There are several ways of making yogurt but we have chosen the best and easiest methods. Regardless of the kind of milk you use (pasteurized, raw or powdered milk), we have a recipe for producing it.
The process of preparing the ingredients which make up yogurt is very simple and uncomplicated. Most people have different views on how to get that perfect mixture to prepare yogurt.
You can decide to purchase a special machine popularly known as yogurt maker but it takes around 4 hours to prepare yogurt with it. Nevertheless, you can use almost any product; a cooler, a thermos, a crock-pot, a large saucepan, and even some blankets.
The instruction you have to follow is to maintain a steady temperature (38-42°C) for 4-8 hours. If you have made your final decision, you can then proceed to your first recipe.
How to make yogurt from the scratch
Note that you don’t have to be a professional chef or a scientist to make some homemade yogurt. There is a simple way to prepare yogurt with a minimal amount of ingredients. For this particular recipe, you will need:
- 1-3 litres of milk
- A bag of starter culture or 2 teaspoons of unsweetened active yogurt
The amount of milk added translates to the quantity of yogurt you will get in the end.
Now, let us look at the instructions and tips to follow.
Instructions
- Heat up your milk in a large saucepan and stir it continuously to prevent it from burning.
- Remove the heat source and leave it to cool till around 40°C. If you are in possession of a thermometer, use it to find out the temperature of the milk. Even if you don’t have one, feel the temperature and ensure that it is just warm.
- Pour your starter culture or your live yogurt in the warm milk and mix the ingredients together until you have a clear solution.
- Sterilize your yogurt with boiling water after storing them.
- Pour both the yogurt and milk mixture into your containers.
- Place the container in a warm environment or cover them with blankets just to maintain the temperature. Leave them for at most 8 hours.
- After the time has elapsed, endeavour to check your yogurt. If it comes out in a solid form, store it in a fridge for around 1hr before consuming. However, if it comes out in a liquid form, this implies that it still needs to be placed in a warm environment.
- You can now enjoy your homemade yogurt!
How to make yogurt from raw milk
Do you know that you can actually produce yogurt without heating up your milk? In order to achieve this, you will still need to use the same ingredients but the way you produce it is slightly different. Instead of heating up the milk before cooling it off, all you need to do is to heat it up to 40°C right away and remove the heat source.
If you intend to use a starter culture, endeavour to follow the instruction highlighted above, but if you are opting for live yogurt, add a teaspoon of yogurt to a cup of milk to get a quality mixture. The end product is usually thinner compared to the first method.
How to make yogurt from powdered milk
If you prefer to use powdered milk or you are unable to get regular milk, I advise that you try this recipe. The ingredients you will need are;
- 2 cups of warm water
- 2 teaspoons of unsweetened active yogurt
- 5 cups of powdered milk
Instructions
- Mix the powdered milk with the water and stir very well until you have a homogeneous mixture.
- Pour the homogeneous mixture into a pot and hear the mixture well until it reaches the boiling stage. Endeavor to stir it continuously to prevent the milk from burning.
- Remove the heat source and let it cool until it reaches 40°C.
- Mix the live yogurt and the milk thoroughly together.
- Pour the mixture into a sterilized pot or container and position them somewhere warm for at most 4 hours.
- Place the yogurt in a fridge.
- You can decide to add some sweetness or consume it like that.
Final points
- Your homemade yogurt will last for at most 3 days when placed in a fridge.
- You are permitted to use any kind of milk (except for lactose-free milk). Although it might affect the taste and the consistency, it doesn’t stop you from getting the required product.
- For instance, goat milk is gaining popularity and is now being considered for producing yogurt. Compared to cow’s milk, the end product is thinner. However, we also have sheep milk that results in a sweeter and thicker yogurt. Another product that you can use is non-diary milk but note that you have to add gelatin to achieve the desired result.