I won something?

on March 30, 2010
I won something! How cool is that?!

"You won the yogurt maker on my blog, please contact me immediately with your full name and snail mail address (no po boxes, please) Thanks. I will forward it on to the CSN stores and they will mail your prize to you. Congratulations!!!
Frugal Antics of a Harried Homemaker"

I keep telling Grumpy there's no point in buying lotto tickets because we always get what we need, not what we want.

I needed a yogurt maker :)

I am getting a yogurt maker :)

See? It really works. Even buying yogurt on sale I spend quite a lot on it each week. It's the fkids favorite after school snack. I have absolutely no idea how to actually make yogurt, but a year ago I didn't know how to can or make bread either. I am going to be canning whole berries like crazy this year. mmm. Homemade marrionberry yogurt...

2 I think...:

Lisa said...

Hey Cori,

Making yogurt is super duper easy. I make mine without a yogurt maker, but I think it will make it even easier.

Basic recipe:

you take 1 quart milk (any fat percent - I use whole) and heat it to the boiling point for 1 minute. Cool to 115 degrees (and instant-read or candy thermometer is very helpful). Stir in 2 Tbs fresh plain yogurt with live, active cultures (yes, you need to buy yogurt to make yogurt, but only once - it is the starter). Pour into your desired container (big ceramic bowl, little custard cups, jars, whatever you want). Cover with plastic wrap or lids and set in a warm place for about 5-8 hours. I use the oven with just the light on. If your oven is gas, the pilot light works. 110 degrees is ideal, not hotter than 115. Cooler will still work, but it will go more slowly. The longer it sits, the sourer and thicker it will get. IF you let it sit too long or use too much starter, it will get watery. When it is set (tip it to see if it holds together), chill it for at least 3 hours and you're all set. When it's time to make more, you just use some of this batch as a starter for your next batch. Ta da! yogurt.

I'm guessing the yogurt maker just provides the warm environment and little jars. Some recipes recommend that you add some powdered dry milk to it to make it creamier. I've never tried, but you should experiment. I've never made flavored or sweetened yogurt, so I don't know if you mix that stuff in before or after incubation, but I'm sure there's tons of good info on the web about it.

So, basic formula:

1 qt milk
2 Tbs starter yogurt
(can be scaled up)

boil milk one minute. Cool to 115. Mix in starter. Let sit in warm place 5-8 hours. Chill at least 3 hours.

Good luck!

3/31/2010
Lisa said...

Also, just to note: I usually make 1 gallon of yogurt at a time, and it works fine, so you can certainly scale up. I know you have a lot of hungry mouths to feed!

If you want thicker yogurt, like Greek yogurt, you just take the finished, chilled yogurt and drain it in a sieve lined with a double layer of cheesecloth or I think paper towels work. Set it over a bowl and the liquid will drip off over a few hours. Check it until it is as thick as you desire and then scrape it back into a container. I love Greek yogurt and it's great in dips instead of or along with sour cream, or it's great for breakfast with honey drizzled over the top. You can feed the liquid to the chickens or the dogs. They will LOVE LOVE LOVE it.

3/31/2010

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