For the yogurt makers out there

[Tricia O]

Can you tell me why you decided to make your own yogurt? Does it taste better than store bought? The reason I am asking is that I priced the ingredients to make 1 quart, and it came to $1.80. Well, I can buy a quart of plain yogurt for only $1.99 (or less), so it doesn't seem to save much financially.
Also, the recipe from the yogurt maker says to use plain yogurt as the starter, but I accidentally bought vanilla yogurt. Can I still use this?
Thanks!

[Kristine In Indiana]

Ok, the start up costs might be more, but once you have yogurt, you can culture from that. I have adapted my recipe to fit my family. They will not eat it just plain (neither will I) My yogurt turns out more like the vanilla yogurt that you buy at the store. I do add unflavored gelatin mine to give it a little bit more gel like texture. I figure I made two quarts at a time and that's about $150 worth of milk if bought on sale for $3.00 a gallon, plus a few other ingredients, so about $2.00 for 2 quarts of yogurt and I just paid $2.50 for 24 ounces the other day (cause we were out and people had been sick, so dh wanted yogurt) Go figure, we do go in spurts, we can eat, eat, eat it and then it sits.

Anyway, here's my recipes:

Homemade Yogurt
7 cups milk
1 pkg. gelatin
2/3 cup instant milk
1/2 cup raw sugar or equivalent sweetener
4 Tbsp. yogurt (active cultures or equivalent yogurt starter)

In a small measuring cup, place the yogurt and let it sit while you cook the milk & other ingredients. Mix ingredients (except yogurt) in a large saucepan and cook to 180 degrees, do not boil. Let cool to 112 degrees (takes about a half an hour depending upon the size of the pan) Stir in a small amount of the milk mixture into the yogurt and then transfer back to the saucepan. Stir well (you may add 1 tsp. vanilla if you would like, best to do it here) and divide into two quart jars (or large container that will hold it all), seal and wrap in a towel, set over pilot light or on a heating pad and cover with a large pot. Check in about four hours. The longer you let it sit, the tarter it will be.

[Jo in PRC]

Trish,

We make our own yogurt because all the yogurt we get here is sweet and runny (think very sweet milk with an off taste :p ) We like thick yogurt that has no sugar and then I add fruit, use it in smoothies, or use it to replace sour cream or buttermilk. I have used vanilla yogurt as a starter when I didn't have anything else and it was fine. I use powdered milk. Here's my recipe:

In a sealable one quart container;
Pour in 2 cups water.
Stir in 1 and 1/2 Tablespoons plain yogurt.
Add 1 and 3/4 cup powdered milk and whisk until blended.
Add 2 more cups water and set in warm place for 12-24 hours.

I set it on the counter in our one heated room - the master bath. It usually takes about 18 hours to get good and thick. My husband is lactose-intolerant, but has no trouble when he eats this yogurt because it completes breaks down the lactose.

Hope that helps, Jo

[AndreaD]

We make ours because it's delicious- and I've found that it does end up being cheaper for us- since we use so much of it in smoothies. Smoothies are a quick and healthy breakfast around here, or a great "after kids go to bed" snack for dh. ;) Also it's a great way to work through our storage of powdered milk. I've used vanilla as my starter- works fine- I even once used strawberry for my starter.

I use thermos jugs and a cooler to make yogurt. I do about 3 cups powdered milk (a little thicker than the ratio on the powdered milk box) and 1/2 gallon of HOT water. Mix it well, stir in sugar and vanilla if I want (sometimes I do, sometimes I make it plain) Gently stir in my yogurt starter. Put the lid on the jug, and place the jugs in a cooler full of HOT water. Leave it alone for 4-6 hours. Don't stir it, don't peek, don't jiggle it etc. Then put it in the fridge. The next morning I have yogurt ready for smoothies.

I've tried all sorts of ways of making it- getting the milk hot, then cooling like Kristine mentioned, but for ME hot water in the thermos jug works the best. It comes out nice and THICK like the store bought. Though I do sometimes have a bit of watery liquid on top that I just pour off.

[shalomew]

We make ours because it's delicious- and I've found that it does end up being cheaper for us- since we use so much of it in smoothies. Smoothies are a quick and healthy breakfast around here, or a great "after kids go to bed" snack for dh. ;) Also it's a great way to work through our storage of powdered milk. I've used vanilla as my starter- works fine- I even once used strawberry for my starter.

I use thermos jugs and a cooler to make yogurt. I do about 3 cups powdered milk (a little thicker than the ratio on the powdered milk box) and 1/2 gallon of HOT water. Mix it well, stir in sugar and vanilla if I want (sometimes I do, sometimes I make it plain) Gently stir in my yogurt starter. Put the lid on the jug, and place the jugs in a cooler full of HOT water. Leave it alone for 4-6 hours. Don't stir it, don't peek, don't jiggle it etc. Then put it in the fridge. The next morning I have yogurt ready for smoothies.

I've tried all sorts of ways of making it- getting the milk hot, then cooling like Kristine mentioned, but for ME hot water in the thermos jug works the best. It comes out nice and THICK like the store bought. Though I do sometimes have a bit of watery liquid on top that I just pour off.


I was just going to ask a make your own yogurt question!

AndreaD - how much "starter yogurt" do you stir in your milk mixture? And are you using a plastic type Thermos jug or a metal type fancier one? Just curious.

[Michelle]

We have just started this endeavor and I am not sure it will save us any money, but it will be another thing that does not have sugar in it!

We make a lot of smoothies, and often have yogurt and fruit for snacks or breakfast. My decision to make ours was based on having yogurt without sugar, although at times we add do add honey. Another benefit I discovered this week, no more plastic containers to stack or throw away. We just use our quart glass canning jars :)

Oh, and the kids think it tastes great PLAIN :surprise: I was reallly thrilled with that! :lol:

[debbie in ak]

We make our own because it tastes better, less sugar, and it does save us money. I make yogurt from dry milk which saves even more.

[Merrilee Morse]

I have tried several different recipes, and mine keeps coming out very thin and runny, almost (please forgive me) a texture like mucus. Can someone please tell me what I am doing wrong? I have tried gelatin and everything, and it never comes out nice and thick like store bought, no matter how long I let it set up.

[AndreaD]

I was just going to ask a make your own yogurt question!

AndreaD - how much "starter yogurt" do you stir in your milk mixture? And are you using a plastic type Thermos jug or a metal type fancier one? Just curious.


Starter- I use about a couple of tablespoons 2-4 depending on how much I save out from the last batch.

Here's a thermos similiar to the ones I use http://www.amazon.com/Coleman-Gallon-Poly-Lite-Jug-Blue/dp/B0000AUSM5/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1200425683&sr=8-4

Then I put it in a cooler similiar to this http://www.amazon.com/Coleman-16-Quart-Excursion-Cooler-Blue/dp/B000G68GW2/ref=pd_bbs_sr_10?ie=UTF8&s=sporting-goods&qid=1200425740&sr=8-10

Merilee- I think the trick is to keep the temperature right about 110 degrees steady- not too hot and not too cold, and NOT disturb it. Don't whisk in the starter, just very gently stir it in.

[Lisa in Ft. Worth, T]

Merrilee, Andrea is right. Temperature and not messing with it is key. And...I will say that everyone likes their yogurt made at different temps. Anywhere from 109 - 112. Just pick a temp and stay with it for a batch. You can try different temps on different batches. If I were you, I'd stick with 110 and then play with it.

[Lisa in Ft. Worth, T]

Tricia,

I make my yogurt because I KNOW directly where the ingredients came from - it is made with raw cow's milk (sometimes I keep the temps low so that I can still get the enzymes other times, I heat it up to enjoy it being thick). I also like the flavor of mine and the freedom to add whatever I want to make great flavored yogurts.

I just make it on my stove and culture in a thermos, or back porch if it's hot enough outside. It shouldn't cost that much to make your yogurt. If it is, you can always get rid of the yogurt maker and just make on the stove like many women on this board do. :yes:

Good luck!!! Once you get the hang of it - it's super easy and your family will love it. :)

[Jo in PRC]

Merrilee - Mine used to come out differently each time. That was when I was using a water bath to hold the temp at between 110-118. Now that I do the "set in on a warm counter for a whole day method" it consistently comes out very thick and creamy. Go figure.

[Gail in NY]

we make ours because I know what's in it, dh and dc love it, and I could never afford to buy it because there is so many of us. Besides that, we have 35 cows in the barn that we milk morning and night so we have around 1200lbs of milk in our tank daily!!:yum: :D

In cold weather we get lots of hot chocolate too:yum:

[Janeen]

I have tried several different recipes, and mine keeps coming out very thin and runny, almost (please forgive me) a texture like mucus. Can someone please tell me what I am doing wrong? I have tried gelatin and everything, and it never comes out nice and thick like store bought, no matter how long I let it set up.

I used to have this problem, too. I was making yogurt with raw milk and didn't want to heat it too hot and destroy all the enzymes that came with the raw milk. Anyway, it always came out runny, with the kind of texture you are describing. I finally gave up and just went to bringing the milk to a boil, and have had wonderful, thick, creamy yogurt ever since. I don't even have to add dry milk anymore. :)

Janeen

[Kendra AU]

You could turn runny yogurt into custard style yogurt.. there's a method for that on the hillbillyhousewife.com The only downside to it is that you use jell-o mix, which of course has food coloring and sugar in it...

Kendra

[April in PA]

I make soy yogurt, because of my kids' allergies. It is much cheaper for me to make it myself, especially because right now, their soy milk is cheaper than the organic cow's milk I buy for dh and I. It is difficult to find inexpensive (and by that I mean around $.80) yogurt for them, plus, our grocery store stopped carrying the kind that is all soy and replaced it with a soy yogurt that also contains dairy.

But I also love that I control what goes into it!