Yeh, I started eating yogurt again for the probiotics but stopped because of the sugar (I cannot eat the plain stuff.) I've strained yogurt to make "yogurt cheese," long before Greek yogurt hit the scene. I didn't know there was more to yogurt cheese than that...at least I don't recall any other steps, but it was a long time ago. Re: Tzatziki...it's only good when it sits on top of a gyro. So kidding aside...is there any way to make plain yogurt palatable? I'm thinking of starting to eat the sweetened fruit yogurt again because I'm eating sweets after dinner anyway, and the sweetened yogurt at least has health benefits. It's just that the times I've tried it, it's not been a pleasant experience.
Your yogurt is going to be naturally thicker when you make it with cream, @Beth Gallagher . You can do it either with or without adding the 1/4 cup of powdered milk, but if you have it and add it, the yogurt should be a little thicker, and will have more protein. The longer you leave it, the thicker it is supposed to get , but it will also have more of a sour taste if you leave it longer. I usually leave mine for about 12 hours, but it might depend on the temperature you are culturing the yogurt at. With kefir, it will culture on the counter overnight in the summer, but takes over 24 hours in the cooler winter temperature; and then it is pretty sour, so I generally make kefir in warmer weather; but with the yogurt maker, it is always the same temp, so it won’t matter. It will be thinner until it has chilled overnight, too; so do not be worried if it is still runny when it is first done and still warm. What i read, is that the commercial yogurts are only cultured a few hours, and then thickened with some type of thickener and some use gelatin to thicken the yogurt. I have never used an instant pot, but have read that people do, and there should be lots of good youtube tutorials about doing that.
You could try it with some fresh fruit added and maybe just a few drops of honey. I love all the stuff like buttermilk, cream cheese, sour cream, creme fraiche, etc. so I guess I just naturally liked yogurt, too.
I was just reading my IP manual and it seems quite easy to make yogurt in there. Of course it is not cooked under pressure but will use the regular pot lid for the fermenting. Sounds easy enough.
@John Brunner - Tzatziki is good with grilled meats, to dip fresh veggies, or to eat on a pita. That would be one way to get your yogurt.
So what is everyone using for their containers when making yogurt? Are you boiling small jars and then treating them in a sanitary manner, or are the standards looser than that? I bought small canning jars to make yogurt in my dehydrator (because it holds low temps for a long time) and use probiotics as the starter, but have yet to follow through.
I just store it in a quart mason jar. My yogurt maker has a cover for the vessel that it ferments in so I could just cover it and refrigerate. Just so your storage is clean, I don't think sterilization is necessary but you can suit yourself.
After my yogurt set up, I would divide it up into 1 cup plastic containers with lids and stored them in the refrig.
My yogurt maker is a Cousinart one that makes about a quart at a time in one container. You can set the hours, but the temperature is pre-programmed in. It does a good job with regular yogurts, but when I was making the L.Reuteri probiotic yogurt, the Cousinart was too hot, and I bought one from Amazon that makes little jars and you can set the heat and the temperature. For some reason the last batch of the L.Reuteri turned out terrible tasting (even the dogs wouldn’t touch it), and I have to start over with more of the probiotic capsules if I make more of that again. Otherwise, I just use starter from the last batch, or I use a starter from store bought yogurt.
So like Beth and Yvonne, your maker has its own container that you remove the finished yogurt from and portion in your own containers? How attentive are you to sanitizing the incubating container? Everything I read says to boil the jars.
I wondered how that worked out. I bought some L.Reuteri capsules that were way higher in CFUs than that author said he could get. I was gonna make yogurt out of them...I've not taken any. My last attempt at expanding the strains and increasing the CFUs upset my gut.
This Pioneer Woman page has some good information on making yogurt in a crock pot. This looks like a good solution, too. https://www.thepioneerwoman.com/foo...s/a93141/how-to-make-yogurt-and-greek-yogurt/
I eat a lot of yogurt...it makes a quick pud. I use it instead of cream on various fruits. I have tried making my own, using the Yogo system. It was ok but the quantity was too much and I ended up throwing a lot away.
I have never had a yogurt maker. I make mine the old fashion way, I guess. I make mine in a large stock pot then transfer it over into a large bowl; covered, and then set it in a 100 degree oven over night to incubate. It's pretty easy. And I might add that there is a bit more to it than mixing it all together. It's not hard or complicated, in my opinion. It's all safe!
@John Brunner -- it certainly wouldn't hurt to sterilize your equipment/storage jars if it makes you more comfortable to do so. Fresh yogurt doesn't keep a long time so if you make a small batch (1 qt instead of a gallon) you will likely eat it in a few days. If you are relatively clean in the kitchen then you know food handling safety and should be fine.