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Q. A friend of mine is totally into setting yogurt at home. Could you tell me exactly you do it? Any tips about how best to get started and descriptions of the homemade yogurt would be great .Is it thick? Sour? Any and all info would be appreciated.—Vishakha, New York
A. While there are plenty of yogurt making machines available in specialty home goods stores like Williams Sonoma, it's actually quite simple to make yogurt without them. You will need to start with high quality, organic yogurt that has active cultures. This will be your starter. You can do this with cow, goat, or sheep milk yogurt. Remember to use the same type of milk as the starter yogurt. So, for example, if you are using packaged goat's yogurt as a starter, then use goat's milk for the homemade yogurt.
The final yogurt tends to be a little sour and has a good deal of water. It is generally thinner than packaged yogurt, but that is very easily remedied by straining.The straining method is included below, as well. Another way to combat thinness is to use more yogurt starter in ratio to milk. So in the recipe below, you would use 2 cups plain yogurt versus 1.
Once your yogurt is made you can continue to use a portion of it as a starter for future batches.
Ingredients
1 cup plain, organic cow, sheep, or goat milk yogurt, with live cultures
1 quart organic cow, sheep or goat milk, milk (whole or lowfat)
Bring milk to just under a boil (scald) in a large saucepan. Remove from heat just as bubbles begin to form around the edges of the pan and allow to cool to 100-105 degrees F. Use a cooking
thermometer to determine temperature. Another way is to touch the milk and if it feels just slightly warm to you then it is a few degrees above body temperature of 98.7 and therefore it is around 100 degrees.
Remove skin from top of milk (optional). Add yogurt and whisk very well so it is well combined. Cover tightly and wrap entire pot in a thick towel. Place in a warm place. As it is summer any non-air-conditioned, indoor spot will do.
In winter, don't wrap the pot, but instead place it in the oven. Preheat oven to 200F then shut off and allow it to cool for 10 minutes. I then place yogurt inside. If you have a gas oven, the pilot light will keep it warm enough, so no need for preheating. Just place yogurt inside.
Allow to set overnight (at least 8 hours). The longer you let it set the more sour and thicker it will be.
Drain water that has formed on top of the yogurt and refrigerate to store.
THICKENED YOGURT: Line a colander (preferably a wire mesh strainer) with clean dishcloths or cheesecloth and place over a deep dish or bowl. Place yogurt in the lined colander and refrigerate, covered with a piece of plastic wrap.
Allow to drain at least 3 hours and up to 2 days. The longer it drains, the thicker the yogurt will be. After about 1 day you will get a very thick yogurt—like sour cream. By 2 days, you will get a consistency like whipped cream cheese. After 3 days, it will be more like hard cream cheese.
In some Middle Eastern countries, the super thickened yogurt is rolled into balls and stored in spiced olive oil (similar to marinated mozzarella balls) then served as an appetizer with bread.
FRUIT YOGURT: Fresh fruit, especially, berries, can curdle milk and so it is not advisable to add them to the yogurt while it is setting. To make a fruit yogurt, puree ½ cup of fresh fruit and mix into completed yogurt. Sweetened with honey, if desired.
Anne Giller, Saturday, October 20, 2007 at 03:19 PMA friend is presently making me yogurt ~ as I become stronger, I would like to start making it myself. Home I live in is very drafty & oven/stove is very old & also 'drafty' & unable to maintain temperatures.... would a cheap yogurt maker be advisable, do you think? My friend uses a $15 one & swears by it. She uses a powdered starter & I can't find it organic ~ so, you're saying I can just use an organic unsweetened yogurt from the store? I have a candy thermometer ~ can I use that ... sorry, for all the ?'s Just starting . pun intended! Thanks, Anne
