As the others have said, making yogurt is really easy. And it's a great way to rotate powdered milk. Below is an article I posted on my blog for making thick, creamy yogurt quickly (so as to avoid having it become tart). It doesn't include incubation instructions because they are posted in other articles.
One of my goals for just about forever has been making cream cheese entirely from food storage—powdered milk and some kind of yogurt starter, either fresh yogurt or freeze-dried. And I have mostly failed. Until now.
An article on making that cream cheese will appear tomorrow. The first step in making cream cheese from food storage is making good creamy, thick yogurt.
Now, I’ve already posted about making thick, creamy yogurt from food storage. It is good yogurt and I make it all the time. But it was just a little bit tart, and that acidity is what was throwing the cream cheese flavor off.
But a couple of months ago, I found the Brød & Taylor website (they sell small kitchen appliances, including a bread proofing box that also functions for culturing yogurt) where they discussed yogurt making. I already knew that culturing yogurt at a higher temperature resulted in a faster set and milder flavor, and a lower temperature meant it would take more time and the yogurt would be more acidic.
Brød & Taylor’s research (well, actually, they just followed what researchers at the University of Wisconsin found) showed that keeping the milk at 195°F for 10 minutes and then culturing the yogurt at 120°F for 1 hour before reducing the temperature resulted in the thickest, creamiest, and least acidic yogurt. (They also found that yogurt cultures faster at higher altitudes.) Using full-fat milk instead of nonfat is also critical. These factors are essential to making good cream cheese from food storage items.
I like the new recipe because it’s even simpler. Gelatin and cornstarch aren’t needed. For best results, however, you want to add some whipping cream. (The yogurt will be thicker and creamier, and the extra fat makes for the nicest cream cheese.) Fortunately, there are shelf stable options for this.
Thicker, Creamier Yogurt—Ideal for Making Cream Cheese
7 ½ cups cold water
3 cups powdered milk
½ cup whipping cream*
¼ cup plain yogurt with active cultures
[1]
In a medium saucepan, whisk the powdered milk into the water, stirring until no lumps remain. Stir in the whipping cream. Heat to 195°F and hold it there for 10 minutes. Whisk frequently to prevent the milk from developing a skin.
Cool the milk to 120°F. Remove ½ cup of the cooled milk and gently whisk in the yogurt. Add this mixture to the cooled milk.
Pour the milk into jars and place a lid on the jars. Incubate at 120°F for 1 hour, then reduce the temperature to 100°F.
Check the yogurt after 2 hours. It may be ready at this time or may take another hour or so. When the yogurt has set, place it in the refrigerator to stop culturing and chill thoroughly.
*Note. Trader Joe’s carries shelf-stable whipping cream. It’s a lot cheaper in their stores than on Amazon.
Tomorrow’s post will share how to use this yogurt to make some wonderful cream cheese.
Links to related posts:
Basic Food Storage—Powdered Milk
Making Thick, Creamy Yogurt
References:
Our yogurt recipe creates thick and creamy yogurt without any additives. Learn our tips and tricks for making custard-style yogurt.
brodandtaylor.com
[1] Researchers found that yogurt with
L. casei cultures yielded a thicker homemade yogurt.
L. bulgaricus and
S. thermophilus made runnier yogurts. They also had better results using 8 oz containers from the store rather than larger pints or quarts, which they attributed to better turnover at the store, i.e., a fresher yogurt.
The Science of Great Yogurt
