Yogurt is one of my favorite foods. I eat it every day!
Yogurts contain tons of probiotic bacteria, beneficial to the body.
The problem is that commercial yogurts often contain questionable ingredients.
Ingredients based on genetically modified (GMO) products and not super natural additives.
For example, let's take the ingredients for a store-bought yogurt, "Activia Cottage Cheese Recipe - Strawberry":
List of ingredients: Fromage blanc 40%, whole milk 30.5%, strawberry 9%, sugar 8.4%, cream, glucose-fructose syrup 1%, milk proteins, thickeners (E 1422, E 440, E 412), aroma, gelatin, lactic ferments including bifidobacterium (Bifidus ActiRegularis®), coloring (E 120, concentrated purple carrot juice).
Additives: E1422 (acetylated distarch adipate), E440 (pectins), E412 (guar gum), E428 (gelatin), E120 (carminic acid)
Not very appetizing, all that, is it?
In addition, glucose-fructose syrup and pectin are often made from GMO products.
Fortunately, with this homemade yogurt recipe, you can eat healthy yogurts with ingredients of your choice (preferably organic!).
And that's not all:homemade yoghurts are not expensive! With 1 liter of milk, we produce 50 cl of homemade yoghurt .
You should also know that you can make homemade yogurts with a small device called a yogurt maker .
Yogurt makers are easy to use and you can find them for less than $20. If you are interested, we recommend this yogurt maker.
- 2 liters of organic milk
- a base ferment:either 60 - 120 g of whole organic yogurt or 2 sachets of powdered ferments
- a food thermometer
And that's all you need!
1. In a large saucepan, heat the milk to 75°C.
Note: If you use raw (unpasteurized) milk, do not heat above 50°C, to avoid pasteurizing the milk.
But since you'll be adding probiotic bacteria, this precaution is completely optional.
2. Once your milk reaches the desired temperature, remove the pan from the heat and allow the milk to cool.
But beware: If you are using an electric griddle, remove the pan completely from the heat. Otherwise, your milk will continue to heat. And if it heats up to more than 85°C, your yogurt will fail.
3. Let the milk cool to 42 - 44°C .
Indeed, if you add the ferment at a temperature above 44°C, you will kill the bacteria that produce the yogurt!
And if you add it at a temperature below 42°C, it will be too cold to activate the yogurt culture.
It's because of these precise temperatures that I urge you to use a food thermometer.
4. Once the milk has cooled to the desired temperature, use a ladle to transfer about 25 cl (or 2 mustard glasses) into a large bowl.
Now is the time to add your base ferment (either store-bought yogurt, a previous batch of homemade yogurt, or powdered ferment).
5. Incorporate the ferment into the milk gently .
Note: the watchword is softness . You're not making whipped cream!
6. Pour the milk/ferment mixture into the saucepan and incorporate everything with a whisk.
7. While you prepare your mixture, fill a large quality thermos with hot water.
This way, it will be hot when the milk and ferment mixture is ready to be poured into the thermos.
Indeed, if the walls of the thermos are too cold, the mixture will cool and your yogurt will fail!
8. Pour the mixture of milk and ferment into the thermos, using a ladle. Close the thermos immediately.
9. Let the thermos rest for 10 to 14 hours, in the warmest place in your home (for example, next to a wood stove).
The longer you let the yogurt sit, the more acidic it will be.
10. Now you need to give your yogurt a very thick texture .
Put a colander in a salad bowl. Then, cover the colander with a clean, lint-free tea towel, as in the photo:
11. To drain your yogurt, pour it into the tea towel.
It will be very runny, but don't be alarmed!
12. Drain the yogurt for at least 2 hours .
The longer you let the yogurt drip, the thicker it will be.
Personally, I prefer yogurt that has a creme fraiche texture.
But if you let it sit overnight, it will have a delicious thick cream cheese texture.
There you go, your homemade yogurt is ready :-)
You now know how to make delicious homemade yogurt. Bon appetit!
Homemade yogurt is easy to prepare. On the other hand, some people find that the preparation time is too long.
It is true that this recipe takes time, but it is above all a question of waiting, not preparing.
Indeed, the only time you need to be careful is when monitoring the temperature of the milk.
Here is the little trick to save time:the ideal is to prepare the yogurt before going to bed.
That's why I start heating the milk at the end of dinner.
That way, I can monitor all the steps that require manipulation, while I do my cleaning in the kitchen, at the end of the day.
It's practical, because anyway, it's time I spend in the kitchen every evening.
As a result, the yogurt preparation time passes very quickly.
After draining the yoghurt, a liquid remains:it is the whey .
Don't throw it away:you can use it for cooking.
It replaces milk or water for pastry recipes. You can also add whey to your smoothies.
Have you tried this easy yogurt recipe? Tell us in comments if you liked it. We can't wait to read you!
