Making your yoghurt is such a joy and makes you realise how much rubbish is in conventional yoghurt. The more batches you make the more you learn as you go. So keep practising until you find your perfect way to make it. So here are a few guidelines:
Raw Cow Milk Yoghurt
What you will need:
- 1 litre Raw milk or organic milk
- 3.5 Tablespoons from the previous batch of yoghurt or good commercial yoghurt
- Thermometer
- 1 litre glass container (sterilised)
- Cheesecloth/dish towel
Method:
Gently heat the milk in a saucepan. Using a thermometer bring the temperature up to 110 F or 43 C and then turn off the heat. Remove 2 T of the warm milk and add 1 T yoghurt. Stir well and pour into a glass container. Add an extra 2.5 T of yoghurt to the jar and stir well. Cover and place into the oven with the pilot light on or a dehydrator set at 95 F or 35 C or a warm spot but not direct sunlight, once it's set place it into the fridge.
Notes:
- Depending on the temperature it will set in a shorter or longer time. If at 35 C it should be about 8 hours however longer time if cooler, up to 24-48 hours. You need to keep checking.
- You could do 500ml milk and 500ml cream for a creamier yoghurt
- The consistency will always be runnier than commercial yoghurt
- If you want to make the yoghurt thicker, strain it through a muslin/tea cloth for a few hours. You can use the whey for fermenting.
- If using pasteurised milk heat the milk to 180 F/82 C and cool to 110 F/43 C and then
- continue as above
- To sterilise a glass container either put it through the dishwasher or by pouring boiling water over it, or submerged in the water.
Coconut Yoghurt
Coconut yoghurt is delicious and great for vegans or those who can't eat dairy. If you can get your hands on some fresh coconuts and can make it from scratch then that is first prize.
The second prize is to make it from good quality coconut milk or cream. Make sure you use one that does not contain additives. It should just be coconut.
Most shop-bought coconut yoghurt contains thickeners and stabilisers so its best to make your own. There are a few different ways.
- Using 1 tin coconut milk –this will produce a more drinking yoghurt style. Or using coconut cream – this will produce a thicker yoghurt
- If you want it really thick and stable you could add a ‘healthy’ thicker such as kuzu or arrow root or agar.
What you will need:
- Glass container (sterilised)
- 1 tin of Coconut Milk/Cream
- A starter culture - you can use probiotic capsules or yoghurt from a previous batch or both.
- 350ml warm water (filtered)
Coconut yoghurt (drinking style)
Place the tin of coconut milk into the glass container, add 2 probiotic capsules, and place in a warm spot to incubate as per milk yoghurt – oven with pilot light, dehydrator, or warm sunny spot
Coconut yoghurt (thicker)
Melt the coconut cream gently, then add the water, and whisk until smooth, you can do this by heating it all in a pan. Leave it to cool to 110 F or 43 C. Add the starter culture. Again leave in a warm place to incubate.
Notes:
- Taste and check after 8 hours, the longer you leave it the more sour it will become.
- Depending on where its left – dehydrator/oven/sunny spot it will take more or less time
- If you want to add a healthy thickener, such as kuzu, arrow root or agar, they require heat so follow directions e.g. 1 T kuzu powder mixed into 1 cup liquid. So you would add 1 T kuzu to 1 cup coco milk, then add that into the rest of the coconut milk. Heat until almost boiling and then allow to cool. Once cool proceed as before.
(Cover image source: https://www.mountainfeed.com/)