Homemade Yogurt **Updated** Cheese and Buttermilk

[MissPrissy]

So, how did it go?

 

[littlelemon]

My yogurt turned out great! It tasted sour to me, but I am not a yogurt eater. My husband and children liked it when I put some maple syrup in it to sweeten it a little. Myabe it was the yogurt I used for the starter. It was Brown Cow organic vanilla (I thought the vanilla flavor would give me a little sweeter yogurt), though it wasn't as fresh as it could have been. I used raw milk so I had a layer of cream on the top which was nice. It was very thick. I think I will cut down on the powdered milk next time.

I would like suggestions for natural flavorings and I have never been much of a yogurt eater and I would like to be. I just can't stomach the plain.

Also, the woman I get milk from gave me a no-heat recipe. Basically you do exactly the same thing but you don't heat the milk or add the milk powder. You just mix the starte with the milk and set it in the oven (or in this case, the cooler). I asked her if it was slimy and she said it was not, but it was a little thinner than store brands. I may try it, I hate to heat that good milk if I don't have to.

 

[MissPrissy]

When you culture the yogurt from another yogurt for starter you are not culturing the added flavorings. The sweeter commercial yogurts won't make yours sweeter. When you get everything mixed up add some honey or maple syrup to sweeten the yogurt and then set it to incubate in your cooler.

Most people don't realize that the plain yogurt taste is very similar to sour cream and that is why people use thick plain yogurt as a sour cream substitute. There are more dessert style yogurt cultures you can buy in powdered form that make a sweeter less sour yogurt.

 

[lilcountry]

If Im going to add a sweetner in it while its on the heat, do I need to add more powdered milk also, so it will stay thick?

 

[ozark hen]

lil, I use raw milk but I let it set over night and take off the cream to make my butter. I add my sweetener when I add my vanilla(or whatever)flavoring as soon as I take it off the heat. Mine is thick and rich and not sour at all since I add sweetener. I am not a yogurt fan at all but love this!!

 

[lilcountry]

Thanks..what about for skim milk though?

 

[ozark hen]

I have used store bought milk, I use the same method Miss Prissy describes in this thread. I do nothing different. Folks are also using goat's milk and doing the same thing, no difference. Only difference is the kind of sweetner and flavoring. Your choice.

 

[MissPrissy]

The only milk that does not work is the ultra pasturized stuff that is hardly even milk anymore anyway.

 

[Dilly]

Hi Miss Prissy,

I just made more this morning. Yummy stuff just as you said it would be. My hubby wanted to know why we were out. lol

Do you ever make it in larger quanities? If so, what is the most you make at a time?

Some things just do better in smaller batches, I don't want to waste product by making too much at once.

Dilly

 

[MissPrissy]

I do 3 quarts at a time. I have two big jars with rubber seal lids that hold a quart and a half each that I keep in the fridge.