Yogurt

Discussion in 'Food and Wine' started by 557, Sep 30, 2020.

  1. 557

    557 Well-Known Member

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    In the thread I started here the other day I told @Montegriffo I’d post again when I made yogurt so here it is. Got home earlier than usual so here goes...

    I use fresh unpasteurized non homogenized (raw) milk so always skim the cream off the milk. Otherwise the cream rises as the milk is fermenting and you end up with a crunchy desiccated layer of cream on top of your yogurt. I add cream back into the yogurt when I eat it.

    I’m making only six 6oz jars tonight so I don’t take up too much room in the refrigerator.
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    Milk gets heated to 180F, then cooled to 115F.

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    When the milk is at 115F I add the culture which is usually from the last uneaten jar from the previous batch.

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    Filled jars go in the warmer (at 115F) for 24 hours. Twelve hours gives you a thinner, creamier product and 24 hours a firmer consistency more like what the grocery calls Greek yogurt.

    For the microbiologists, my culture includes S. thermophilus, L. bulgaricus, L. acidophilus, B. bifidus, and L. casei.

    Yogurt is easy to make and better than commercial because you can flavor or sweeten/not sweeten to your individual taste.
     
  2. Richard The Last

    Richard The Last Well-Known Member

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    Seems no one else is going to respond so thought I would. My wife makes yogurt, nothing fancy. She actually uses non-fat dry milk and uses the same procedure as you for heating and cooling. While the heating and cooling of the milk is going on she heats the oven to 170 then turns it off but leaves the oven light on. Once the culture is added it is poured into one pint wide mouth jars (usually 4) and placed in the oven for 10 hours. It comes out to our liking and is a significant savings over commercial yogurts.

    Interesting about skimming the cream before making the yogurt. I have very little experience with raw milk so wouldn't have thought of that.

    Thanks for the post.

    Rich
     
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  3. Chrizton

    Chrizton Well-Known Member

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    Getting raw milk is easier said than done in my area. Farmers used to be willing to sell it on the side when I was a kid, but not any more.
     
  4. 557

    557 Well-Known Member

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    Cool. I’ve heard of using the oven. Sounds simple enough. Just can’t bake for ten hours. LOL

    I’ve also heard of people setting jars on top of hot water heaters as well. I used to use quart jars in a food dehydrator but my wife always has it busy drying something so I use a couple warmers I got on yard sales that look like 1960-70 vintage stuff now.

    What do you add to your yogurt if anything? I prefer some cream and fresh fruit. In the winter sometimes I use fruit preserves. Or just dump the yogurt on granola.

    I can’t believe the price of commercial yogurt. It’s insane.
     
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  5. modernpaladin

    modernpaladin Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    The govt SWATed some Amish folks for selling raw milk a while back. Thats prolly why.

    And ppl wonder why we dont trust the govt...
     
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  6. 557

    557 Well-Known Member

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    Could get them locked up depending on your state laws. Every state is different it seems.

    It’s also a lot of work and expense on the producer side. I used to sell milk to a Guatemalan lady to make cheese. She gave me a clean five gallon bucket, I filled it with fresh filtered milk, and dropped it off at her house still warm. No washing containers, no quick cooling (really necessary if shelf life and drinking flavor quality is needed), and no storage. She thought $4/gallon was high. It wasn’t worth my time. I’m guessing I’d have to get at least $10/gallon to be profitable. I can feed excess milk I don’t need to an orphan or twin beef calf and make more money in the long run with less work.
     
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  7. 557

    557 Well-Known Member

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    A few years ago people were coming from Colorado to buy jersey cows from me. The only way they could “sell“ raw milk was to take the cow home and sell “shares” of the cow to customers. Then the customer got milk from “their” cow and paid for the farmer to “feed” their cow for them. I haven’t checked the law but I think the authorities caught on to the loophole and shut it down.

    Land of the free, home of the brave....
     
  8. Richard The Last

    Richard The Last Well-Known Member

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    Very true about using the oven. My wife has been known to get up early, bake bread or cake, and then put the yogurt in. As she makes enough to last a week it really is not too inconvenient.
    At times I eat it plain in place of sour cream. Other times a little sugar and/or vanilla, raspberries fresh or frozen depending on season, or some of my home made apple pie filling. Peaches are good too but I use commercial canned as they won't grow in my area.
    Too bad about raw milk. When I was in high school my friend and I worked summers on a dairy. We had breakfast and lunch with the farmer and always had a big pitcher of milk. Good times.
     
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  9. 557

    557 Well-Known Member

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    Sounds like you eat well!
     
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  10. Chrizton

    Chrizton Well-Known Member

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    There is a farm in the county next door that tries to skirt the law by basically selling time shares in the cattle and as owners they are exempt, but otherwise, yes it is illegal here.
     
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  11. Chrizton

    Chrizton Well-Known Member

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    They have gotten after a few around here but it was more the people who bought the stuff got sick and then ratted out the farmer to the state after the farmers refused to pay them a fortune to settle their claim against them. We always got it same day fresh out the cow and never once got sick from it. Came in gallon glass pickle jars.
     
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  12. Montegriffo

    Montegriffo Well-Known Member

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    I've known people to use a thermos flask to make yoghurt.
    Like hot water bottles, the trick is to fill right to the brim so they stay warm for longer.
     
  13. 557

    557 Well-Known Member

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    That’s a good idea.
     

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