OK, so I tried to make homemade yogurt - I don't think it worked as well as I had hoped.
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Any tips or tricks?
I bought a thermometer but didn't get a chance to use it. As it was a piece of Chinese-made crapola it broke before I even got a chance to use it (just washing it and it broke in the sponge). I guess my next batch I was thinking I'd try keeping the temp monitored, making sure the maker is warm enough, trying a different milk?
I'll tell you what I know about making yoghurt at home.
1. Use full fat milk - preferably organic so that its texture has not been tampered with. Milk which has been homogenised tends to produce "slimy" yoghurt because the fat globules have all been emulsified and proteins tend to come out of solution or stick to the bottom of the vessel when the milk is heated. I personally prefer raw milk which I get directly from the milkman rather than the packaged variety. You can also use 2% milk if you prefer low fat yoghurt, it will be softer than whole fat yoghurt although you can "hang it" to improve its consistency [if not its texture]. To improve the texture of yoghurt from 2% milk, you can add a quarter cup of organic non fat milk powder to 4 cups of milk [32 ounces] - don't use any other kind, or you will regret it.
2. Heat the milk very well, to boiling point. Let the milk reach boiling point and then lower the flame, not allowing it to boil over [a wooden spoon inserted in the milk can prevent boiling over] and let it stay at boil for a few seconds - about 20-30. Milk that has been boiled well, will give yoghurt of a better texture and consistency than milk which has not been boiled well. After boiling allow the milk to cool to 115 - 105 Fahrenheit [you can use your thermometer or just touch the side of vessel in which you boiled the milk, if its not so hot that you can keep your hand there, its cool enough; do both until you can "feel" the right temperature]
3. Use a fresh culture if possible. If you know any desis, whine, moan and bitch till they give you a bit of yoghurt culture [don't worry they will be used to it]. The yoghurt from fresh culture is unbeatable
4. Use dry culture rather than other yoghurts. If you don't know any desis, skip the whole fresh culture notion and dive directly into dry cultures.
Yogourmet, for example, makes an excellent dry culture which gives good results at home [based on Indi network gossip]. The best way to use the culture is to dissolve it in some of the milk separately, then add it to the milk at around 115 Fahrenheit and stir it into the solution. For 4 cups of milk, 5g of Yogourmet dissolved in 2 tbs milk is sufficient [check your sachets, they may be 5g or 10g]
5. After the culture is mixed into the milk, the mixture needs to be kept warm. The best way to do that is to use a thermos flask or insulated casserole or if you have it, a yoghurt maker.
Once the yoghurt is set - roughly 7-8 hours - you can set aside some for starter culture. You'll notice that after a few months, the starter culture gets less and less effective as the microorganisms plateau in their growth. At about 3 months you can start over with a dry culture.
When we make yoghurt in India, we set it in an unglazed clay pot, this not only keeps it "cool" but also absorbs a lot of residual moisture making the yoghurt thick and creamy. A good curd is tasty, neither sweet nor sour.
If you feel your yoghurt is too watery for your tastes, you can take a double fold of cheesecloth or muslin cloth, "pour" your yoghurt into it over a colander and drain the moisture for a firmer curd. Don't throw the whey, you can add it to curries or smoothies or even cereal for breakfast.
