My ma came home a few days prior with this instructional book on how to start your own Home Creamery, we had already been purchasing our milk from Black Hills Milk for a good year by now, and Mary had been making yogurt for our family for years. We made our first batch of butter from Black Hills Milk cream almost a year ago and I've become a snob for it since... The desire to make our own cheese has been germinating for some time as well, the catalyst which prompted us to take action on making our own cheese was this book.
And since the my family has such a strong foundation in do-it-yourself living and thriving on sustainable principles {very Foxfire indeed} we too believe we should share our knowledge, after all one cannot keep what they do not give...
and so, thus begins our No. 1
Homemade on the Homestead Tutorial
Yogurt
Equipment:
Two to Three qt. Saucepan to hold one quart of milk (4 cups)
Food thermometer, reading range = (0 to 225 oF)
Mixing bowls
Some type of incubator, for this I used a Kelner Yogurt maker
yet we also have the Professional Yogurt Maker which Mary likes to use.
these may be found at your local hardware/kitchen store in price ranges from $17 to $70. I used the 6oz containers that holds at least 7 of these cups (one may use glass, crockery, food-grade plastic or stainless steel) or use individual custard cups or jelly jars — then the yogurt can be eaten directly from the container in which it was made.
Ingredients:
4 cups milk
Fresh Milk, you may use regular, low fat or non-fat milk. It is not necessary to heat the milk {if it is not RAW}. The yogurt made with cold milk will have the consistency of soft custard. If you prefer a firmer yogurt, slowly bring the milk to a boiling point, then let it cool to a luke warm (90-120 f)
Raw Milk, milk which has not been pasteurized should be boiled for two to three minutes, then cooled to luke warm (90-120 F)
Powdered Milk, reconstitute powdered milk to make one qt.
4 tablespoons Natural Commercial Yogurt or Homemade yogurt or Yogurt culture starter
I heat 4 cups {raw} milk, from Black Hills Milk, to 180 F.
testing temperature with the thermometer until it reaches its heating point.
While heating the milk, I prepare a cold bath to help it cool down faster.
Temperature should range from (110 to 120) when you add it to the 4 tablespoons of yogurt.
Next I add 4 tablespoons of our last weeks yogurt to a bowl, then slowly add the heated milk to the bowl while stirring to create a smooth consistency,
I'm trying to avoid a gritty texture. I then combine all the milk.
Then I fill my jars close to the top.
Once filled, careful to avoid too much agitation, I place the lids on the jars and incubate them for 9 to 12 hours. The longer they warm the tarter the taste and firmer the texture.
Mornings when I know the yogurt is in the fridge, my first allegiance is to my tummy, then I start my day... that's how much I enjoy this stuff. The kids gobble it up too.
You are in for a real treat especially if you've never tasted homemade yogurt.
Enjoy.