Homemade Vanilla Yogurt
- In a large sauce pan, with a thermometer attached, heat milk to 180 degrees F. Maintain the 180 degrees F temperature for at least 10 minutes. Remove the saucepan from heat and cool milk to 110 degrees F. (This will take about 45 minutes.)
- Stir yogurt and vanilla bean paste into milk. Transfer milk mixture to a yogurt maker. Set fermentation time to 8 hours.
- Serve immediately or cover and store in the refrigerator for 3 to 5 days.
From the Test Kitchen
Omit the 6 oz. plain whole milk yogurt. Replace with 1/2 cup nonfat dry milk powder and one 5 gram package yogurt culture. Heat the milk as directed above. In a large bowl, combine milk, milk powder and culture; whisk until thoroughly combined. Pour ingredients into yogurt container. Ferment yogurt for 8 to 16 hours. Yogurt cultures differ depending on the variety. Longer fermentation times will produce a tangier, thicker, yogurt.
Direct-set cultures are powders that are added to milk to produce a single batch of yogurt. With some care, a direct-set starter can be re-cultured two or three times by saving some of the yogurt and adding it to another batch of milk to produce additional yogurt. Eventually, however, a new direct-set starter must be used.
Reusable cultures can be used over and over againg. With each batch, some of the yogurt is saved to add to a new batch of milk to make more yogurt. Reusable cultures should be fed every five days to maintain the vigor of the bacteria.
By using whole milk or a mixture of milk and cream, fat content is increased which naturally increases the thickness to the yogurt.
Strain the finished yogurt using cheesecloth. Place three layers of 100% cotton cheesecloth in a fine mesh strainer. Set strainer over a bowl. Spoon in yogurt. Cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerated for at least 24 hours. Remove from refrigerator and discard liquid in bowl.
Heating the milk to 180 degrees F and holding the temperature for 30 minutes prior to letting the milk cool to 110 degrees F can also increase the thickness of the final yogurt.
Add 1/2 cup dry milk powder to milk prior to the milk being heated to increase thickness.
Nutrition Facts(Homemade Vanilla Yogurt)
- Per serving:
- 107 kcal cal.,
- 6 g fat
- (4 g sat. fat,
- 0 g polyunsaturated fat,
- 1 g monounsatured fat),
- 16 mg chol.,
- 59 mg sodium,
- 7 g carb.,
- 0 g fiber,
- 7 g sugar,
- 5 g pro.
- Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet