Yogurt

I've been terribly busy for the last few months and haven't had much time to make any cheeses. But yesterday I had an extra hour or two, so I made fresh yogurt! It's incredibly easy to make, keeps for two weeks in your fridge, and tastes worlds better than any store-bought yogurt I've ever had. I plan to make it on a regular basis. Here's the how to:

1. Heat 1-2 quarts of any type of milk (I used 2 quarts of pasteurized whole cow's milk) to 185F.
2. Remove the milk from the heat source and let it cool to 112F.
3. Mix in 1 packet of yogurt starter culture. (I used the Y5 culture from New England Cheesemaking Supply Co., which is supposed to yield a rich, creamy, sweet yogurt. Click HERE for the link.)
4. Cover and keep the temperature at 112F for about 10 hours.

I was a little stumped about how to do #4, and read that some people put the milk/culture mix into the oven, keeping the door closed and the oven light on -- which keeps the interior at about the right temperature. Others place the mixture on an electric heating pad on the low setting. In the end, I decided to purchase a "Yogotherm" unit. This is nothing fancy -- just a bucket inside a bigger bucket with styrofoam in between -- but it does the trick. (WAY overpriced, but apparently it lasts forever and pays for itself in saved yogurt bills in no time.)


I just had some for lunch drizzled with Blueberry Blossom Honey from Red Bee, and it was truly fantastic!!! Here's the finished product:


A couple of additional thoughts:
The yogurt is a little thinner than store-bought varieties, but you can add 1/4 cup dry milk powder or 1 tablespoon of gelatin to make it thicker. I'll try this next time just to see how it works. I'm also going to try it with 2% and maybe even skim milk, as I plan to eat a lot of this and don't want to have to do extra miles on the treadmill to make up for it. Finally, once you have made your first batch, you can save 2-3 tablespoons of the yogurt to use in lieu of the starter culture for your next batch. Once this stops working, use a new packet of yogurt culture and start again.

I also plan to try to make Greek yogurt, which I love! Apparently, this involves hanging the yogurt in a muslin bag to let it drain and thicken. I'll try it soon!