How to make wonderful yogurt and its varieties at home. Homemade yogurt - simple folk recipes How to make natural yogurt

28.08.2021

Yoghurt is a fermented milk product, which is obtained due to the fact that the lactic acid bacteria that make up yogurt, under certain conditions, ferment (ferment) milk (milk sugar lactose), giving the product a characteristic taste, color and texture.

Yogurt is considered a useful product, since lactic acid bacteria friendly to the human microflora help to establish and maintain the activity of the gastrointestinal tract, normalize bowel function, and stimulate metabolic processes.

Due to the fact that yogurt bacteria ferment lactose, yogurt, like most fermented milk products, is digested and absorbed better and easier than milk. Quite often, people who are lactose intolerant or allergic to milk protein can consume yogurt (but if you are affected by a similar problem, it is better to consult a doctor first).

So, the essence of the production of yogurt is that live yogurt fermented milk cultures are introduced into milk (usually this is, more on yogurt cultures will be discussed below). A suitable constant temperature is created (optimally - 42-45 ° C, this is important to consider, since bacteria die at t above 50 ° C), which lasts for 8-12 hours. During this time, bacteria ferment milk sugar, and yogurt is obtained. To complete the fermentation process, get the best consistency and keep the bacteria alive after the required time, the yogurt is cooled to ~ t 5 ° C. As you can see, the process is quite simple and quite feasible at home.

Before continuing the article, I suggest you take part in a short survey.

Homemade yogurt (how to make yogurt at home in a yogurt maker and without).

Now consider the process of making yogurt at home in more detail. For the preparation of yogurt, we also need a starter culture from lactic acid bacteria. (About some reasons for failure, for example: yogurt curdled, too much , very sour taste, )

Milk.

If you have the opportunity to use fresh village milk, the quality and safety of which you are sure of, that's fine, but it must be boiled for several minutes. If you are using industrial milk, then I prefer pasteurized or ultra-pasteurized. Pasteurized milk is also recommended to be preheated to 90 ° C, ultra-pasteurized milk is safe and completely ready for use, it does not require boiling, it is enough to heat it to the desired temperature. The foam formed during heating of milk must be carefully removed. Then the milk must be cooled to a temperature of ~ 38-45 ° C. This is the optimal temperature, but if you do not use a thermometer, then to determine the temperature “by eye”, drop a few drops of milk on your wrist. Milk should be hot, but not scalding. In this case, underheating is better than overheating, because at t more than 50 ° C, as I mentioned earlier, lactic acid bacteria begin to die. For product safety reasons, heating milk for making yogurt is recommended by all yogurt maker manufacturers and by most recipes. In practice, if you take pasteurized or ultra-pasteurized milk at room temperature (I would recommend boiling fresh milk anyway, especially if you give yogurts to children), ferment it with industrial yogurt and place it in a yogurt maker, then you will still get yogurts (without a yogurt maker I have not experienced this option, and if I use dry sourdough, then I heat the milk).

To boil or heat milk, use a stainless steel saucepan with a thick bottom or, if the stove allows, a ceramic or glass one. It is better not to use enameled dishes, as milk burns very quickly in such dishes.

By the way, you don't have to use cow's milk. You can also ferment goat, sheep, soy, and possibly some other milk.

Leaven.

You can use it as a starter, you can find it in pharmacies or buy it in stores selling healthy foods, including online stores. The composition of such a sourdough usually includes the classic yogurt bacteria Lactobacillus bulgaricus, Bulgarian stick, and Streptococcus thermophilus, thermophilic streptococcus. It is prepared according to the instructions. At the same time, the taste and texture of yogurt may differ from the usual store. Yogurt sometimes turns out to be more viscous, slippery, this happens due to a violation of the cooking technology. And you can use natural yogurt (or bio-yogurt) of industrial production. One standard cup of yogurt (~125 ml) per liter of milk. The main task is to mix the sourdough and milk as best as possible, to do this, add a small amount of warm milk to the sourdough, stir thoroughly until a homogeneous consistency is obtained, and then dilute the resulting mixture in the rest of the milk, mix thoroughly again. For the next batch of yoghurts, you can use homemade yoghurt as a starter. There is an opinion that yogurt can be re-fermented 4-10 times, but it must be taken into account that we cannot provide sterile conditions at home, therefore, with each re-fermentation, the composition of yogurt changes and not always for the better.

Dishes.

Warm milk, which should be at a temperature of 42-45 ° C for 6-12 hours, is an ideal breeding ground for not only beneficial, but also harmful microorganisms, so special attention should be paid to the cleanliness of dishes. Before use, all the necessary utensils must be doused with boiling water, and if possible, then sterilized, for example, in a double boiler.

Yoghurt maker.

A yogurt maker, and other electrical appliances that allow you to make yogurt, is a great solution for those who often pamper their family with homemade sour-milk products. The main advantage of this device is that it maintains the optimum temperature throughout the fermentation of yoghurt, which ensures a very good result. The yogurt maker takes up little space and comes with convenient jars-lids for yogurt. The yogurt maker reduces your direct participation in the preparation of yogurt to a minimum: mix milk with sourdough, pour it into jars, press the "pour" button. and that's it! After 8-10 hours, enjoy the result (the consistency will be optimal if you put the yoghurts in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours after fermentation).

Making yogurt without a yogurt maker.

After we have mixed warm milk and sourdough, we need to create a constant temperature for yogurt ~ 42-45 o C for 6-10 hours. This can be achieved in several ways:

you can use a thermos;
you can cover the container with yogurt with a warm blanket (and cover it with a pillow) and leave it next to the battery;
you can arrange yogurts in portioned jars, tighten with cling film, put in a flat form, carefully pour warm water into the form, water should not get into the yogurt, tighten the entire form again with foil and put in a warm place without drafts (for example, in a tighter turned off, but preheated to 50o oven).

Whether you are making yogurt in a yogurt maker or not, do not disturb the yogurt as much as possible during the ripening process: do not stir, do not open, do not shake.

The preparation time for homemade yogurt is approximately 6-10 hours, depending on how well you manage to maintain the required temperature and on what consistency and taste you would like to achieve. At a constant optimum temperature, 6-8 hours is enough; at a falling temperature, 8-10, and possibly 12 hours are required. The longer the yogurt ferments, the more acidic it becomes.

In order to competently complete the fermentation process, yogurt must be cooled, as mentioned above, you need to put the product in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours. In this case, you will not only get a denser and more delicate texture, but also extend the shelf life of yogurt by preserving live bacteria in it.

Yogurt keeps well in the refrigerator for 7-8 days.

Additives for yogurt (sugar, fruits, nuts, muesli, etc.).

Natural yoghurts are great, but what if you like sweet yoghurts or yoghurts with fruits, chocolate, muesli, etc.?

Of course, you can add all these sweets to yogurt at the moment when you lay it out in portioned cups before sourdough, but there is one but!

Yogurt bacteria ferment milk sugar, lactose, but if you add sugar or sweet fruits to yogurt before the end of the fermentation process, the bacteria will switch to the fructose contained in these products and begin to ferment not lactose, but, say, fruits. And citrus fruits and other fruits with a high content of fruit acids, such as, for example, kiwi, do not combine with milk at all. And upon contact with these fruits, the milk will curdle even before the fermentation process begins. Therefore, it is much more useful (and safer) to introduce all kinds of additives (fresh fruits, jams, syrups, jams, muesli, nuts, dried fruits, biscuits, chocolate) already into ready-made yogurts, well, or at the time of completion of the fermentation process, before cooling.

By the way, if you decide to sweeten the finished yogurt with sugar, then it’s better to first dissolve it in a small amount of water or make syrup, or take powdered sugar so that it doesn’t “creak” on your teeth.

Vanilla yogurt.

If you are preparing vanilla yoghurts and using not vanilla sugar, which is also possible, but a vanilla pod, then after making a longitudinal cut on the pod, lower it into milk and heat the milk together with vanilla. When you arrange the yogurts in cups, then dip a small piece of vanilla pod, which warmed up with milk, into each cup. Pieces of the pod will need to be removed from the finished yogurt before use. If you clean the pulp of the pod and add it to milk, the flavor will be more pronounced, and the pod itself, after warming up in milk, can not be added to cups with yogurt, but immediately removed, but there will be small black particles of vanilla in the yogurt. According to my feelings, this does not spoil the taste in any way, and the appearance of yogurt turns out to be unusual, colorful. However, some children, and even adults, are suspicious of such yogurt.

Fat content of yogurt. Creamy yogurt.

The fat content of homemade yogurt depends on the fat content of the milk in which you prepare the yogurt, as well as whether you add cream to the milk. The less fat milk you use, the more low-fat yogurt, and therefore the less high-calorie product, you will receive.

Creamy yogurt (cream is added to milk during its preparation) is more dense and tender. Cream can be added directly to milk before fermentation, but be careful. If you heat milk with cream to high temperatures, then the cream may melt, separate from the milk, float to the surface in greasy spots similar to melted butter. And then, when you add the starter, mix everything well and pour the yogurt into fermentation jars, a hard greasy film may form on the surface of the finished yogurt. It's not scary, after the fermentation and cooling process is completed, just carefully remove this film from the yogurt. Such a film often appears when you use fresh milk "from under the cow" and not completely skimmed cream remains in the milk.

To avoid the formation of a greasy film on creamy yogurt, use industrial (that is, already thermally processed) cream and add it to milk before fermentation, when the milk has already cooled to t 38-42 o C. I already wrote above that if you use a yogurt maker, then yogurts will turn out, even if you don’t heat milk at all, but simply take it at room temperature, while you can replace part of the milk with cream, for example, take 200 ml of cream and 800 ml of milk and mix it all well. In this case, you will not have a fatty hard film, the only question is trust in the milk producer and the safety of the product.

Cream can also be added to ready-made yogurt, this will also make it more tender (this option is not suitable for people suffering from milk protein intolerance and lactase deficiency).

Thickness of yogurt.

If you need a dense, thick yogurt, you can use the following methods:

add a few tablespoons of milk powder to milk before fermenting;
add peptin or agar-agar to the finished yogurt before cooling;
add cornstarch to the finished yogurt (1 tsp per standard serving cup 125-140 g). It will also make the yogurt more tender.

Yogurt bacteria.

The history of fermented milk products, and in particular yogurt, has more than one thousand years, but Bulgaria is considered the birthplace of modern real yogurt, where yogurt is also called “sour milk”. It was in Bulgaria that the yoghurt fermented milk cultures of Lactobacillus bulgaricus, bacillus bulgaricus (named after Bulgaria), and Streptococcus thermophilus, thermophilic streptococcus, were first discovered, studied and used.

Ilya Ilyich Mechnikov, a famous biologist, Nobel Prize winner, studying the issues of aging, found that at the time of the study, out of 36 countries studied, Bulgaria had the largest number of people who had reached 100 years old. For every 1000 people, there were 4 centenarians. In his studies, he associated this fact with the regular use of “Bulgarian sour milk” by the inhabitants of the country, and, accordingly, yoghurt cultures of Bulgarian sticks, which have such a beneficial effect on the intestinal microflora and the body as a whole.

Thus, real yogurt should only contain milk and starter cultures including Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus However, the composition of yogurt is currently not regulated by law in many countries. In addition to yogurt bacteria, or instead of them, lactobacilli or bifidobacteria are used, for example, Lactobacillus acidophilus, lactobacillus bifidus, etc. Of course, these bacteria can also be very useful for the body, they also ferment lactose, contributing to a very tender yogurt-like mass, but this is no longer yogurt and a yoghurt product. In addition, some types of bacteria die after the fermentation of milk, and it is already difficult to call such yogurt “alive”. And there is a category of “yogurts” made with a culture called pima, “pima” makes the “yogurt” mass so thick that it is no longer necessary to add any thickeners to the product, say, natural peptin. This significantly reduces the cost of production, but! The mass turns out to be “slippery” and rather unpleasant in taste, so it is generously flavored with sugar and fruit puree. Can this product be called "yogurt"?

When buying yogurt, read the label.

Thus, when choosing natural yogurt in a store, carefully read the label and pay attention to the following:

the shelf life of “live” natural yogurt should not exceed 1 month, and indeed, in this case, the shorter the shelf life, the better;
to increase the shelf life, yogurts are often pasteurized, while the yogurt bacteria die, to be honest, such yogurts should be labeled "heat-treated";
the composition of yogurt - the less components (especially preservatives, stabilizers, sweeteners, dyes, etc.) in the composition, the better, ideally - milk and yogurt sourdough. By the way, manufacturers rarely write down information about which yogurt cultures are used, but if there is a label indicating the presence of a “live yogurt culture”, this is better than nothing;
the content of lactic acid bacteria in yogurt at the end of the shelf life should be at least 10 7 CFU (colony-forming units, 10 to the seventh power) per 1 g of the product;
yogurt must be kept in the refrigerator;

And once again about the sad, giving preference to sweet and fruit yoghurts, still do not flatter yourself with the hope of the high benefits of such yoghurts, especially fruit ones, because fruits have at least undergone heat treatment, and therefore have lost the lion's share of their benefits, but in order to, lactic acid bacteria did not ferment fruit sugar, the manufacturer most likely had to add a number of chemicals to the product.

Summary. What are the benefits of homemade yogurt?

You can make absolutely natural yogurt without artificial additives, colors, preservatives.
You can adjust the calorie content and consistency of yogurt by choosing more or less full-fat milk (yogurt calorie table - at this link).
You can make sugar-free yoghurts using, for example, natural sweeteners such as honey, maple syrup, Jerusalem artichoke syrup, fresh fruit or vegetable juices and purees, and add muesli, fiber, nuts, and dried fruits.
Pouring yogurt on fresh seasonal fruits or using it as a salad dressing will only increase the usefulness of your table.
By using special yoghurt starters (eg dry starter cultures), you can be sure which yoghurt bacteria your yogurt is enriched with.

The use of yogurt in cooking

Finally, a few words about how yogurt can be used in cooking.

In addition to traditional, natural or sweet yogurts, as well as yogurts with the addition of all kinds of fruits, yogurts go well with various herbs (dill, parsley, mint, etc., etc.) and spices. Yoghurts can be salted, peppered, garlic is added to them, they make a wonderful sauce or salad dressing.

At high temperatures, yogurt curdles, so if you add it to hot dishes, then in order for it not to curdle, yogurt must be at room temperature, it is better to add (mix) it at the very end of cooking, when the temperature is no longer so high or the dish is stewing on very low heat.

Hello everyone) In this article I will tell you my recipe for making yogurt at home.
The quality and taste of homemade yogurt directly depend on the original products, i.e. milk and sourdough.
I tried to cook from different starters and milk of various brands and fat content and, finally, I found the best option for myself.

Choice of milk

I always take only ultra-pasteurized milk, with a fat content of 3.2%. Brands such as "House in the Village" or "Prostokvashino" are ideal. Now we are buying Severnaya Dolina milk at the base, and it also suits us all.
Why UHT?
Firstly, the preparation time of yogurt is significantly saved, because UHT milk does not need to be boiled, unlike regular sterilized milk. UHT milk only needs to be heated to a certain temperature.
Another very significant plus of UHT milk is that it is stored for a long time (up to 6 months).
Therefore, it is possible to buy milk for the future and more (as we always do - we buy milk at the base) and not be afraid that it is about to go bad.
After all, we make yoghurts all the time, and running every time to the nearest store for a couple of boxes of milk turns out to be irrational and expensive.

Milk fat content of 3.2% is the most optimal for making yogurt. 2.5% milk produces a lighter yoghurt. From milk with more than 3.2% fat, very fatty yogurt is obtained, approximately like sour cream.

starter cultures

From 6 months (from the beginning of the introduction of complementary foods) up to a year we made Bifivit on sourdough for our children « Bifivit" Vivo.
My review of this sourdough:

After a year, they switched to sourdough "Yogurt" Vivo.
We tried other starters, but in the end, we still returned to Vivo.
Having been making yoghurts for almost 4 years now, I can say for sure that Vivo starter cultures have never let us down. By the way, I found the lowest prices for Vivo starter cultures
All starter cultures must be stored in the refrigerator (I have them in the top side door).

My homemade yogurt recipe

1. First I heat the jars.
Yogurt jars should be clean, dry and warm. I hold each jar for 15 seconds. over a boiling kettle, this is enough to warm up the jars.
Now, for my two daughters, I make 7 jars of yogurt, they eat 6 jars within 3 days and I leave one jar for re-fermentation.

2. I pour milk into a saucepan.
From experience, I can say that one box of milk (950 gr.) Is enough for exactly 5 jars. And I need 7 jars.
Therefore, I take 2 more cans of milk from the next box. I measure either a jar or a cup equal to the volume of the jar.

3. I heat the milk to about 38-40 degrees.
I have already got the hang of it, I check the temperature with a clean finger so that it is not hot, but very warm, i.e. to endure the finger.

4. When the milk has warmed up, I remove it from the fire.

5. It's time for the starter.
I divide the bag of sourdough into about 2 parts: I cut off the small end of the bag and I pour about half of the starter into a saucepan with warm milk.
I wrap the rest tightly, fasten it with a clerical clip and send it back to the refrigerator.
In this case, the starter is enough for a long time and significant savings are obtained.
In general, of course, it is not recommended to do this (according to the instructions, you need to use the whole bag at once), but, in my experience, the yogurt turns out exactly the same as from the whole bag.
Moreover, then it also ferments well.
Let me remind you that we are talking about the sourdough "Yogurt" by Vivo.
Taking into account the fact that I divide the bag of powder into two parts and then referment the yogurt, one bag of Vivo starter is enough for me for 12 days.
By the way, in the instructions for the starter itself it is written that up to 3 liters of yogurt can be made from one bag. But I never do such a volume at a time, for the simple reason that I only have one yogurt maker. Therefore, I decided to divide the sourdough into 2 parts.

6. P I stir the sourdough in milk.
I’m paranoid, I do it with a fork) You don’t see the starter powder in milk anymore, because. he is also white. But you can be sure that the starter dissolves very well.

7. I pour milk with sourdough into jars, close the lids and put it in a yogurt maker.
By the way, my yogurt maker is the simplest, I wrote about it in this review - « .

8. I turn on the yogurt maker and mark the time when it needs to be turned off.
The preparation time for yogurt is indicated in the instructions for the sourdough.
Usually, it is about 6 hours.
However, I noticed that yogurt can cook faster, or vice versa, cook longer - it also depends on the temperature in the apartment. When the house is very warm, yogurt cooks faster, when cool, a little longer.
Yogurt that is re-fermented cooks faster - usually it's ready in as little as 4 hours.

9. When the yogurt is ready, you need to immediately get it out of the yogurt maker and put it in the refrigerator, because if you leave it in a yogurt maker, it can overheat, exfoliate and give whey.
Ready yogurt should be stored in the refrigerator and eat it within 5 days.
Such yogurt can be eaten just the way we most often do. It is completely non-sour and delicious on its own.

Optionally, you can add to the finished yogurt:

Fresh berries. In the summer season, strawberries, strawberries, blueberries and raspberries are good
Fresh fruits cut into pieces. Banana and pear are excellent.
Baby fruit puree.
Any jam or jam you like.

Do I need to say that we do not buy yogurt for children in the store)

1 liter of milk;
50–100 g skimmed milk powder (optional)
1 tablespoon of sugar;
2 tablespoons prepared yogurt with live cultures or freeze-dried yogurt starter.

You can take any milk: cow, goat, soy, whole or skimmed.

Unsweetened yogurt without flavorings and additives and marked "Contains live cultures" on the package is suitable as a starter culture. Since beneficial bacteria die quickly, try to choose the freshest yogurt. Try a few options until you find the one that tastes the best to you.

You can also use freeze-dried yogurt starter. It is usually sold online and works even better than ready-made yogurt.

In a pinch, sweet flavored yogurt will do. Just keep in mind that it will affect the final taste of your product.

How to make yogurt

It is best to do this in a water bath: this way the contents of the pan do not burn, and you do not have to stir it often. If you don't have a thermometer, 85 degrees is the temperature at which milk starts to foam.

Wikihow.com

UHT milk can only be heated to 40-45 degrees and skip the next step.

2. Cool the milk to 40–45 °C

The easiest way to do this is by placing it in cold water: this way the temperature will drop quickly and evenly. If cooling at room temperature or in the refrigerator, be sure to stir the milk often.

You can determine whether the liquid has reached the desired temperature without a thermometer: with your finger. If the milk is hot, but no longer burns, then it's time to start sourdough.

Simply remove the store-bought yogurt you'll be using from the refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature while the milk cools.

wikihow.com

4. Mix the starter with milk

To distribute the bacteria evenly, use a whisk or blender. If fibers remain in the mixture, you may have heated the milk too much or too quickly.

Milk powder can be added at this stage: it will increase the nutritional value of the yogurt and make it thicker.

5. Grow bacteria

A mixture of sourdough with milk will need to be kept for 6–8 hours at a temperature of 38–40 ° C.

The best way to do this is in a yogurt maker. Just pour the mixture into a container and place it in it.

wikihow.com

But the oven is fine too. Heat it up to the required temperature, turn it off and put the container with the yogurt mixture inside. Turn the oven on from time to time to maintain the same temperature. This method is quite tedious, as you need to constantly monitor that the oven does not overheat.

Yogurt in a slow cooker is easier to cook. Pour boiling water over the bowl and pour the mixture of milk and sourdough into it. If cooking in jars, put them in a slow cooker and fill with water almost to the brim. Use the "Yogurt" mode or turn on the heating for 6-8 hours. Please note that the heating temperature must not exceed 40 °C. If it is higher in your model, turn on the heating for 15-20 minutes, and then turn it off for an hour so that the yogurt does not overheat. Repeat the procedure 5-6 times.

In the microwave, the process is about the same: set the temperature to 40 ° C and leave the mixture for 6-8 hours. If there is a "Fermentation" mode, use it.

If you don't have any of these, place the container of the mixture on a sunny windowsill or in a large container of warm water.

Gradually, the consistency of the mixture will become similar to custard, a cheesy smell will appear, and whey will stand out from above.

It can be simply poured, used in baking or eaten with yogurt.

6. Check the readiness of yogurt

After 6-8 hours, shake the container slightly: the ready-made yogurt under the whey should be of a homogeneous consistency. The longer you stand it, the thicker it will be.

7. Strain the yogurt through cheesecloth

So serum will come out of it, it will become thicker. Line a colander with cheesecloth and put it in a large container, then transfer the yogurt into it, cover with a plate and put it in the refrigerator. After a couple of hours, you will have Greek yogurt. And if you leave the mixture overnight - a very thick yogurt, similar in texture to cream cheese.

What's next

You can eat homemade yogurt with jam, or maple syrup, fruits or berries.

Use part of the resulting product as a starter for the next portion. You can store yogurt in the refrigerator for no more than 5-7 days.

Homemade yogurt is very good for immunity save the Recipe for cooking with sourdough. How to make homemade sourdough yogurt?

Cooking time- 8-10 hours
Calories per 100 g- 80 kcal

Yogurt is the product that should always be in the refrigerator. And it's not just that it is considered one of the healthiest drinks. You can cook a lot of other delicious dishes from it.

For example, it can serve as a salad dressing, instead of harmful and high-calorie mayonnaise, you can make yogurt ice cream or bake delicious pastries. There are a lot of recipes where you can use this product. And, of course, you can and should drink it.

Such a healthy and low-calorie drink is perfect for many diets, for example, or fasting days.

To make this drink as healthy and safe as possible for your health, it is best to prepare it yourself at home. Moreover, this does not require a lot of time and special knowledge. Even special devices, like a yogurt maker, contrary to popular belief, are not necessary.

You only need a special sourdough, which is not a problem to buy now. These starters are sold in most supermarkets and can also be ordered online. If you cannot get them at the moment, pay attention to.

The principle of making such yogurt is not much different, the only difference is that you will have to use a store-bought fermented milk product as a base.

To make sourdough yogurt, you need to take:

A liter of milk (quality matters)
1 liter yoghurt starter

You can cook in a yogurt maker, a thermos, a slow cooker, you can even just pour milk into a jar or pan and put it near the battery (if you are preparing a drink in winter and your batteries are hot, of course).

First of all, pay attention to the choice of milk. It should be of excellent quality, preferably homemade. This is the main rule. As for starters. As a rule, they differ little.

The only thing you should pay attention to is the conditions of their storage. Starter cultures should only be stored in the refrigerator. If the sourdough has been kept warm for a long time, then the lactic acid bacteria in it may die, respectively, the drink will not work. Freezing the sourdough can, in most cases, help extend its shelf life.

About three hours before you start cooking, remove the starter from the refrigerator. This will allow lactic acid bacteria to become more active and the fermentation process will go faster. Pour the milk into a saucepan or any other container.

Put it on the oven and warm it up a little. If you are not sure about the quality of milk, it is better to boil it and then cool it. The temperature of the milk in which it is desirable to make the starter should be no more than 36 degrees (body temperature).

Lactic acid bacteria develop best at this temperature, when it rises above 50 degrees, they die.

Add the starter and just stir it with a spoon.

Now pour into cups from a yogurt maker, multicooker, or simply into a thermos, as in this recipe. Close the lid. Fermentation time is approximately 8 hours, it may take up to 10 hours.

Pour the finished yogurt into a jar and store in the refrigerator for up to three days.

In principle, the preparation of the drink is very simple. But sometimes, especially if you have never cooked such products before, difficulties can arise.

Why sourdough yogurt didn't work:

You have used spoiled sourdough. Its expiration date has passed or it has not been stored properly.
You put the starter in too hot milk and the bacteria just died.
You used low-quality, reconstituted milk from powder (this happens infrequently).

Another common problem is that the drink turns out to be liquid. The reasons why yogurt turns out to be liquid are the same. Plus, you could use skimmed milk, for example, you bought it in the market, previously diluted with water, or you purchased milk of not the best quality in the store.

The answer to the question of why yogurt is sour lies in the fermentation time. To make the drink less acidic, ferment it for less time. The longer the drink stays warm, the more lactic acid will be produced in it.

However, it also depends on temperature. For example, in a yogurt maker or slow cooker, the drink ferments faster, since the temperature at which it is cooked is higher. Try not to keep the drink warm for more than 10 hours.

Baking on yogurt: recipes

Chocolate mannik on yogurt
Cake on yogurt
Pie with currant

Yogurt belongs to fermented milk products and has a lot of useful properties known in all countries of the world. Bacteria are present in various starter cultures. The product is able to satisfy both hunger and thirst. It restores strength and energy. Yogurt contains a sufficient amount of amino acids, vitamins and minerals: magnesium, zinc, potassium. Such a set of nutrients makes it an indispensable food product for adults and children. To enjoy yogurt, it is not necessary to run to the nearest store, because it can be made at home.

What is known about yogurt?

As a result of the oxidation of milk by special bacteria, yogurt is formed. It contains a lot of useful substances that have a beneficial effect on our body. What is the benefit of the product?

improves digestion. For the normal assimilation of products, the proper functioning of the digestive system is necessary. The bacteria contained in yogurt maintain the necessary acidity, relieve constipation and diarrhea. People who cannot tolerate milk protein can safely consume yogurt;
toxins are removed. Putrefactive microorganisms gradually accumulate in the intestines. The fermented milk product neutralizes and removes them;
the risk of developing cancerous tumors is reduced;
the immunity of the whole organism improves due to the synthesis of gamma-interferon;
the combination of yogurt with a salt-free diet heals sore joints;
skin, hair and nails become better.

Unfortunately, the listed beneficial properties of the miraculous product do not apply to the yogurt that is sold in stores. Therefore, it is recommended to cook it yourself.

All kinds of

In addition to the usual, there is bio-yogurt. It contains live bacteria called probiotics. For example, acidophilus bacillus and bifidobacteria.

Yoghurts are classified according to the type of milk used:

natural milk;
milk or cream with fat content brought to a certain norm;
reconstituted milk from dry;
recombinant milk.

According to the type of additives, the product is divided into two types:

fruit or vegetable;
flavored. Flavorings and flavorings are used instead of natural fruits.

Yoghurts vary in fat content:

dairy non-fat. Fat content not more than 0.1%;
low fat milk. 0.3–1%;
milky bold. 1.2–2.5%;
dairy classic. 2.7–4.5%;
milk creamy. 4.7–7.5%;
creamy milk. 7.5–9.5%;
creamy. Not less than 10%.

Other varieties:

What are the features of cooking

There are two cooking methods:

thermostatic. The constituent components are immediately placed in the consumption container. Add sourdough. The process goes on and the finished product is obtained in the form of an undisturbed clot, as in the souring of milk;
reservoir. The components are first placed in a large container, where maturation takes place. Then the finished yogurt is poured into smaller containers. The result is a broken clot.

Now in production, preference is given to the second cooking option. Well, at home it all depends on you.

Choice of Ingredients

Buy sourdough at a pharmacy. Try not to use store-bought yogurt instead of this important ingredient, even if it does not have preservatives. In fermented milk products, a special microflora is formed. And after fermentation, it turns into pathogenic.

For yogurt, pasteurized cow's milk with a short shelf life is suitable. It does not need to be boiled before sourdough. It just needs to be warmed up. Boil everything else. Do not take milk from private traders. You don't know what kind of cow they have. And she can be sick or fed with vitamins. Pay attention to fat content. It varies between 0.5–6%. For children, choose milk up to 3.2% fat. And for weight loss up to 2.5%.

You can use goat's milk. It is very healthy and hypoallergenic, but not everyone likes its taste. Pay attention to the expiration date and integrity of the package. The color of good milk is white. Fat clots may be present. Looks like sour. If there is a yellow tint, then cow's milk has been replaced. A bluish tint indicates dilution with water.

Recipes for cooking at home in a yogurt maker and without

To cook without a yogurt maker, you will need a thermos, a heater, or a blanket.

How to make natural yogurt

Video: how to make yogurt without a yogurt maker

drinking yogurt

The recipe is the same as for natural yogurt, but the milk should be no more than 1.5% fat. In the chilled finished product, add sugar or fruit to taste. If the yogurt turned out to be thick for you, then you should reduce the amount of starter per 1 liter of milk.

Preparing the Greek version

First, make everything according to the natural yogurt recipe. At the last stage, fold the gauze in two layers and place a clot in it. After 2 hours, the whey will drain and you will get something between yogurt and pudding. To give density and increase fat content, a glass of cream is added to the milk.

Greek yogurt is obtained after decanting whey

Homemade yogurt differs from store-bought yogurt in taste and health benefits. And in order to make this wonderful product, it is not at all necessary to have a yogurt maker on the farm.