Sherry said:I read the recent thread about yogurt but don't quite get the thing about
something eating sugars? I love yogurt, don't know how to make it myself as
some do...the low carb brands are rather pricey but I buy them anyway. Do I
actually have other options? I am willing to learn to make it and can
google that, also...
Hi Sherry.
Making it is very simple and you can make it either normal, i.e., using
full fat milk, or low fat, using skim or fat reduced milk. Simply, add
small amount of starter (i.e., a few spoonfuls of existing yogurt,
either from a previous batch of your own, or a commercial product to
start with) to a quantity of milk. The milk needs to be kept warm (not
hot 98-108F) for several hours while the bacteria do their work.
The longer it is allowed to process, anything up to 24 hours, the tarter
the taste. If you like a European style yoghurt, then let it stand for
at least 10-12 hours at a higher temp, 104-108. If you like a sweeter
yoghurt, then keep the temperature to the lower end of the scale, 98-104
and only let it stand until it thickens, 4-6 hours.
An ideal place for incubating yoghurt is a hot water system storage
area. If you have a reservoir style water heater, particularly if it is
in a closet, that can often be ideal.
Another very simple method of temperature control is the heater and
thermostat sold by pet shops for reptile tanks. A small box, even one of
those light Styrofoam drink coolers sold at service stations, with the
reptile heater and thermostat will allow you to process at exactly the
temperature you like.
You can use reconstituted milk, either skim, if you are worried about
saturated fats, or full cream, just as easily as fresh milk. If you use
reconstituted milk, make it up with the required amount of water and let
it stand for a day in the refrigerator.
The milk, reconstituted or fresh, needs to be heated to about 170-180
degrees and allowed to remain in that state for 15-20 minutes. This is
NOT for pasteurising purposes, it affects the whey and makes the milk
break down in a manner that gives a thicker, tastier yoghurt. You need a
milk thermometer and a double boiler for this as the the temperature
must not be allowed to rise above the 180 level, and definitely DO NOT
BOIL. Microwaves are not very good for this as they tend to heat
unevenly, some areas boil while others remain cool. Once the milk has
been kept at 180 for the required length of time, you rapidly cool it to
about 105, you do this simply by placing the container in a sink
partially filled with cold water.
If you do not wish to go to these lengths to treat the milk, it will
still work, but give a thinner, more watery yoghurt. You can further
thicken the yoghurt by adding a few grams of gelatin to the milk before
heating it. I use about eight grams per litre. This give a very thick
and creamy yoghurt even when made with skim milk. You can use a
commercial, sugar free, diet jelly if you choose. Dust the surface of
the milk with the gelatin before heating it, to allow a few minutes for
the gelatin to soften, then mix it in with a whisk. This will flavour
the yoghurt as well as thicken it. Otherwise, add a flavouring, vanilla
extract or similar, along with Splenda, or what ever sweetener you fancy
before adding the yoghurt starter. Add the starter last, and do it by
removing a cupful of the warm milk and stirring the yoghurt through it,
then return the cupful to the milk and whisk briefly.
I eat at least a kilo a day of fresh yoghurt made with skim milk,
sometimes more, and did for the whole time I was dropping weight. There
have been reports, some quite recently, regarding the positive effects
of yoghurt on weight-loss, so even if you are dieting yoghurt does not
appear to be a bad thing. The yoghurt I make has 35 calories per hundred
grams, this is about as low in calories and carbs as a food can get and
still taste really good. 🙂
Making it this way is very inexpensive, if that is a factor, plus you
KNOW what is in it. You can use the commercial packets for yoghurt, like
Easi-Yo, but they are nearly as dear as buying the commercial product
ready made and they contain chemicals (stabilisers and preservatives)
that are not really a good thing in a healthy diet, although they are a
lot simpler to use. I probably spend, in actual preparation time, about
ten minutes a day making yoghurt. Waiting for the milk to heat and cool
of course, although not involving any work, does commit some of your time.
I have a routine where I heat the milk while doing the dishes and
tidying the kitchen after the evening meal, then fill the sink with cold
water and place the yogurt bowl in the sink to finish cooling. I leave
for a few minutes then remove it and add the flavour, sweetener, and the
starter and put it in the temp controlled cupboard to process. When I
get up in the morning I take it out of the cupboard and put it in the
refrigerator.
If you want to try it and have problems, let me know, I have been
through it all before, tried many different variations and possibly
would have an answer.
BTW, you can make the yoghurt into a very healthy and very tasty cheese
by hanging it in a cloth and letting the whey (liquid) drain out for a
few hours. You salt the yoghurt rather than flavour it if you intend to
use it for cheese. It make a sort of cottage cheese.
Regards
David
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