making yogurt at home

[Guest guest]

I know this looks liks a looong letter, BUT[!], it really is *easy* to do!

included at the bottom are a few links to sites that use different

methods.

 

I haven't made this in a couple of years, due to eliminating dairy.

[my son grew up on this stuff!! he's married now!] I want to try

using soy milk, or almond, but haven't tried it yet!!

 

***************************************************

 

Yogurt

 

1 cup plain yogurt [commercial or homemade, must be 'live

cultures " !! and no stabilizers, or geletin] tip: save some each time

for the next batch! that way you only need to buy it once!

 

4 cups NON-INSTANT dried skim milk [remember: alt links below]

 

5% chlorine bleach for sterilizing [you will need to do this even if

you buy the " makers " ]

 

Blender

4 one quart glass or plastic jars with lids

heating pad

large pot [alternatively towels can be used to insulate from drafts,

but it doesn't work as well as the large pot with water]

 

 

Add I tablespoon of bleach to 2 gallons of WARM *NOT* HOT

water [chlorine will evaporate at temp over 100 degrees]. soak jars,

lids, blender parts, any utinsils used for 30 seconds or more. rinse.

 

 

fill jars with warm water from the tap to about 2 inches from the top.

[water should be

100 degrees; must be below 120 or it will kill it and above 95 or it

will be inactive] [alt = heat bottled water]

 

partially fill large pot with water [its a good idea to put the jars in

and 'measure' how much water will be needed, so you don't

overflow the pot! there should be enough water to come up to the

neck of the bottles, but not over; to keep excess water out of the

yogurt]. place pot with water on heating pad set to medium in a

draft free area. [alt = if you don't have a large pot, place a towel

over the heating pad set to medium]

 

 

Pour 1 cup of water from one jar into blender. turn on low, add 1

cup NON-INSTANT dried skim milk, and 1/4 cup of yogurt. when

smooth, return mixture to it's jar. if you get foam, SKIM THIS OFF,

before returning to it's jar, as it will keep you from having enough

water in the jar. repeat with each jar.

 

place the filled [and lidded] jars into the pot of water. [alt, for no pot

= put jars directly on the heating pad, and cover with towels to keep

out drafts. this sometimes causes a bit of 'thickening' on the

bottom, but will work; but more difficult to keep a constant temp]

 

check after about 3 1/2 hours. when set [resists light touch of the

finger], refrigerate and try not to disturb or bump until cooled [the

whey might separate].

 

with the pot method, you can keep an eye on the water temp...keep

below 120, and above 95!

 

***************

 

make sure powder is FRESH! if it SMELLS LIKE MILK, IT IS

*OLD*. it should have no smell at all.

 

****************

some [supposed] possible problems [mine never did any of this]:

 

if it didn't set

-----------------

 

milk not fresh

temp too high [keep as close to 100 as possible]

starter yogurt was inactive

still had bleach in the jar

 

 

if it tastes chalky

-------------------

 

too much powdered milk. [remember, skim any foam!]

 

 

if it separates and tastes sour

-----

 

too much heat

not chilled quickly enough [make space in fridge around all the jars

to get cool air]

used instant milk

 

 

if cheesy

-------------

 

stray bacteria [it wont hurt. just make sure you sterilize everything

next time!]

 

 

********************************************

 

after typing all that I looked on the web, because I know you can

use liquid milk but it needs to be heated to a certain temp, then

cooled. [much easier to use the powder, if you can find the NON-

INSTANT!]

 

here is an address of a site that shows using liquid milk as well as

INSTANT [whew, am I surprised!] it also mentions adding fruit to

the bottom [i always just added fruit at *serving*; Polanar all-fruit or

any preserve]

 

http://www.ianr.unl.edu/pubs/Dairy/g449.htm

 

---

 

here is another site:

" can be made from whole, lowfat, or nonfat (skim) milk, with added milk

solids from either nonfat dry milk or evaporated milk. Any type of milk

can be used; cow's milk is traditionally used in the United states, but other

countries have been known to make yogurt from milk of water buffalo,

yak, goat, horses, and sheep. " [ <blech!> I do suppose you can use soy

milk then, no??]

http://drinc.ucdavis.edu/html/man/man-3.shtml

 

-----

ahhhh, I found what I was looking for!!!

 

using fresh milk [again, maybe can use soy?]

 

http://www.johnabrown.com/newpage111.htm

 

 

I hope I didnt have too many typo's!

HAPPY YOGURT MAKING!!

 

~Pixx

 

 

 

==

http://pixxart.com

the Art of Living in Health, Peace, & Light