For people who love eating yogurt and chase after health quality, you can try to make yogurt yourself as well, and I believe the healthy, natural and savory yogurt won’t let you disappoint.
The basic ingredients to make yogurt has two: the first is milk, and the second is lactic acid bacteria.
The choice of milk could be whole fresh milk, or it could be semi-skim fresh milk, even UHT milk, which means milk that has been sterilized by high heat. And talking from the taste, whole fresh milk is the best for dense and thick flavor. And I do not suggest green hands to make their first yogurt with semi-skim fresh milk, for the yogurt would become watery, even it could be easier to fail if you do not master well. And no matter which milk you choose, better notice the temperature when using. The promise to success is to mix in lactic acid bacteria with milk at 95F-113F and then put in the yogurt machine. If the temperature of the milk is too low, the course of condensation and fermentation would be so slow. Thus the best way is to put milk into the pot, and use it after heating gently to body temperature.
There are two ways to acquire lactic acid bacteria, one is the lactic acid bacteria powder especially produced for making yogurt, and the second more simple way is mixing market yogurt with milk. You can reserve one bottle of milk after making and use it as the lactic acid bacteria ”seed” next time.
The important ingredient when self-making yogurt is whole milk powder. Handmade yogurt is generally more watery than market yogurt due to it has no component of coagulator. It could make yogurt harder and finer by adding whole milk powder. Besides sugar-free condensed milk also could make yogurt perfectly freeze.
Honey, caster sugar and maple syrup is a good resource of the sweetness of handmade yogurt. Self-made yogurt is sourer than market yogurt, if you do not like sour flavor, you can add pinch of honey or caster sugar to neutralize.
Jam is a great ingredient to enrich the taste of yogurt. I usually lay self-made natural jam like cherry jam, strawberry jam, raspberry jam and so on on the bottom of the bottle, and then add yogurt in. When eating, mix the jam and yogurt, it gives me a fruit flavor with natural and health value.
Next I would introduce you three ways to make yogurt.
Make yogurt with microwave: heat oven to 104F, heat a liter milk to 95F-113F, stir in a box of market yogurt<or lactic acid bacteria powder>, fold in sugar or honey according to your own favorite, and pour into 7 bottles, cover the lids, bake to 104F for 4-5 hours, and then switch off but do not open the oven, keep yogurt in the oven for 3-4 hours, and then refrigerate.
Make sure oven temperature does not exceed 113F, if exceeds, lactic acid bacteria would die and thus yogurt won’t condense.
Make yogurt with electric pressure cooker: heat a liter milk to 95F-113F, stir in a box of market yogurt<or lactic acid bacteria powder>, fold in sugar or honey according to your own favorite, and pour into 7 bottles. Pour a few centimeters of water in the electric pressure cooker, place 7 bottles in<do not cover the lids>, then cover the lid of the electric pressure cooker, cook for 15 minutes at preservation heat grade, and then switch off, stew for 8-9 hours.
Make yogurt with yogurt machine:<140ml x7 bottles>
Whole fresh milk 1 liter
Market yogurt<or lactic acid bacteria> 1 box<bag>
Whole milk powder 5 tablespoons
Honey 3 tablespoons
Self-made cherry jam 7 tablespoons
Add whole milk in a pot, heat to 95F-113F, stir in market yogurt<or lactic acid bacteria powder>, milk powder, honey and mix well. Place every bottle with a tablespoon cherry jam under the bottom, pour the milk mixture into the bottles, put them into the yogurt machine< do not cover the lids>, cover the hood of the yogurt machine, choose simmer for 8-9 hours. After the indicator light goes out, put the bottles into the freezer for cold storage.
When making yogurt with yogurt machine, make sure do not open the lid of the yogurt machine, in avoid of affecting the fermenting temperature of the yogurt. I used to start the yogurt machine at night, and the next day delicious healthy yogurts are ready!