Do you know this feeling when you are food shopping and your favourite brand of yogurt is sold out?
You are in a hurry and just grab a jar, only to find out at home that it was the wrong kind.
And the choices these days are: Greek yogurt, organic plain yogurt with no additives, varying in quality from rather liquid to firm (what is added to make it this obnoxiously firm?). I will not mention skimmed milk yogurt (this is my subjective opinion), (artificial) vanilla flavoured, sugared, fructose or saccharine enhanced kind, preservatives etc.
I prefer my yogurt in organic quality, to be used as a base for my fruit and Chia seed breakfast or in salad dressings, lassis, dips and sauces. And Roco, my dog, gets at least one yogurt per week in his food and loves it.
Years ago I owned a yogurt maker, a handy machine that got lost somehow (read: I did not use it that often). Maybe I should start looking for a replacement and checked it out:
You can get yogurt makers relatively cheap from $ 25.00 for a Digital Yogurt Maker
In the end I decided against it for various reasons:
My kitchen may be big but it definitely cannot hold any more domestic appliances.
I want to downsize, I do not want to enlarge my ecological footprint.
I want to use my pretty Weck 140ml Preserving Jar
I want to reduce my use of plastic in my household.
Next step: I needed a recipe for homemade yogurt. Google gave me the answer: The Frugal Girl makes her own yogurt and on top has lots of advice to offer!
My first go at it:
Homemade Yogurt
Preparation time: 20 minutes (+ 3 hours in steamer or cooler)
Yield: 8 jars of 140 ml
Ingredients
1 L of organic and regional milk
1 small cup of organic plain yogurt
Method
Place your jars and lids in a large pot. Fill with 3 – 4 cm (1 inch) water and cover pot with lid. Boil for 10 minutes.
Sterilize your jars
Simultaneously put your milk in a heavy bottomed pot and heat to 90° C (185 – 190° F)
Heat up milk to 90° C (185° F)
Cool the milk to 55° C (120° F) by placing it into your sink filled with cold water
Add 150 g of yogurt and integrate well by using a whisk
Pour the mixture into your hot jars and put the lids (and bands) on
All ready to go into the steamer for 3 hours
Heat steamer to 55° C (120° F), put your jars in and let them sit there for three hours
Tips
You can use a cooler instead of the steamer (put a gallon of 55° C hot water in it before adding your jars, shut cooler lid and leave it in a warm place)
I tried some jars with a band and some without: it does not make a difference
Add 1 – 2 tablespoons of natural vanilla essence to your cooling milk
Pretty, is it not?
The result: a nice yogurt with the right consistency, with a rich and creamy taste. On top it is cheap and easy to produce. The yogurt should keep for a month stored in the fridge.
And now I am off to enjoy my first homemade yogurt with strawberries and Chia seeds. Bon appétit!
Comments 10
Sounds Yummy to me
this is such a great idea! I read somewhere you can use the light of your oven to make yoghurt 🙂
Hi Barbara! Wow – we have completely different ways of making yogurt! (We call it leban – Lebanese) My method uses just one large bowl and about a tablespoon of “starter” and 24 hours incubation wrapped in a blanket in the large bowl. The temperatures I use are different too 😮 But you’re right – you don’t need a commercial yogurt maker!
I grew up eating the sour sort – wonderful with Lebanese foods, and perhaps an acquired taste, but then I tried Greek Yogurt, in Greece. I use some of it as a starter and the leban comes out sweet and thick, like Greek yogurt. He eats it with his breakfast fruit. It’s not as good with Lebanese food, though, sour is better!
Yours are packed to go! That’s cool. Do you add fruit?
Nice to see you around here again! Sorry I just saw this (at Triberr) – was busy and away all weekend.
Lori
CarlyAlyssaThorne Thanks, Carly, for visiting. It really is very tasty and I am so happy to have found this recipe!
tandysinclair Hi, Tammy! Love the idea of using your oven light but I can imagine it works, all that is needed is a certain temperature to get the milk going.
Lori Hi Lori, lovely to see you!
Do you let your bowl sit in a warm spot? And what temperatures do you use? In short: would you mind sending me the recipe? I would love to try the Lebanese kind, it must be the same as the Indian.
I did not add any fruit this time but I am thinking of making a batch with honey. Though I really prefer the sour and unsweetened kind.
I am glad I finally wrote a post, between walking Roco and going to hospital there is little time and I want to make the most of it. I will write to you on FB messenger.
I love yogurt and you make this sound so easy I have to try it! Thanks for sharing this Barbara. (And you are in my thoughts my friend.)
jonesbabie Thank you so much, Cathy, this means so much to me! Thinking of you and keeping my fingers crossed, good wishes and hugs across the oceans.
Do try it, it really is easy, I will be making another batch this weekend!
Barbara, how about you come to London and do it for me? I think that I am hopeless at cooking and it is a tad too complicated for me…
JSJ2020 Anytime, Muriel, give me a shout and I will come running, no probably flying! Fishing for compliments? You are not helpless at cooking at all, what about some bouillabaisse?