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Sunday, April 20, 2014

Making yoghurt

I've tried a few kinds of ferments or cultures, but none have been as successful for me as yoghurt making. When we first moved into this apartment the pilot light in the oven confused me, but I soon realised it creates a perfect incubator for stuff like yoghurt. So I started making yoghurt, using a plain old supermarket yoghurt as a starter culture and any whole milk. I kept it going for about six months before deciding to quit eggs and dairy.

Yoghurt is definitely the thing I miss most (followed by eggs). We had visitors last weekend from Germany (T+C), along with their 18 month old (she shares my name!) who needs milk to sleep at night and loves yoghurt. They left some of both behind in the fridge and I had a field day - the yoghurt didn't last long, but before it was all eaten I used some to make the milk into yoghurt (I've never cared much for milk).

 (do this in the evening and the yoghurt will be made by morning and ready to eat (although I prefer it chilled))

1 quart (~1 litre) whole milk
2 tbsp yoghurt (this time it was Greek; any live, plain yoghurt seems to work; this is the starter culture)

Put the milk in a large saucepan and heat. Bring it almost to the boil, so it just starts to froth (aiming for 85C). Then switch off the heat. Fill the sink with cold water (iced ideally) and bathe the base of the pan in it to speed cooling. Bring it down to 37C (body temperature - test with inside of wrist). Take out of the sink and whisk the yoghurt thoroughly through the milk. Pour the milk mixture into clean plastic tubs with lids (I use old yoghurt tubs), then put the lids on and put the tubs in the switched-off oven*. Leave for about 8 hours or overnight.

In the morning, open and check - it should have thickened and soured so it is recognisably yoghurt. Stir and then put the lid back on and keep in the fridge. I found it keeps well for up to two weeks. When it starts getting low you can use the homemade yoghurt as starter culture for a new batch with fresh milk - you will never have to buy yoghurt again!

*Must be an oven with pilot light so always warm. If you don't have this you need another way of maintaining 37C - airing cupboard, hot water bottles and towels wrapped around the tub... If you use the oven leave yourself a note so you don't forget it's in there.


This works really well. In those six months it worked every time (texture and taste varied a bit but it was always unequivocably yoghurt, and always tasty). It does tend to come out a little thinner than commercial yoghurt but that doesn't really bother me - you can strain it or try adding powdered milk if you'd like it thicker. I wondered if using Greek yoghurt culture might help with thickness, but I suspect this wouldn't last beyond the first few goes around as the proportions of bacteria probably shift. I have tried this yoghurt making protocol with non-dairy milks but never had any success.
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