Yogurt Making Yogurt Yogurt is a fermented dairy product. While cow s milk is commonly used in the U.S., other animal milks and even plant milk yogurts are available. Yogurt is also a food you can make a home. Basic Steps 1. Heat milk 2. Stir in yogurt starter 3. Incubate milk to become yogurt Chemistry Bacteria from the yogurt starter will digest lactose a sugar in milk to form lactic acid. Lactic acid reduces the ph of the milk, making it more acidic. This causes proteins to coagulate or pull together, resulting in a thick milk that becomes yogurt. Bacteria from a previous batch of yogurt, or a purchased starter culture of bacteria, are used to inoculate the milk and start the process. Yogurt Starter Plain yogurt you bought or plain yogurt from a previous homemade batch can be used as a starter. In either case, fresher is better as it has the most active bacteria. If using bought yogurt, use before the best by or sell by date. If using a batch of homemade yogurt, use it as a starter 5 to 7 days from when you made it. Online stores and natural food stores also may have bacterial cultures for yogurt. For purchased bacterial cultures, follow directions from the manufacturer. Nutrition and Health When made from cow s milk, yogurt is a source of protein, carbohydrates, and a variety of minerals including calcium and phosphorous. If made with milk that has fat (1% low fat, 2% reduced fat or whole milk), yogurt will contain fat and added calories from the fat. With fermentation, yogurt also contains strains of helpful bacteria that can benefit gut and immune health.
Basic Yogurt Recipe 1 quart 1% low-fat milk* 2 Tbsp plain non-fat yogurt with live culture (the yogurt starter) 1. Add milk to a medium-sized pot. Heat slowly to 180 F-185 F, stirring occasionally to prevent scorching. The milk will start to steam and form small bubbles on the side of the pot. 2. Remove milk from heat and cool to between 108 F-115 F. 3. Carefully remove 1 cup of milk into a small bowl. Stir yogurt starter into 1 cup of milk until smooth. Pour mixture back into pot and stir to combine. 4. Pour milk into desired container(s)** for incubating. Add lid(s) to cover. Incubate yogurt between 108 F-115 F for 6 to 10 hours, undisturbed. See incubator options below. 5. Once yogurt has gelled, refrigerate. This will stop bacteria from making more lactic acid, which can make yogurt taste increasingly sour. Consume within 14 days. Milk heating on stove Nutritional analysis per ½ cup serving: 50 calories, 1g fat, 55mg sodium, 6g carbohydrate, 0g fiber, 4g protein. *To use nonfat skim milk, stir ¼ cup of nonfat milk powder into cold milk. This will produce a thicker yogurt. **Glass, food-safe plastic and metal are acceptable incubator materials. Small jars with lids will incubate faster. Incubating in a large container (slightly bigger than 1 quart) will take longer. Incubator Options Oven - Preheat oven to 200 F. Turn off heat. Add prepared yogurt in desired containers to oven. Turn oven on for short periods to keep temperature around 100 F. In a gas oven, the pilot light may maintain the temperature. Milk cooling Insulated Cooler or Slow Cooker - Fill a cooler or slow cooker halfway with warm water (around 120 F) and place covered container(s) of yogurt inside. (Add more water if needed so water is up the sides of the container(s), but not covering it.) Close cooler or add lid to slow cooker. Wrap cooler or slow cooker in a clean towel. Commercial Yogurt Maker - Follow instructions from the manufacturer. Electric Pressure Cooker - Follow instructions from the manufacturer. Slow cooker incubator option Dehydrator - For large box dehydrators that can incubate yogurt, follow instructions from the manufacturer.
Troubleshooting: Programs and Causes Separation Not Firm Off-Flavors Thin Yogurt Yogurt incubated for too long Yogurt not refrigerated soon after incubation Milk not heated enough before adding yogurt starter Yogurt starter did not contain live cultures Temperature too hot or cold during incubation Equipment not clean Milk not fresh Yogurt starter not fresh Equipment not clean Yogurt not covered while incubating Nonfat dried milk powder not added to cold milk before starting Yogurt too cold before incubating Made yogurt from goat s milk Recipes with Yogurt Lemon Blueberry Cheesecake Serves 12 Crust 1 ½ cups graham cracker crumbs 3 Tbsp nonfat plain yogurt 1. Preheat oven to 350 F. In a medium bowl, mix graham cracker crumbs and yogurt. Press into an 8x8-inch pan. Bake for 5 minutes and let cool. Filling 1 (8 oz.) package Neufchatel cheese ¾ cup nonfat plain yogurt ⅓ cup granulated sugar 2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice Zest of one small lemon 2 egg whites 1 tsp vanilla extract 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour 1 cup fresh blueberries 1. In a large bowl, beat Neufchatel, yogurt and sugar. Add the lemon juice, zest, egg whites, vanilla, and flour and beat until fully combined. Fold in blueberries. 2. Pour filling over the crust and return to oven. Bake at 350 F for 25-30 minutes. Remove from oven, allow to cool and refrigerate for at least 3 hours before serving. Nutritional analysis per serving: 280 calories, 9g fat, 300mg sodium, 45g carbohydrate, 2g fiber, 6g protein. Credit: Jenna Smith, Nutrition and Wellness, University of Illinois Extension Lemon-Yogurt Chicken Serves 4 Try this chicken over cooked brown rice and a vegetable like zucchini or broccoli. 2 Tbsp lemon juice 1 clove garlic, minced (or ¼ tsp garlic powder) 1 tsp dried oregano 1/2 tsp lemon zest 1/4 tsp black pepper 2 Tbsp oil 1/4 cup nonfat or lowfat plain yogurt 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into strips 1. In small bowl, combine juice, garlic, oregano, zest, and pepper. Slowly whisk in oil and yogurt until combined. 2. Add chicken to a container with lid. Pour marinade over chicken. Stir to coat chicken. Cover container and refrigerate for up to 8 hours. 3. Coat a large skillet with cooking spray. Heat over medium-low heat. 4. Lightly shake chicken to remove excess marinade. Add chicken to skillet, cooking 10 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Turn chicken occasionally to cook evenly. Nutritional analysis per serving: 190 calories, 8g fat, 60mg sodium, 27g carbohydrate, 0g fiber, 26g protein. Credit: Caitlin Huth, Nutrition and Wellness, University of Illinois Extension
Other Styles of Yogurt Yogurt Cheese/Drained or Greek Style Yogurt Draining more whey from the yogurt thickens the mixture and produces a pudding consistency or is like a spreadable cheese. 1. Cut a piece of cheesecloth twice as wide as the bowl or container you will drain the yogurt into. Fold cheesecloth in half to create a double layer. 2. Carefully spoon desired amount of yogurt into cheesecloth and place over the draining bowl. Secure cheesecloth so it hangs above the bottom of the bowl, such as tying the cheesecloth to a handle or putting a strainer between the bowl and the cheesecloth with yogurt. 3. Cover container with foil, plastic wrap, or the lid that fits your container, and refrigerate. Yogurt cheese can drain for 8 to 24 hours. Drained yogurt can drain for 2 to 4 hours. Yogurt and cheesecloth inside a mug before being refrigerated. Cheesecloth is tied to the mug handle. Recipe with Drained Yogurt Green Smoothie Serves 2 If the banana does not make it sweet enough, add a tablespoon or less of sweetener. ¾ cup plain non-fat Greek yogurt 2 medium bananas, frozen 3 cups fresh spinach ¼ cup water or non-fat milk, or to desired consistency After 12 hours, the whey remains in the mug on the left, and the drained yogurt, right, is ready to eat or use in recipes. 1. Combine yogurt, bananas, and spinach in a blender. Blend until smooth without any lumps. Add water, if desired, to thin smoothie. Pour equal amounts into two cups. Nutritional analysis per serving: 170 calories, 1g fat, 95mg sodium, 33g carbohydrate, 5g fiber, 12g protein. Adapted from: Jenna Smith, Nutrition and Wellness, University of Illinois Extension
Other Styles of Yogurt Stirred/Drinkable Yogurt These might also be called yogurt smoothies or yogurt drinks. 1 quart 1% low-fat milk 1 packet yogurt culture or 2 Tbsp plain non-fat yogurt with live culture Fruit (see chart below) Mixed berry drinkable yogurt 1. Add milk to a medium-sized pot. Heat milk to 175 F-180 F, stirring occasionally to prevent scorching. The milk will start to steam and form small bubbles on the side of the pot. 2. Cool the milk to 112 F-114 F. To help speed up cooling, put pot in an ice-water bath. 3. Add culture. If using purchased culture, sprinkle culture over the surface of the milk, let sit without stirring for 2 minutes, and then stir into mixture. If using plain yogurt, carefully remove 1 cup of milk into a small bowl. Stir yogurt starter into milk until smooth. Pour mixture back into pot and stir to combine. 4. Pour inoculated milk into a food-safe container just larger than 1 quart. Cover container and incubate as previously mention for 3 hours. Test if yogurt is thick enough.* 5. When thick enough, refrigerate container for 1 hour. Yogurt should be between 68 F-77 F. 6. Pick a fruit flavor from chart below. Puree ingredients together, and stir into cooled yogurt. 7. Divide flavored yogurt into small containers, cover, and store final product in refrigerator at 40 F or lower. 8. Consume within 14 days. Yogurt may start to separate; simply shake container to recombine. *To test if yogurt is thicken enough, dip a clean spoon into mixture. When spoon is gently moved back and forth, if yogurt still has the consistency of milk, continue to incubate another 2 hours. Test again. Yogurt is ready to move into the refrigerator when it is lightly gelled and has the consistency of thin pudding. Nutritional analysis per 2/3 cup serving: 70 calories, 2g fat, 55mg sodium, 12g carbohydrate, 1g fiber, 5 protein. Pick a Fruit Flavor Mixed Berry 1 cup of frozen (thawed) or fresh unsweetened mixed berries Peach 2 fresh peaches, pit removed Strawberry-Banana ½ cup fresh strawberries, stems removed 1 small banana Resources Yogurt Made Simple, Washington State University Extension, 2015 Yogurt: One of the original dairy foods, CheeseMaking.com Yogurt and beyond, CheeseMaking.com What is Greek Yogurt?, University of Iowa Extension, 2010 Contact Caitlin Huth, Nutrition & Wellness Educator chuth2@illinois.edu 217.877.6042 go.illinois.edu/dmp Facebook: nutritiondmp