Meeting 5c: Making Yogurt

Yogurt Making:

Taught by Katy Clatyon

Methods:

Two methods that will give you the most consistent results are using a yo gurt maker or a crockpot.

Ingredients:

-          1 quart- 1 gallon of milk. You can use whole, 2%, 1%, skim or powdered milk.  The higher the fat content of the milk the more curd will be turned into yogurt.  Some tips to remember: if using skim milk, add ¼ cup of instant powdered milk per quart of milk before heating. If making milk from milk powder, add an additional 1/3 cup of powdered milk per quart of reconstituted milk.

-          1-2 TBS of plain commercial or homemade yogurt with live active cultures (make sure gelatin has not been added) or 1 envelope of freeze dried yogurt starter. If using homemade yogurt as your starter it can only be used up to 3 generations, anything past that and your results can become skewed. Yogurt can be frozen in ice cubes trays and then removed when ready to use. 1 frozen block = 1 TBS.

Process:

Yogurt Maker- When using a yogurt maker, you will want to heat your milk in a sauce pan until it reaches the between 185 degrees F to 190 degrees F.

Remove the sauce pan from heat and let the milk temperature cool until it reaches a temperature between 110 degrees F to 115 degrees F. Add your starter to the milk and mix well.

Place the mixed liquid into your yogurt maker and cover.  Turn on the yogurt maker and follow the manufacturer’s directions.

Let the yogurt chill in the fridge for several hours before serving.  Once it has chilled you can add flavorings. Plain yogurt will keep in the refrigerator 10-14 days.

You can strain your yogurt to make it thicker.

Crockpot- When using your crockpot you can heat the milk on high or heat in a sauce pan until it reaches 180 degrees F. 

Remove the lid and turn off the crockpot (if heating your milk in the crockpot) to let it cool down.  If heating in a saucepan, remove from heat and let it cool down.  You will want it to cool down until it reaches 120 degrees F. Add your starter.

Place back into the crockpot if heated in a saucepan.  Place the lid back on and cover with a towel and let sit covered with a towel, crockpot turned off, overnight. 

In the morning, you will remove the inside ceramic base of the crockpot and place it in the fridge to let the yogurt chill.

If straining, do so after it’s chilled and before you add your flavorings.  The liquid that is strained from the yogurt is called, whey.  The whey has an acidic taste and makes the yogurt sweeter when strained.  Whey can be used in baking and as a substitute for buttermilk.  I have a great waffle recipe that I use.

When you use powdered milk it will be runnier and will not have the same whey content, so you will not be able to strain it as well. You will want to make the reconstituted milk more concentrated; you can experiment until you get the right consistency.

Flavoring (per Quart of yogurt):

You can add honey, fresh fruit, sugar-free vanilla syrup (store bought) or you can make your own fruit syrup to add.  My recipe that I’ve played with and enjoy is as follows:

¼-1/3 cup of Granulated Sugar (you could try honey)

1 cup of frozen or fresh fruit

Combine sugar and fruit in a saucepan.  Bring to a boil, let boil for 2-3 min.  Put through a strainer if you like a smoother yogurt. If you like fruit chunks add to yogurt as is once the syrup has cooled.

Whey Waffles:

These waffles are so light and fluffy. This will make 4-6 waffles.

¼ cup of melted butter

2 cups flour (I will do 1 cup all-purpose and 1 cup whole wheat)

1 TBS sugar
2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

½ tsp salt

2 cups of whey (or buttermilk)

3 large eggs

Mix the dry ingredients together.  Add wet ingredients. Stir until just combined, the batter will be lumpy.  Ladle batter into your waffle iron!  Enjoy!