Country Girl Posted January 16, 2011 Share Posted January 16, 2011 I got a yogurt maker for Christmas and then ordered some yogurt starter that just arrived yesterday. So now I'm anxious to try to make a batch of yogurt but all I have in the house is skim milk (and lots of it). Can I use this? It seems most of the info I find on the web refers to whole milk to make yogurt. Will using skim milk be a waste of the yogurt starter and should I wait until later this week when I can get in town to the store? Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lmrich Posted January 16, 2011 Share Posted January 16, 2011 I use skim milk all the time. I have not used a yogurt starter; I use yogurt. It is really tasty and completely ruins supermarket yogurt - I don't want to eat that again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tajott Posted January 16, 2011 Share Posted January 16, 2011 I would give it try. Like Imrich, I make yougurt w/skim all the time and I use yogurt as my starter. If I wait too long and don't have any in my frig,i use a container of plain yogurt from the store. Look for a brand that says "contains live cultures". I heat the milk in a pot to about 180-190 degrees. Then let the milk cool to about 105 - 110 degrees. Add the yogurt (about a TBSP for a 1/2 gallon of milk...but sometimes I just add the whole container). Mix in well, pour into warm glass jars and put in a warm place. I put them in the oven that has been heated to about 100. Sometimes they solify in a couple of hours, sometimes longer. It seems that there is a fine art for keeping the oven warm enough but not too hot. The faster it solidifies the less sour it tastes in the end. Good luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GraciebytheBay Posted January 16, 2011 Share Posted January 16, 2011 I always use skim milk. It may be a little thinner than if you used higher fat milk. I make Greek yogurt after it cools, so it doesn't matter if it's thinner anyway. Yum! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Country Girl Posted January 16, 2011 Author Share Posted January 16, 2011 Thank you all for chiming in. I am so excited to try making my first batch of yogurt! Gracie~ When you say you make Greek yogurt after it cools, does this just mean you have to strain it or is there more to it than that? Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GraciebytheBay Posted January 17, 2011 Share Posted January 17, 2011 Thank you all for chiming in. I am so excited to try making my first batch of yogurt! Gracie~ When you say you make Greek yogurt after it cools, does this just mean you have to strain it or is there more to it than that? Thanks! I learned how to do it from this site: http://greekfood.about.com/od/greekcookingtips/ht/strainyogurt.htm The volume is decreased by half, but it is worth it to get the creamy consistency. I thaw some cherries or peaches the night before and add them...so delicious! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Country Girl Posted January 17, 2011 Author Share Posted January 17, 2011 I learned how to do it from this site: http://greekfood.about.com/od/greekcookingtips/ht/strainyogurt.htm The volume is decreased by half, but it is worth it to get the creamy consistency. I thaw some cherries or peaches the night before and add them...so delicious! Thanks for the link! It seems easy enough to do and I will try it if I want my yogurt thicker. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
weddell Posted January 17, 2011 Share Posted January 17, 2011 When I used to make yogurt, I almost always used skim milk. The secret to thick yogurt when using skim milk is to add extra dry milk powder to your milk. That way you have more milk solids in the same amount of liquid and you get nice and thick yogurt! I would use a quart of skim milk and add between 1/3 and 1/2 cup of dry milk to it. It will dissolve fully while you heat the milk. You can also mix dry milk according to the directions on the box and use that as the skim milk and then add extra powder. I don't know how the price of reconstituted dry milk compares to regular milk now, but when I used to make yogurt, the dry was cheaper so I would use that. I could never drink milk made from dry milk powder (it tastes strange), but in yogurt you can't tell the difference at all. I used some store bought yogurt as a starter, but any starter will work. Then follow your yogurt maker directions. Try making lots of batches, varying your recipe until you find just the way you like it. I love homemade yogurt. I made it every week for a long time. Now I have a dd that is allergic to dairy so I don't make it anymore. But it is super cheap and has so much less sugar and other weird ingredients than store bought! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Country Girl Posted January 18, 2011 Author Share Posted January 18, 2011 When I used to make yogurt, I almost always used skim milk. The secret to thick yogurt when using skim milk is to add extra dry milk powder to your milk. That way you have more milk solids in the same amount of liquid and you get nice and thick yogurt! I would use a quart of skim milk and add between 1/3 and 1/2 cup of dry milk to it. It will dissolve fully while you heat the milk. You can also mix dry milk according to the directions on the box and use that as the skim milk and then add extra powder. I don't know how the price of reconstituted dry milk compares to regular milk now, but when I used to make yogurt, the dry was cheaper so I would use that. I could never drink milk made from dry milk powder (it tastes strange), but in yogurt you can't tell the difference at all. I used some store bought yogurt as a starter, but any starter will work. Then follow your yogurt maker directions. Try making lots of batches, varying your recipe until you find just the way you like it. I love homemade yogurt. I made it every week for a long time. Now I have a dd that is allergic to dairy so I don't make it anymore. But it is super cheap and has so much less sugar and other weird ingredients than store bought! Thanks for the tips. I have a batch incubating right now and am excited to see how it turns out. I think you are right, that I'll have to try lots of batches with varying techniques until I figure out what I like best. I even bought two different types of starters to try to see if that makes a difference that we prefer. I think I'm going to have lots of fun trying all of these different things.... I just wish I could make more than one batch at a time!;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Country Girl Posted January 19, 2011 Author Share Posted January 19, 2011 I just wanted to update that my first batch turned out pretty well and I have a second batch going right now. I would say my first batch was slightly thinner than the fat-free plain stuff I usually buy but not too bad at all. I think I may try straining this second batch a bit to see if we want it a bit thicker but I don't think it is necessary. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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