinsed thermo serve.
My first batch I made exactly as EDC using "Margaret River Pot Set Natural Pot set 99% fat free". This worked fine, but I would rather not add the milk powder if I don't have to. And it did burn on the bottom of the bowl.
Second batch I used Valerie's times and temps (80 deg compared to EDC's 90) and no milk power, but only 800ml skim milk. Took about 15 hours to set, but tasted okay - eventually!
Third batch I used Valerie's times and temps and added the 50g milk powder, 900ml skim milk. Success again, although as with all my batches has a slightly stringy texture (not sure if this is the skim milk or a 99% fat free starter). I did this on speed 3, and no sticking either.
My aim is to make my yoghurt as fat free as possible.
Questions:
1. Would I be better off using skim milk but with a full fat starter and then leaving out the milk power?
2. Would I be better off using a Cheeselinks starter, eg C aBY as previously suggested in the thread.
3. If I still need to use milk power to help the skim milk set, what would be a minimum quantity I could reduce it to - EDC says to use 50g
4. Is it okay to use temp 80 (as per Valerie) or should I use 90 as per EDC, having read 82 deg was the magic heating number.
Thanks in anticipation, and any other tips greatly appreciated :-)
PS Might pop out to the local Indian shop and see if I can get a 1 L container today too. I always transfer it into a glass pyrex container with a rubber lid when set, for storage in the frige.
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Here's an interesting suggestion from one of my book club members who came to lunch.
She doesn't have a specific yogurt appliance but makes yogurt at least once a week.
She uses an insulated ice bucket that she says has been hanging around in a cupboard for years since she got a fridge with an ice maker.
It is stainless steel inside and out and holds the warm milk at the desirable temp for 8-10 hours, which is how long she incubates the yogurt. (She uses the readily available cultures sold at the local health food store: Yogourmet brand)
I never thought of this and I have two or three old ice buckets somewhere in my junk. One has penguins marching around it - I remember seeing that one a while back when I was hunting for something else.
What a good idea. See, one never knows where an inventive use for something will pop up.
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Made some for my mum the other day - just 1 litre as they don't eat as much as we do (my 2 kiddies LOVE it!!). Had a little too much for the 1 litre thermoserver so just poured into a glass bowl and left it in the microwave. Left the thermoserver on the kitchen bench all day & glass bowl in the microwave all day then put both in the fridge overnight. Both set perfectly! Love this recipe - have been telling all my friends ;D
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Once i've put the yogurt in the thermo server, when does it go into the fridge? Or does it just sit on the bench?
Also, i would like to add strawberries - our fav flavour. How would i do this?
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Moochoo sit it on your bench until it is set (about 8 hours or so) I leave it overnight and often put it in my oven or microwave (OFF of course!!) so that it isn't knocked etc
as for adding strawberries, I am not sure. I have tried and the yoghurt didn't set for me, so I add everything after when I serve it up. Sort of suits us as there are so many of us we can choose to have what ever we like in it then. ;)
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Fruits and any flavors - honey, sugar and so on, should not be added until after the yogurt has been chilled - after the incubation period of 8 to ??? whatever hours it takes.
I like the tangier flavor of yogurt that has been incubated longer so mine often goes for a minimum of 12 hours and sometimes longer.
It it isn't too hot, that is, ambient tempts above 80° F. or 26° C., you can leave it at room temp for a prolonged period with no problems.
You have to remember that this is a dairy product that was developed in countries where they did not have refrigeration and this was the best way to preserve milk.
I have an elderly friend who was born and grew up in Lebanon before WWII and they had no refrigeration at all. They made yogurt (called Laban there) and it was never refrigerated, simply kept in a crock that sat in a wide shallow pan filled with water and covered with a damp cloth. The evaporation kept the crock cooler than the air temp.
They made a batch every other day and the newly boiled milk was simply cooled and poured into the crock at the end of the day and was ready to eat the next morning. Every few weeks the crock would be cleaned, scalded and the entire process begun again.
She says that not only did they eat it in many different ways, made drinks with it, ditto, they also used it on their faces and hands because it is an excellent facial "cream" and if you have sore eyes, a generous dollop on your closed eyes, covered with a wet cloth while you rest for twenty minutes, will do wonders.
All I can say is that she is 88 and has beautiful skin so there must be something to it.
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I believe there would be Andie, just like bathing in milk I guess. Think my kids would have a fit if the yoghurt suddenly started disappearing for my skin as I struggle to keep up with the supply as it is :D
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I believe there would be Andie, just like bathing in milk I guess. Think my kids would have a fit if the yoghurt suddenly started disappearing for my skin as I struggle to keep up with the supply as it is :D
She only uses a couple of teaspoons.
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I have been making this yogurt successfully for a while now & was wondering if I could use unpasteurised milk and not heat the milk to 80 degrees? Any ideas? ???
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I have been making this yogurt successfully for a while now & was wondering if I could use unpasteurised milk and not heat the milk to 80 degrees? Any ideas? ???
You certainly should heat the milk to 85° C. It is not just for pasteurization but also causes a change in the milk components that allow the yogurt cultures to convert the milk optimally during incubation.
If you don't heat it to 85 degrees then other bacteria, unwanted and potentially harmful, can multiply and inhibit the formation of the yogurt culture.
I know a lot of people who drink raw milk, use it in cooking and etc., but when they make cheese or yogurt they do heat it to the required temperature to allow the incubation and development of the DESIRABLE bacterial without invasion by the undesirable.
I posted the following a bit over a year ago: It explains the specifics but includes Fahrenheit temps instead of C.
I'm sure that in Australia you also have a dairy board that will offer the same advice.
As I mentioned in an earlier post, as did Thermomixer, there is a chemical change in the milk after the pre-heating to a specific temperature, that allows the yogurt culture to change the structure of the milk solids - the casein proteins, of which there are four types in cow's milk.
Without this process the culture can't "invade" the cells efficiently and there is the possibility that an undesirable organism (that is less fussy about the structure of the milk proteins) can propagate and produce what you describe as a "slimy" end result.
Pasteurization does not kill ALL the bacteria in milk. There are always some organisms that are not exactly pathogenic but are also undesirable. Without the heating to a high enough temp to inactivate these organisms, you will give them an opportunity to take over and actually prevent the development of the desirable bacteria.
Following is a quote from the California Milk Board:
"Yogurt is formed by the growth of two bacterial organisms in milk; Streptococcus thermophilus and Lactobacillus bulgaricus which turn the milk sugars into lactic acid. These are two separate bacteria that are active at different times during processing. Some times you will also find yogurt that contains other ""Probiotic"" cultures such as Lactobacillus acidophilus, Bifidobacterium longum, and Bifidobacterium infantis which are bacterium normally found in your intestines. Together these bacteria aid in digestion and the synthesis of vitamins. Here are the required steps. Heat milk to between 180 and 200 °F. Heating the milk is done for a few reasons. First, to sterilize/pasteurize the milk so that the yogurt bacteria/culture has a hospitable place to grow in. It is not desirable to incubate contaminating bacteria that might be present in the unsterilized milk. Heating should be done even with pasteurized milk to help make a smooth thick yogurt. Heating the milk also helps stop the whey from separating out quite as much. You must then cool milk to 115 °F and add yogurt culture. (If the milk is too hot it will kill the yogurt bacteria.) Stir in yogurt culture gently until dissolved. Hold temperature at 105 to 110 °F for approximately 8-10 hours. This allows your ""good"" bacteria to grow. The methods listed in the post are suitable for this. Finally, you must refrigerate the processed yogurt for at least two hours. Refrigeration help slow the continued bacterial growth. If yogurt is not refrigerated it will become sour."
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Thankyou andiesenji, very much appreciated :)
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You are very welcome, bigTcup.
There was recently a bulletin issued by the L.A. County health dept. to advise anyone making homemade yogurt, cream cheese, caeso fresca, etc., to discard any that developed a pink or rosy color in the whey or the curds during incubation.
Among the Hispanic population in one area of the county there was an outbreak of lysteria, a potentially dangerous bacteria and it can be passed by direct contact as well as in the air. All the reported cases were from homemade product so there were no commercial recalls.
Better to be safe than sorry.
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Well, I made my first ever batch of yogurt! ;D ;D
It seemed to work fairly well. It isn't very thick though :( ,I did read that it gets thicker each time you make using your old yogurt as a starter, so maybe there is still hope? It has a slightly gritty texture, not sure what from, but tastes wonderful with honey mixed through (I don't like natural), also with strawberries and museli. Mr 6 is onto his 3rd bowl of the day, so I think we'll get through the 2 liters OK :-))
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Well done, Red Kell. It's taken me months to get my boys to eat my yoghurt - they used to go through bucketfulls of the shop stuff, so for a while we had a bit of a standoff - I wouldn't buy it, and they wouldn't eat mine!
It's possible that your yoghurt may be a bit thin because the incubation temperature hasn't been high enough. It needs to be maintained above 25 degrees for 6-12 hours. My kitchen was too cool for the Thermoserver to be effective on all but the hottest days. Now I have an electric yoghurt maker for incubation and turn out lovely thick yoghurt every time, using the same recipe.
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The gritty texture could be the thin skin that develops while the milk cools. Early in my yoghurt making I didn't remove it, thinking it would blend through, but it definitely needs to be lifted off.
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Thanks Cathy, that could well be it as I just stirred it through! Am due to make another batch in a day or stwo so I'll see if that makes a difference ;)
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Well attempt two looks alot like attempt one! When it has finished doing it's thing and I take the lid off, it has separated. Most of it looks thick and yummy, but around the edges there is a really thin watery liquid. When it's all stirred through it looks and tastes like yogurt, but is fairly thin and runny. I like a much thicker yogurt :( Should I be trying to drain off the liquid rather than stirring it in? How can I get it thicker? HELP!!!!! :o :o :o :o
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Well attempt two looks alot like attempt one! When it has finished doing it's thing and I take the lid off, it has separated. Most of it looks thick and yummy, but around the edges there is a really thin watery liquid. When it's all stirred through it looks and tastes like yogurt, but is fairly thin and runny. I like a much thicker yogurt :( Should I be trying to drain off the liquid rather than stirring it in? How can I get it thicker? HELP!!!!! :o :o :o :o
How long did you allow it to incubate? At what temp did you incubate it? Not enough time and too low a temperature (and a not sufficiently active culture) are the main reasons for this result.
By all means strain it, use a coffee filter in a funnel unless you have the very fine, tightly woven cheesecloth, also called butter muslin or a muslin jelly bag.
First try straining just a cup or so to see how it works.
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The liquid you talk about is the whey. If you prefer a thicker yoghurt then drain off carefully. Usually I drain off after refrigerating, but the other day, after removing the container from the incubator, I carefully tipped most of the whey out, put the lid back on and put into the fridge to chill. It turned out the same as when I leave it till after chilling.
It does give a much thicker yoghurt doing this which is my preference than stirring the whey through. :)
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It was incubated for around 8 hours, in a thermoserver, in the oven with just the light on (I have heard this method recommended before). Next time I will try straining it and see how that goes. Mr 6 still likes it, but I like a much thicker yogurt. Mixed with homemade jam it makes great icy poles though :D
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I have been making this yogurt successfully for a while now & was wondering if I could use unpasteurised milk and not heat the milk to 80 degrees? Any ideas? ???
I just wanted to report that I have "successfully" made a large 2 litre batch of yoghurt using raw milk.
After doing a bit of online research, my criteria for "successful" was not to create the same thick consistency of pasteurised versions but that I had hoped it would indeed set.
I gently heated the milk to 42 deg C in the *: using a thermometer to test the actual temperature of the milk rather than rely on the Thermomix temperature.
I added 1/4 cup of organic yoghurt (which was made from pasteurised milk) and poured it all into a pre-warmed thermoserver. I put it into my dehydrater for 8 hours set on 40 degrees C and then put it in the fridge overnight.
It certainly set, but as other people have described there is a high degree of whey. The resulting flavour was very mild, almost bland I would say initially but as a day passed there was more of a yoghurt taste. They whey is fine to eat/drink as it does not really taste tart or "smelly" like when I make curds and whey from culturing raw milk.
2 litres of yoghurt is ALOT though so next time I'll try half quantities. The excess is being successfully channelled into a plethora of fruit lassi's.
After having patiently read this thread from start to finish, and seen a great episode of Gourmet Farmer with Matthew Evans making his own ricotta... I am definitely going to work up to making cheese and ordering from the cheese culture place recommended in an early post.
Cheers and thanks everyone for your contributions to this informative thread.
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I don't want to be an alarmist but, I have a word of warning. If you do not pasteurize the milk and don't heat it to 85° C, to start the process, do not feed it to infants or toddlers, elderly people or anyone with compromised immune systems.
Lysteria can be tolerated by healthy adults but not by any of the above and incubating the raw milk gives it an ideal growth medium.
I don't have any information about outbreaks in Australia but there was a significant outbreak in New Zealand a few years ago. As I recall it was from fresh cheese made from raw milk.
The life of the organism, if not given further material to expand into, will die in about 45 days so cheeses aged longer than 60 days are considered safe, as long as they have not been continually washed in raw milk (how some cheeses are processed while aging).
Fortunately Australia has been free of Brucellosis for many years so you don't have to worry about that the way we do in the U.S., Europe and Central Asia.
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I don't want to be an alarmist but, I have a word of warning. If you do not pasteurize the milk and don't heat it to 85° C, to start the process, do not feed it to infants or toddlers, elderly people or anyone with compromised immune systems.
I don't believe you are being alarmist - people should be made aware of potential problems from eating raw dairy. To your list of people who should not eat raw dairy I would add pregnant or lactating mothers, if this is a concern for people. Thanks for bringing this to everyone's attention.
However, I have made a conscious decision to eat raw dairy as much as possible and have done so for many years without a problem. Just like people have a right to smoke, the food I choose to eat is as much a political statement as it is a health choice. I encourage everyone to do their own EXTENSIVE research and make up their own mind. There are alot of arguements for and against.
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The gritty texture could be the thin skin that develops while the milk cools. Early in my yoghurt making I didn't remove it, thinking it would blend through, but it definitely needs to be lifted off.
Just clarifying - does everyone get a skin on their milk then? I thought it was just me. Do you just let it form and then lift it off at the end?
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After spending quite a while reading through all of the very helpful comments... I have just made my first batch of yoghurt and it worked fantastically!
It's beautiful and thick and tastes like a perfect natural yoghurt.
Of course, my kids won't eat natural yoghurt.
So... was wondering about sweetening it. I know there have been a few suggestions regarding fruit, honey, etc, which we've experimented with today (fairly successfully).
I wondered about the type of yoghurt you get at those fruit salad bars, basically a plain yoghurt which has a fruit sauce on top, or is added to fruit salad. That yoghurt is fairly sweet. Am I right in assuming it just has sugar added to it?
So... if I were to add sugar, do you add it after it has set and chilled? And I was thinking I'd need to blitz it first into icing sugar so it's fine.
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Well done, Kylie. You can add sugar/honey before or after incubation. About 40 to 80 grams per litre of milk - I add sugar to my milk when I heat it to 90 degrees, so it dissolves. It won't affect the incubation, whereas the acidity of fruit will. I now use a 'mild' culture from www.cheeselinks.com.au (http://www.cheeselinks.com.au) and it's not as tart as other yoghurts I've tried, but the kids still won't eat it without something to sweeten it.
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The gritty texture could be the thin skin that develops while the milk cools. Early in my yoghurt making I didn't remove it, thinking it would blend through, but it definitely needs to be lifted off.
Just clarifying - does everyone get a skin on their milk then? I thought it was just me. Do you just let it form and then lift it off at the end?
I allow it to form and only remove it just prior to adding the culture - when the milk has cooled to the correct temp. I have found that the easiest way is to use a whisk as that picks up all of it with no broken bits to be fished out.
Like this: (http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h129/Basenjibabe91/Cooking/Yogurt%20%20Step%20by%20Step/HPIM3971.jpg)
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Thanks JKMT,
I'm almost ready to make a second batch, so I'll try sweetening it first and see how they like it.
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You can use sugar or syrup but don't use raw honey if you have very young children.
Processed or pasteurized honey is okay.
I've always had better results adding sweet stuff after the incubation and just before chilling. I have in the past tried adding cooked fruit purees to the milk, after adding the culture and on at least two occasions had some fermentation occur. Foam on top of the yogurt and a distinct smell of alcohol - similar to what one gets with sourdough fermentation.
Just a thought...
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that makes sense, andiesenji. So if adding fruit puree or something similar, do it after the cooking part.
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that makes sense, andiesenji. So if adding fruit puree or something similar, do it after the cooking part.
Add it after the cooking, the cooling, and certainly after the incubation period when it has "finished" and just before putting it in the fridge to chill. The yogurt culture should have only the milk proteins on which to work, additives can cause problems.
In commercial yogurt production, the mixing of other ingredients into yogurt is done after it has been incubated and chilled.
There are some yeasts that are not destroyed by high temps - such as brewer's yeast - and which often are present on fruits, even those that have been cooked and frozen.
If you give them a good environment in which to grow (as in yogurt incubation) they will and will cause fermentation.
That is why, if you take a package of frozen fruit out of the freezer and leave it at room temp for a prolonged period, it will swell up because of gas produced by the yeasts that have begun to grow.
If you don't mind a little fermentation in your yogurt, by all means mix the fruit in before you incubate. I prefer to keep mine as pure as possible so I mix cold fruit into chilled yogurt.
I also use my yogurt for savory as well as sweet applications so I want plain yogurt, to which I can add anything. I am not constrained because it has been pre-sweetened.
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I made my first batch of Yoghurt yesterday using the following recipe which I got from an earlier post. I changed the sugar to Equal, as hubby is a diabetic. This is a nuisance as you use equal on a cup for cup basis, but it doesn't weigh the same as sugar, so I had to weigh 50g of sugar and eyeball it, so that I could pour the same quantity of equal into the mix.
800g full cream or light milk (I used HiLo)
50g Milk powder (have always got this on hand for when we are caravaning)
50g White Sugar (I used Equal but not 50g worth)
5g Vanilla Extract (not essence)
3 tablespoons Pot set Yoghurt (I used Pauls All Natural Yoghurt set in the tub 99.8% fat free)
Place milk, powdered milk, sugar(equal) and vanilla into TMX bowl. Blend 10 sec speed 7. Cook 30 min, 90c, speed 1. Allow to cool to 37c. Add starter yoghurt. Blend gently 4 seconds speed 4. Cook 10 min, 37c, speed 1. Boil kettle to fill Eazyo Thermos. When cooked, pour yoghurt into container, seal and place into thermos. Leave at least 8 hours or overnight to set. (I put mine in about 8pm and left it until 7am) Do not disturb at this time. Place in fridge, reserving 3 tabs for the next batch.
This turned out beautifully, producing a lovely thick yoghurt, sweetened just enough, but with a lovely tang to it.
I have spent so much time reading the last 20 pages that I can't remember who posted this recipe, but you can be sure I am very grateful. Thank you. Cheers, Nola.
Just a little edit to this. I severely burnt the bottom of my bowl with this recipe, so that was a bit of a bummer. Took ages to clean it with vinegar and water and a lot of scrubbing. I think I might use the microwave to heat my milk next time.
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Nola, nice tip on the Equal. Maybe the burning was the 30 minutes at 90 degrees? I usually go 20 minutes, with the speed closer to 2 than 1. Have had a bit of burning (not too bad) when I've just used 1.
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Thanks for that Jenny, I will try your suggested 20 min, 90c, speed 2 and see if it makes a difference. If not, then it is definitely going to be the microwave. The cleanup yesterday was not nice. Cheers, Nola.
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In a 1000 watt microwave it only takes 15 minutes to heat 2 liters of milk and about 8-9 minutes to heat one liter, in a Pyrex measure.
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Thanks for that andiesenji ;)
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I changed the sugar to Equal, as hubby is a diabetic. This is a nuisance as you use equal on a cup for cup basis, but it doesn't weigh the same as sugar, so I had to weigh 50g of sugar and eyeball it, so that I could pour the same quantity of equal into the mix.
:D perhaps eyeball all your sugar cup measures, and then write down the g for Equal so that it will be easier in future recipes to substitute?
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Thank you Creampuff, I think that will be the way to go.
PS I love this A balanced diet is a biscuit in each hand I've been doing a bit of that lately ;D
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does anyone know if i wanted to make this and include some of my milk kefir whether i just put it in at the start? any other thoughts on it? thanks
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I followed the recipe in the EDC and put it in the Easy Yo Yoghurt maker with hot water (as I used to use) maybe this is why my result was slightly lumpy, not a smooth texture that I am used to?
I used Jalna Pot set.
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I followed the recipe in the EDC and put it in the Easy Yo Yoghurt maker with hot water (as I used to use) maybe this is why my result was slightly lumpy, not a smooth texture that I am used to?
I used Jalna Pot set.
I use an Ezyo for my yogurt. I make it before I go to bed at night and it is done in the morning. I have only had one lot of slightly lumpy yogurt and that was when I couldn't get the Paul's pot set yogurt from Woolies. I used Mundella instead, and although it is a beautiful yogurt to eat, Paul's natural pot set seems to be a better starter.
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Hi Tina - I use my EasiYo thermos, but just pour boiling water in to heat the thermos up, then I tip it out and put the plastic jar in and replace the lid. I think someone else said on here or somewhere else (who knows now with 21 pages to read through LOL) that the reason that you put boiling water in the EasiYo is that you start with cold water and a mix when making it using the sachets. Try it without boiling water in and see how you go