Does anyone make their own yogurt?

[blkane]

I've been trying to find ways to control my sugar intake. Refined sugar is definitely a trigger ingredient with my bad eating habits and you find it in the darnedest places. So, I saw this yogurt maker in the Williams & Sonoma catalog that made it sound so simple and neat.

Sounds like a great idea. Anybody tried it? I'd love to hear your feedback.

 

[SRP]

Hi, Brenda -
Funny you should ask, because I was just thinking of giving it a try again myself.

I don't have a yogurt maker, which I understand is mostly a well-insulated container to hold the yogurt at the right temperature. Maybe they have different types - what does your catalog say?

Anyhow, I tried it once several years ago. I bought a container of plain yogurt with active cultures in it from the store. I followed a recipe I found in some "back to the land" type magazine, which used something like a couple of tablespoons of the storebought stuff and milk. Then I used a candy thermometer to reach the right temperature (whatver it was) and tried my best to keep the yogurt warm.

Didn't work very well - it turned out rather runny, but you could tell it was yogurt. It tasted okay, but not wonderful. I imagine that if you use a yogurt maker and are able to carefully maintain the right temperature, it would be just fine.

Good luck - let us know how it turns out!

 

[winsomehill]

I do sometimes make my own yogurt. I tried the method in The tightwad gazette, where she has you use a big mason jar wrapped in towels, covered with a pot on top of a heating pad and it came out stringy. I could never get it quite right. But, then I bought a yogurt maker at the salvation army, and it works great! It does come out a little soupy but not too bad. I usually make mine with vanilla and maple syrup. I've never tried with faux sugar. I've also put jam at the bottom for "fruit flavors". It certainly saves money, yogurt is so expensive. And, my children just love it.
Heather

 

[blkane]

Well, I'm thinking of putting this one on my xmas list.

http://ww1.williams-sonoma.com/cat/pip.cfm?pkey=xsrd0m1|15|0||||||yogurt&gids=e096&cmsrc=sch

Some of the articles I've read talked about the problem of homemade yogurt being runny. Apparently, runny is the way yogurt is prepared in Europe. Anyway, to help firm things up, the folks recommended about 5 tablespoons of non-fat milk powder added to the recipe just before you start to heat it in the yogurt machine. Also, heating it longer seems to help it get firmer too.

All the recipes I've seen talk about adding fruit, which I like. But, I really need to figure out how to add chocolate. I love Stonyfield Farms chocolate underground yogurt!