Making Yogurt at home

[Monica Bhide]

I love making yogurt at home. My method is very simple. Boil the milk - let it cool to the "pinky test" (if your pinky can stay in it for a full 20 seconds without your yelling bloody murder, then its ready). Add prepared yogurt ( about a spoon or so depending on the quantity of milk). Mix well. Pour milk into a bowl you can cover. Set overnight in a warm place (oven with pilot light on, or wrap the container in a towel). DOnt touch it for the rest of the night. in the morning you will have -->

BTW_ this one is made with the low carb milk. It is the thickest best yogurt I have ever made.

So what is your yogurt making secret???

[Monica Bhide]

I am told that if there is no culture.. people use silver coins to set the yogurt as well.. true?

[bong]

So what is your yogurt making secret???

Really, there is no secret. Making regular yogurt is pretty easy, as you have pointed out. I make yogurt at home, and its really easy to make.

Make sure that the yogurt you use as culure has "active" or "live" culture written on the packaging. Or use from the batch you made earlier.

Oh, another trick I use is to add non-fat instant milk powder to the milk. This seems to make the resulting yogurt creamier.

For instance, if I use 1 quart (approx 1 litre) non-fat milk, I add 1 cup instant nonfat powdered milk. If I use 1 quart of full-fat regular milk, I add only 1/2 up instant nonfat powdered milk.

The milk needs to be lukewarm (110 degree fahrenheit) when you add the culture.

Making "Mishti Doi" (bengali style sweetened yogurt), however, is another matter. I am still trying to perfect the recipe. Right now, I only get a 40% success rate.

[Monica Bhide]

Bong - you would be surprised at how many emails I get from people trying to perfect yogurt making at home

I think it might be harder in cooler places.. if you dont let it set in a warm place.. the yogurt just wont come out right

[balmagowry]

You might want to check out this thread over on the Cooking forum: Yogurt-Making @ Home - the subject has been discussed at considerable length, and there are some useful links to yogurt-making info, both scientific and anecdotal.

[Monica Bhide]

Just saw it. Thanks

[Monica Bhide]

ALright so fine.. we have the tips -- how about some fun inventive things to do with this yogurt.. I know I can make raitas and Lassis till the cows come home..............................

how about something different???

[Milagai]

ALright so fine.. we have the tips -- how about some fun inventive things to do with this yogurt.. I know I can make raitas and Lassis till the cows come home..............................

how about something different???

Idea 1:

Shrikhand!!

Best thing to do with "excess" yogurt!

Hang the yogurt several hours till most of

the liquid has drained out.

Then add powdered sugar, cardamom,

maybe a little saffron, and mix well and serve.

Garnish with chopped almonds / pistas if desired.

Mango shrikhand - add mango puree to the above.

Idea 2:

Aviyal

Idea 3:

Mor-kuzhambu (South Indian style "kadhi)

or Kadhi

or GUuarati Kadhi

Idea 4:

Make a face and hair pack and bathe in it

(seriously)

Milagai

[Monica Bhide]

Considering my recent bout with acne.. i might take your last suggestion first

[jw46]

I think it might be harder in cooler places.. if you dont let it set in a warm place.. the yogurt just wont come out right

Our method uses a stainless steel thermos bottle preheated with some hot water..

put the warm milk and culture mixture in seal it up and forget about it till tomorrow...

The friendly bacillus will do their magic and all is well with the world..

[Vikram]

I think starting with good yoghurt is key. When I moved to my new house I started by using some yoghurt from a neighbouring dairy which has amazing yoghurt and paneer and the result is much better than I was making before. I think another trick is to actually use very little of the started - I just smear a very little amount on the sides of the pan and then leave it to set all night.

Vikram

[Monica Bhide]

I think starting with good yoghurt is key. When I moved to my new house I started by using some yoghurt from a neighbouring dairy which has amazing yoghurt and paneer and the result is much better than I was making before. I think another trick is to actually use very little of the started - I just smear a very little amount on the sides of the pan and then leave it to set all night.

Vikram

I agree with you -- the quality of the starter does make a huge difference. I borrowed mine from my aunt whose yogurt is delightful

[Rushina]

Yoghurt making is a tradition that has been prevalent in most Indian houses over a millenia. Daily routine involved setting yoghurt for the next day every night.

In fact when I got married and set up my own home, I took a bit of yoghurt for the starter from my mothers house.

I use Nestle Packaged milk so what I do is that I pour the milk into the bowl stir in the starter and stick it in the microwave. The amount of the starter varies depending on the season. Less in the summer more in the winter. I microwave it on high for 1 minute if the milk is at room temp and 2 mins if the milk has been in the refridgerator. 1 minute of it is summer and 2 mins in the winter.

I want to know how to make flavoured yoghurt. I like that a lot but the idea of copious amounts of sugar in packaged versions scares me.

Rushina

[Episure]

You can sweeten the milk with jaggery before setting it.

Right now I am experimenting with fruits and fruit purees, will let you all know what worked and failed.

[sridee]

Living here in the northeast US, it can be difficult to set yogurt in the cool weather and a drafty house. A friend of mine from Delhi shared a foolproof way to set yogurt.

After boiling the milk and doing the *pinky test*, pour it into a stainless steal container with a tight fitting lid, add the starter yogurt, whisk well and then - here's the key- put the lid on tightly and place into a microwave, closing the door. Do NOT put the microwave on, just let it provide a close airtight enviroment for the warm milk in the metal container to sit overnight.

If you do this exactly.....I PROMISE perfect yogurt in the morning. I've done this twice a week for almost a year and only got one failure when i knew the milk was still too hot but tried to hurry it.

By the way.....has anyone tried adding some *chunky chat* masala to yogurt with some grated cucumber? The masala makes it irresistable!!

enjoy!!

[Episure]

Okay I just tasted my Mishti Dhoi which I put to set last night using palm jaggery and it's turned out fine.

This palm jaggery is rock hard stuff and it took me 20 minutes of boiling in little water to liquefy it, after that I added it into the milk with the starter.

Next time I will use full fat milk in a clay pot and I think it will taste the same as K.C. Das's.

Edited April 24, 2004 by Episure (log)

[bong]

Okay I just tasted my Mishti Dhoi which I put to set last night using palm jaggery and it's turned out fine.

Please send some via Fedex. DHL will also do. Specify rush shipment.

To make my home-made mishti doi, I have been experimenting with adding Caramel. But half the time, when I do this, the yogurt does not set. I think this failure to set is somehow related to the caramel, but am not sure. I have no trouble making plain yogurt though.

Anyway, I had found this link a while back with great tips on making yogurt, some of you may find it useful: http://ianrpubs.unl.edu/dairy/g449.htm