*Updated on the 27th due to tips I found on girlsguidetobutter.com under fool proof yogurt. It is way worth going to her website to see how she does it and there are so many other interesting things on there and I'm really excited to try the Russian Yogurt Pancakes.
I put half gallon of milk (whatever kind you want to use, I heard skim works and I've done whole but we always buy 2% so that's easier) in a glass bowl (I like using one with a handle).
Put in the microwave for 15 minutes on high.
*I found this was heating it to above 200º which is probably no big deal except longer cooling time. It only has to be heated to 185º. (Microwaves vary.) Or you could heat it slowly on the stove in a heavy bottomed pan, which I don't have, so I tried a regular pan on lower heat and it worked fine.
Take out and set on the counter...I place it on a cooling rack...and let it cool down to 100-115º. People online say it only takes an hour, but for me it takes more like 2 hours and 20 minutes.
*It definitely takes less time to cool down heated to 185º so will get a more accurate time frame on this.
I purchased a digital thermometer that has an alarm to go off at the right temperature only to find out it only reads up and not down...but it's still handy.
When it's the right temp you add about half a cup of plain yogurt.
**This is where I found I was in error when I tried making yogurt yesterday a different way. I made a whole gallon and put the whole 6oz of Fage in. According to girlsguidetobutter.com you should only add 2 TBS to a gallon. She explains it on her web site and it makes perfect sense so that is probably why I had a failed batch.
So 1 TBS for half gallon.
I used plain Fage to start mine.
*girlsguidetobutter.com said it just needs to have the 2 main lactic bacterias which are pretty much in every yogurt.
Once I had the first batch I use my own homemade yogurt for the start. Whisk that in.
girlsguidetobutter.com said never stir in circular motion. She said stir up and down or side to side. This is a cheese making technique.
(If I remember I sit it out on the counter to get to room temp and if I don't I add some of the warm milk in and stir to get it warmed up).
*girlsguidetobutter.com said it doesn't have to be at room temp. She takes half a cup of the warm milk and stirs the starter in, then adds to the pot of warm milk.
Turn your oven on to 350º degrees and set the time for ONE minute and then turn the oven OFF.
*girlsguidetobutter.com says it will incubate perfectly fine with only the oven light. No need to turn the oven on at all. If you have a gallon (in a pan with a lid on it) you don't need a towel. If you have only half gallon or less wrap in a towel.
She also lists other ways to incubate but says this is the best and easiest way.
Turn on the oven light. Put plastic wrap over the bowl. Set it on a towel and place a towel over the top (I use kitchen towels) and place in the oven for 4-8 hours. I usually just take it out around 4-5 hours. I guess the longer it sits the more sour it gets...but this method works for me so I haven't tried longer.
*girlsguidetobutter.com said that 6 or more hours is best up to basically 12 hours but you can do up to 24 hours if you like it tarter. She said the tartness comes after it cools down though, when the acid starts to work in the fridge. Never go more than 24 hours or it will spoil.
You can strain the yogurt through a fine mesh or cheese cloth or whatever, but I love this Greek yogurt strainer--it's perfect! I bought it on Amazon.
*girlsguidetobutter.com says don't use cheesecloth...too much will seep out. Just use a linen dishtowel with a colander. Very happy I have my yogurt strainer though.
I just dump the yogurt in, put on the lid, stick it in the fridge, and leave it til the next morning. It reduces it down to 1 quart of yogurt and 1 quart of whey. I keep 1 quart of whey in my fridge and rotate it. You can use it in pancakes, waffles, any recipe that calls for buttermilk or whatever else. Apparently Little Miss Muffet ate hers.
It also makes a yummy veggie dip. I mix 3 or 4 Laughing Cow cheese wedges (or you could use cream cheese) and a spoonful of Best Foods mayonnaise with dried dill and a little garlic salt. I've also made it with just the yogurt and it's good that way, too. It's super yummy with Stacy's pita chips! :)
*girlsguidetobutter.com said not to waste money on yogurt makers because you don't need them. They don't make enough yogurt, take up too much space, and cost money you don't need to spend. Using something that is functional for other things makes sense. I really like this girl. She is wise.
Failed Yogurt
I found girlsguidetobutter.com because I had a whole gallon worth of failed yogurt. She said you can just reheat it to 110-115 and incubate it again.
Mine failed for one of two reasons or both:
1 - used too much yogurt starter
2 - only incubated it 3 hours like the blogger said.
It can also fail if it's not kept at the right temp. I tried it in an ice chest with water in it at 120º. girlsguidetobutter.com says you only need to add jars of hot water to do that...much less mess I would say, and easier.
Ricotta
Another back up for failed yogurt is Ricotta, and that was SO EASY! I just reheated the yogurt. This was a quart that I had tried to strain for Greek yogurt and it was not straining. The whey had little chunks in it and the yogurt was chunky and runny at the same time. I put it in a pan on low heat til the whey completely separated from the 'cheese' (very quickly) and then drained it through a linen cloth in a colander. That went super fast (15 or so minutes) and I got this:
No comments:
Post a Comment