I lost this and had to re-type it! Grrrr...lol
Here is my yogurt recipe that I use in smoothies. I also make dips and dressings from it. Yogurt is great for the gut if you can handle dairy.
I don’t use my yogurt maker anymore. It’s too small, but you certainly can. Just cut the recipe down and follow the recipe up to cooling to the point 110ºF and mixing in your culture. Follow your machine instructions.
I’ll make a batch this weekend and try to post some pics.
Lady Gaea’s Homemade Yogurt (No yogurt maker needed!)
Start with very clean utensils and saucepan/pot.
1 gallon milk~ the milk must NOT be ultra-pasteurized or it won’t set. Pasteurized is OK, though.
4-5 tablespoons whole milk plain yogurt for the culture. I use Siggi’s or a little from my last batch, if it’s not older than a week and if I have some left.
Make sure you have a cook's thermometer and that you calibrate it before hand. Check it by plunging it into boiling water. Depending on where you live on this big swirling rock…that will determine the boiling point of water! It’s 212º F for me.
Heat the milk to 185ºF in a large pot... VERY VERY slowly, stirring occasionally. This should take at least 40 minutes to heat up, and you must watch that the temperature does not exceed 185ºF. When the milk reaches 180-185º, turn off the heat and let it cool to 110ºF. Temperatures make the process work… or fail. You can go under temp a bit, but going over is unforgiving.
Mix 4-5 tablespoons of the yogurt into about ¼ cup of the 110ºF warm milk in a small bowl until it is mixed and pourable. Stir this mixture back into the pot of milk, being careful not to scrape up any milk solids that may be stuck at the bottom of the pot.
Cover the pot with the lid and wrap this up in 2 or 3 towels. Place it on a counter and let sit for 12-16 hours. I make this early in the morning or in the evening.
After 12-16 hours the yogurt should be mostly “set” with some watery whey seeping around the outside. If it is still liquid, then you need to toss it and start over. If it is a solid mass, then slice it into cubes. It will be soft. That’s OK.
Line a large pasta strainer with several layers of cheesecloth and place this over a large bowl. Spoon the cubed curds into the strainer; discard the whey (watery liquid) then let sit draining for 1-2 hours. When the dripping has slowed, tie the corners of the cheesecloth together with kitchen twine and hang on a wooden spoon or dowel over a stockpot to drain. I do this in the refrigerator. I let sit for a minimum of 2-3 hours or until it is firm. I have hung it over night to make it into more of a cream cheese texture.
Dump into a bowl and whisk until smooth. You can also put it in your mixer and beat it until it is smooth. Flavor with honey, maple syrup, fruit, or add some vanilla! Use it plain in your canna smoothie!
Cheers! LG
Sadly it's a cycle that seems to repeat. The longer the time in that sweet spot...the better!
thank you so much... Now we will see if it stays down.... Very Key Oh yeah and remarkably smooth texture with minimal tools needed to mix ..... impressive