Making Yogurt
August 12th, 2008 by adminPeople have been making yogurt for over 4000 years now, but what exactly is it? Generally it is a dairy product that has been fermented by “friendly” bacteria. Cow, goat, and buffalo milk are commonly used for making yogurt, but more recently soy milk has been used to make a truly vegetarian alternative.
Unlike cheese, it is bacteria and not enzymes that are used to make yogurt, but the concept is the same. The bacteria feed on the milk protein and make lactic acid. This acid then acts on the remaining protein and helps solidify it. However, with yogurt there is a less pronounced separation of the curds and whey, although it is possible to drain excess moisture from freshly made yogurt to make an ever firmer product.
Yogurt nutrition is very good, as it is a good source of protein, calcium, riboflavin and vitamins B6 and B12. In addition, yogurt is a great way for lactose-intolerant people to get nutrients from dairy, since the bacteria have already processed most of the milk sugar. Lastly, the bacteria present in yogurt can be beneficial in preventing and treating various gastro-intestinal conditions, as I can attest to personally.
However, it is important to note that to get the benefits of the bacteria, they must be alive at the time of consumption. Most store-bought yogurt contains very little, and in some cases absolutely no live bacteria. Even the brands that advertise their pro-biotics (which simply means “good bacteria”) do not have nearly as many live cultures as what you can get by making yogurt at home.
Because of the way the bacteria creates lactic acid, plain natural yogurt is a little bit sour. Adding a little fruit, honey or sugar takes the edge off, and usually adds a lot less sugar than is added to commercial products. Also, homemade yogurt is not always as firm as store-bought, as commercial products often have gelatin or pectin added. However, straining the yogurt through cheese cloth or other fabric can result in a very firm product that is often called yogurt cheese.
Aside from straight up or with fruit added, two other popular serving styles are as a smoothy (an excellent breakast idea) or frozen. If you are not sure how to make frozen yogurt (or ice cream for that matter) at home, then keep watching for my post coming up soon about how to make it…it is a lot easier than you would expect.
So is making yogurt really that easy? You better believe it is! There are 4 basic steps:
1. “Scald” the milk, which means heat it up to a specific heat and hold it there for long enough to kill the unwanted bacteria.
2. Let the milk cool down to just above body temperature.
3. Add the bacteria, either in the form of a yogurt starter package or in a small amount of yogurt from a previous batch.
4. Keep at a warm temperature for long enough for the bacteria to do its job. This can take anywhere from 4 to 18 hours depending on the amount, the temperature and the strain of bacteria used.
Truth be told, you do not need a yogurt machine to make yogurt, but I find it far more convenient. Having a machine that keeps it at the optimal temperature is just easier, and there are no spoiled batches. The way I think about it, I really don’t need a toaster either, since the oven can toast bread too, but I still have a toaster because it is easier. I figure anything that is easier is something I am more likely to do, and yogurt is something that I don’t want to do without!
