Making Yogurt With a Yogurt Maker
A yogurt maker is useful for making your own healthful yogurt at home out of milk. With only a few simple steps, homemade yogurt can be started in a yogurt maker. After several hours in the warm environment of the yogurt maker, the milk will turn into delicious and creamy yogurt. Eat the yogurt with a variety of toppings or use it for cooking and baking.
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Prepare the Milk
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Start with perfectly clean equipment and tools. Everything must be clean to prevent harmful bacteria from contaminating the yogurt. Measure the milk according to the capacity of your yogurt maker. Many yogurt makers either make yogurt in 1 quart and 2 quart amounts. Pour the milk into the top of a double boiler and place a thermometer into the milk to monitor the heating process. Heat until the milk reaches 180 degrees. Leave the milk on the heat at this temperature for 2 minutes and remove from the heat.
Add a packet of unflavored gelatin to the milk, if desired, to help set the yogurt and give it a firmer consistency. Allow the milk to stand at room temperature until it has cooled to between 108 and 112 degrees F. Stir the milk often as it is cooling to help it cool faster and to make sure that the temperature reading on the thermometer is accurate. When the milk reaches this temperature, combine one envelope of yogurt starter with 6 tbsp. of the cooled milk. Stir well to dissolve the starter and then pour the starter mixture into the cooled milk. Use a hand held mixer or an immersion blender to thoroughly mix the starter into the milk. It is very important that the starter be blended adequately.
Make the Yogurt
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Prepare the yogurt maker according to its specific design. Some yogurt makers have small, individual containers for the yogurt and others have one large container. Some yogurt makers also require a small amount of lukewarm water be poured into the base to help create the proper temperature within the yogurt maker.
Read and follow the instructions for your specific yogurt maker. Pour the prepared milk into the yogurt maker container or containers. Cover the yogurt maker container(s) and cover the yogurt maker. Plug the yogurt maker in and set a timer for the incubating time required for your yogurt maker. When the timer goes off, unplug the yogurt maker and remove the yogurt containers from the yogurt maker. Promptly refrigerate the yogurt.
Toppings
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Add honey, sugar, fresh fruit, maple syrup or granola to yogurt for a fresh and tasty treat. Homemade yogurt can also be used for baking and cooking in recipes that call for either yogurt or buttermilk.
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