Yogurt How To's

In follow up to our NOC meeting...

Just a few links on how to's of yogurt. I will post my own pics soon...

Nourished Kitchen has great directions here...

Pretty similar to how I do it....

That said-- i have done it in a thermos cooler (the old red/white kind)-- i just wrapped my quart jars (2) in towels and shut it up-- and it worked. I have a friend who adds hot water to her cooler and makes it that way.

I also have a friend who makes it in her oven --- and she had a GREAT tip-- she has found the smaller jars you use-- the THICKER the yogurt... so if you make a gallon or 1/2 gallon and put it in pint or jelly jars the yogurt tends to be MUCH thicker than the 1/2 gallon or gallon jars. I hope to try this soon!

I do use my dehydrator right now and set it at 99-110 degrees-- and let it set for 24 hours.

That said-- I'm not sure how much yogurt makers cost-- but I think they would be the way to go if they cost under $50 and the little jars they have like in this video seem VERY neat!

The Healthy Home Economist has a great video on the difference between RAW and Pasturized yogurt-- THERE IS A DIFFERENCE!! (I'll still take mine raw-- well kind of)

With the above yogurt video-- I have done it so many ways-- Some days I just take the milk straight from the goat (filtered of course) but around 95' and add my starter mix and put in dehdyrator. However right now I am using raw cows milk and I am heating it to 120' and I am finding the yogurt turns out VERY nice..... vs. under 110 which makes it runnier. I am told it is because the yogurt cultures are "battling" with the raw milk culture-- ??? I'm not sure the science behind it-- people do it all different ways---

** after I heat to 120' I DO let it cool to 85-95' before adding my culture so it isn't killed.

**starter- I bought a GOOD (active live, greek yogurt- store bought) yogurt and added 1 cup to 1 gallon-- now I just save 1 cup of our yogurt and add it in to my milk for starter...not sure how many batches it will work for??

I do have a friend who uses a powder starter-- like at Cultures for Health... I prefer my yogurt starter though...

I will post a how *I* do it blog article soon.....