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CloversMum
3486 Posts
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 Posted - Jul 23 2015 : 11:23:58 AM
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| What is everyone's favorite yogurt recipe? I'd love your recipes and instructions. I've made goat milk yogurt which was a total flop so I need a great, no-fail Jersey milk yogurt recipe. :-) |
Loving life and family on our Idaho farm, Meadowlark Heritage Farm; A few Jersey cows; a few alpacas; a few more goats, and even more ducks and chickens |
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farmlife
1413 Posts
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Posted - Jul 23 2015 : 12:19:27 PM
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| I just made my first batch of yogurt a little bit ago. I would use the recipe in Milk Cow Kitchen. Make sure to really whisk in your store bought yogurt for culture. If it is at all lumpy your yogurt will be too. |
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txbikergirl
3197 Posts
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Posted - Jul 23 2015 : 5:14:44 PM
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charlene, i am a no frills yogurt person so i go with the "crockpot yogurt" method. google it. essentially milk goes into the crockpot and heats up to pasteurize, then drops back down to 110 or so.. then you put in your yogurt base and stick the crockpot unplugged in the oven overnight with the oven light on.
easiest yogurt ever and always no fail for me. also, i always take about 1-2 cups out of the warm milk mixture and mix my yogurt base into that to ensure no lumps - then mix that back into the crockpot. that way it gets really mixed in well and works the no lump method for you.
BUT i have never made yogurt from WARM fresh raw milk. i think it comes out of the cow around 100 degrees, so one of the best ways to make stable raw milk yogurt is to bypass the cooler and go ASAP to the heating and get up to your 110-114 degrees... thats how people skip pasteurization with raw milk. but if you take raw milk that was cold, then attempt to warm up to 110-114 you can get unstable yogurt results. NOTE i have NOT made yogurt from raw milk in this method (straight from cow while warm and without pasteurizing), just what people told me. i am very PRO raw milk, but being that making yogurt involves milk sitting around at warm but not hot temperatures you'll want someone else's expert opinion about safety on that.
let us know how it goes for you if you start changing things up. and i bet ashley has lots of hints in this area, probably a ton more than me |
_(199x300)_(66x100).jpg?v 93697001) Firefly Hollow Farm , our little farmstead. Farmgirl living in the green piney woods of East Texas on 23 acres with a few jerseys, too many chickens, a pair of pugs and my Texan hubby (aka "lover boy") |
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Ashley
167 Posts
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Posted - Jul 24 2015 : 07:45:43 AM
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I read this post and thought, “well I’m not sure I have anything to add”...Then I started writing, and it turns out, I have a lot to say on the subject, so bear with me (I hope it’s all helpful). These are the top tips I have (although I may think of more later):
Make sure the yogurt you use as a starter culture has good flavor, because your yogurt will taste like it. If you are using a freeze-dried starter, Bulgarian is the closest in flavor to commercial yogurt, but there are a lot of other options. Cultures for health has pretty good flavor descriptions on their website.
I have never had really good, consistent results making yogurt from raw milk. It’s runny, or smells “off”, or it just doesn’t culture at all. This might be a little strange, but I think of it this way—milk is alive, and the critters from glass-to-glass can vary. When you are making something like yogurt, you are introducing critters that you want to multiply. If the milk is raw, they have competition. So, heating the milk eliminates the competition, making it easier for your added culture to thrive. The same idea applies to sanitation--if your equipment isn't clean, you may unintentionally introduce unwanted critters that can interfere with culturing.
You need a reliable, stable heat source for culturing. I like the Donvier incubator in Milk Cow Kitchen a lot, but at home, I have an incubator with a small vat. This makes it easier to flavor the yogurt for my kids. After it has finished culturing, I usually just whisk in a little maple syrup right into the vat and transfer it to 4-oz jars. Besides a yogurt incubator, the only other method I have tried with consistent results is incubating the yogurt in a small cooler with a heating pad in the bottom. The downside to this method is if your heating pan has an auto shut-off (mine does), then you need to remember to turn it on every hour.
Whenever I make yogurt, I use the recipe in Milk Cow Kitchen. Like Keeley said, you need to make sure you really whisk in the culture yogurt, or you will have lumpy yogurt.
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Ashley (MaryJane's DIL)
MaryJanesFarm Food Guru |
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Ron
4666 Posts
Ronnie
Peever
SD
USA
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Posted - Jul 24 2015 : 08:51:51 AM
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FYI Charlene. If you have not been there already go there now.
http://www.culturesforhealth.com |
With a moo moo here and a moo moo there, here a moo, there a moo, everywhere a moo moo. |
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NellieBelle
11217 Posts
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Posted - Jul 24 2015 : 10:59:28 AM
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| I like just plain yogurt. I use thermized milk with a yogurt culture, follow instructions on the pkt. then I pour it into the 7 little 6 oz. jars, then place into the Cuisine yogurt maker. Usually works overnight and presto, yogurt. Never have had a problem. Add fresh fruit or honey. :) |
To laugh is human but to moo is bovine. Author Unknown |
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txbikergirl
3197 Posts
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Posted - Jul 24 2015 : 1:35:17 PM
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thanks for the link ron. haven't used them before.
has anyone played around with the histamine effects of probiotics? i have developed nasty sinus issues as i approach my 50s, something new to me, and i started to realize that certain yogurt products make them MUCH worse. i started to read about probiotics and how some are histamine neutral, some histamine reducers, and some histamine promoters.
once sally gets here i am going to start really playing with this and using histamine reducers to see if that helps. i know for a fact the FANTASTIC yogurt drink at my raw milk dairy uses histamine promoters as one small bottle of that and my sinus headaches and issues flame like crazy... and if i have a second bottle the next day it just gets worse. dairy itself doesn't do anything to my sinuses, just the yogurt drink there.. |
Firefly Hollow Farm , our little farmstead. Farmgirl living in the green piney woods of East Texas on 23 acres with a few jerseys, too many chickens, a pair of pugs and my Texan hubby (aka "lover boy") |
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CloversMum
3486 Posts
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Posted - Jul 26 2015 : 9:17:26 PM
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Thanks for all the advise folks! Cultures for health is a great resource and I've ordered from them before ... thanks for the reminder, Ron.
I've never heard about the histamine effects of probiotics, Cindy. Keep sharing as you learn more about it, please.
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Loving life and family on our Idaho farm, Meadowlark Heritage Farm; A few Jersey cows; a few alpacas; a few more goats, and even more ducks and chickens |
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Ashley
167 Posts
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Posted - Jul 27 2015 : 07:35:59 AM
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| I've not heard about the histamine effects of probiotics either. I'll have to look into it. If you have more to share, Cindy, I'd love it. :) |
Ashley (MaryJane's DIL)
MaryJanesFarm Food Guru |
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txbikergirl
3197 Posts
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Posted - Jul 27 2015 : 12:31:22 PM
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| once i know more ladies you'll be the first to hear. i am in research phase now, so will start experimenting in early october. i tested on myself and isolated that one yogurt drink as my issue, so now i need to buy various cultures and then see if the histamine reducers actually do anything ;> |
Firefly Hollow Farm , our little farmstead. Farmgirl living in the green piney woods of East Texas on 23 acres with a few jerseys, too many chickens, a pair of pugs and my Texan hubby (aka "lover boy") |
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CloversMum
3486 Posts
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Posted - Jul 29 2015 : 09:19:20 AM
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| Just ordered the Bulgarian yogurt starter from Cultures for Health. I'm hoping perhaps a better yogurt culture will help my goat yogurt. Last night I made some and it was still super runny and a bit too tangy. I used a Yogourmet vat incubator which seems to be working great. So today I'm experimenting with mixing 2 cups of Jersey cream (from my local co-op) with 6 cups of goat milk. I was reading that sometimes mixing more cream helps with the consistency. I did not have any lumps ... so got that kink worked out! :-) I think that I just might purchase enough Jersey milk to try in my yogurt maker as well ... full of experiments right now and getting ready for Clover's milk. After I get the yogurt down, then I'll start trying more cheeses. |
Loving life and family on our Idaho farm, Meadowlark Heritage Farm; A few Jersey cows; a few alpacas; a few more goats, and even more ducks and chickens |
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CloversMum
3486 Posts
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Posted - Sep 04 2015 : 08:15:27 AM
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Success!! I made honey-vanilla Greek yogurt yesterday and everyone likes it! lol The biggest compliment from one of my kiddos was, "This tastes like store-bought!" That is truly a compliment around my household as I continue trying to convert them over to healthier foods. And, remember my first attempt at yogurt was a colossal mistake!
Loving my new source of Jersey milk! Keep it coming, Clover!! |
Loving life and family on our Idaho farm, Meadowlark Heritage Farm; A few Jersey cows; a few alpacas; a few more goats, and even more ducks and chickens |
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CloversMum
3486 Posts
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Posted - Sep 04 2015 : 4:23:04 PM
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| A very honest friend tried my yogurt as well today and she loved it! Hurray!! No more buying yogurt at the grocery store which really makes my heart happy. |
Loving life and family on our Idaho farm, Meadowlark Heritage Farm; A few Jersey cows; a few alpacas; a few more goats, and even more ducks and chickens |
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CloversMum
3486 Posts
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Posted - Jan 26 2016 : 10:57:54 AM
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Yogurt making is going like wildfire around here! Evening expanding to two yogurt makers! We are actually beginning to sell a bit. The yogurt is tested monthly when our raw milk inspector comes. I'm making a honey-vanilla Greek yogurt and a plain Greek yogurt. Delicious, if I do say so myself! :)
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Loving life and family on our Idaho farm, Meadowlark Heritage Farm; A few Jersey cows; a few alpacas; a few more goats, and even more ducks and chickens |
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NellieBelle
11217 Posts
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Posted - Jan 26 2016 : 11:03:54 AM
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| How exciting Charlene. Nothing like our own yogurt. Everything is better, making our own. Just think how far we've come, and thanks to the most part because of MaryJane. Can't thank you enough MaryJane. |
To laugh is human but to moo is bovine. Author Unknown |
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CloversMum
3486 Posts
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Posted - Jan 26 2016 : 11:09:59 AM
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I wholeheartedly agree with you, Janet! MaryJane's book, friendship, and wisdom has been tremendous. Thank you, thank you.
This chatroom has also been a huge help, too! |
Loving life and family on our Idaho farm, Meadowlark Heritage Farm; A few Jersey cows; a few alpacas; a few more goats, and even more ducks and chickens |
Edited by - CloversMum on Jan 26 2016 11:13:16 AM |
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CloversMum
3486 Posts
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Posted - Feb 02 2016 : 11:21:33 AM
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Cindy, did you ever learn any more information about histamine effects of probiotics in regards to the yogurt?
Also, today I am trying real maple syrup in one yogurt batch. I had forgotten that Ashley suggested that in an earlier post, but just remembered as I was rereading the posts in this link. I'm thinking that real maple syrup will take the place of my raw honey AND vanilla. No other flavors needed.
We are going through more Greek yogurt so I just ordered another Greek yogurt strainer. I know I could use a different set up but it will be nice to just stack the two strainers on top of each other in the fridge.
On another thread Ashley mentioned that buttermilk weakens after a while and you need a new starter. Does the same thing happen with yogurt? I have strengthened my yogurt after a bit with another Bulgarian yogurt starter from culturesforhealth.com. Just wondering if I am doing something wrong, or if that happens to others as well. |
Loving life and family on our Idaho farm, Meadowlark Heritage Farm; A few Jersey cows; a few alpacas; a few more goats, and even more ducks and chickens |
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txbikergirl
3197 Posts
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Posted - Feb 02 2016 : 5:05:39 PM
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i have to admit that once i got the cows on-site my research has gone the wayside ;> i think about it once a week, but just haven't gotten it done..
but i need to as once sally calves may 9th we'll start to be back in milk and want more yogurt.
regarding weakening yogurt, i can't speak to that as i normally make yogurt for maybe 8 weeks straight then stop as we get overloaded on it... then start with a new starter a month later when we are hankering for it again. so once a week for two months i have pulled from each week and had no issues, but can't tell you about longer than that. |
Firefly Hollow Farm , our little farmstead. Farmgirl living in the green piney woods of East Texas on 23 acres with a few jerseys, too many chickens, a pair of pugs and my Texan hubby (aka "lover boy") |
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CloversMum
3486 Posts
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Posted - Feb 02 2016 : 7:42:21 PM
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| Eight weeks is about how long I've made the yogurt and always I feel like I need to add a bit of a refresher in terms of a starter. I'm just wondering if that is normal or if I'm not doing something correctly. |
Loving life and family on our Idaho farm, Meadowlark Heritage Farm; A few Jersey cows; a few alpacas; a few more goats, and even more ducks and chickens |
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Ashley
167 Posts
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Posted - Feb 03 2016 : 10:41:38 AM
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Charlene, I'm happy to hear about your yogurt making success! Regarding the mother culture weakening, I have never had luck keeping a perpetual yogurt starter--it always weakens after awhile. A couple months ago, when we were really coming into milk again, I was ordering starter culture from Cultures for Health and noticed listings for little bottles of culture that will culture 50 gallons of yogurt. It comes in two flavors, mild and traditional (http://www.culturesforhealth.com/kosher-yogurt-starter-traditional.html). I was excited by the idea, thinking it had the potential to be a more cost-effective way to go, so I ordered the smaller pack of traditional to try the flavor out and see how well it cultured.
The yogurt cultured fine, unfortunately the pH was off for cheese. I created a nightmarish batch of Parmesan that refused to hold its shape and stuck like glue to the cheesecloth. So, back to Bulgarian I went. I'm not sure if the mild would be any different, but I opted to stick with what I know. I've also had great success using Strauss plain whole milk yogurt from our co-op. It can be re-cultured about as many times as yogurt made from a freeze-dried culture.
Lately, I've also discovered that, sometimes no matter how diligent I am about diluting the yogurt in milk before adding it to all of the milk, I sometimes still end up with lumpy yogurt. I've found that if I just whisk it, the lumps mix right in, and I have smooth, creamy yogurt. :) |
Ashley (MaryJane's DIL)
MaryJanesFarm Food Guru |
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CloversMum
3486 Posts
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Posted - Feb 03 2016 : 1:25:09 PM
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Thank you, Ashley, for your input. I really like the Bulagarian starter from culturesforhealth.com so I think I'll just order more starters and stock up when there is a sale. In a pinch, I'll head to our local food co-op for the Strauss plain whole milk yogurt. But, like you said, I will try to stick to what I like and what the family likes ... the Bulgarian yogurt starter.
I haven't had problems with lumpy yogurt but I do whisk it each time. After I drain it for Greek yogurt, I pop the yogurt into my food processor which then makes it super creamy even after I add in raw honey or any other flavoring.
And, quite frankly, it is reassuring to hear that even you can have flops when it comes to cheese making! But it really wasn't you, though! :) |
Loving life and family on our Idaho farm, Meadowlark Heritage Farm; A few Jersey cows; a few alpacas; a few more goats, and even more ducks and chickens |
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Yogurt Recipes
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