Adventures in Yogurt

My recipe (makes 1L)

- 2C homo milk (3.25%)

- 2C table cream (10%)

- 1/2C whole milk powder

- yogourmet starter

Christmas 2010 brought me a Yogourmet yogurt maker. It's a handy little contraption but not totally necessary. There are very few things that you actually need:

- milk and or cream and or milk powder

- double boiler, (or in my case a stir fry pan on top of a pot) 

- thermometer

- yogurt culture (either leftover yogurt or probiotic starter. Yogourmet makes one)

- and, in lieu of a yogourmet, you'll need a container for the yogurt and a warm bath for it to rest in.

Pour milk into double boiler and, since it's already pasteurized, bring it up to about 40C or 105F. Add the culture making sure it's all dissolved. Pour into a container and submerge into a warm bath. Then let it sit...no less than 4 hours, possibly overnight. Refrigerate. Liquid will be present every now and then, just pour it off. Add whatever you want for flavor.
 
Using the 10% keeps a creaminess that I just can't sacrifice.  Whole milk powder isn't instant, it needs time to absorb. If you use it too early the yogurt will not be smooth but rather will have a grainy texture. I prepare it the day before but I'm sure a few hours would suffice. If you want to make low fat yogurt my advice would be to use skim milk powder, doubling the amount, and lower fat milk. Play with it and make it your own. You can use the yogurt you make as starter for your next batch. I don't think you can go on indefinitely like this, but I don't actually know. Also beware gelatin! You ca use it to make thicker yogurt but you cannot use this yogurt for starter.

Of course using higher milk fat dairy products will give you thicker yogurt. I made a few batches with 35% whipping cream and it was divine!! Loaded with tasty milk fat but insanely good! On the flip side I also tried using skim milk (no milk powder). The result was quite runny and very tart, nothing like the 35%, but still good for smoothies.

* After reading the ingredients on the yogourmet starter culture I decided to use just the probiotics. I bought a combination Acidophilus & Bifidus (and rhamnosus) and am now awaiting the result! I'll let you know how it goes. Also to come...Soy Yogurt!