How to make homemade yogurt in a yogurt maker: recipes with and without sourdough, culinary advice

What Happens During Yogurt Making: A Chemical Reaction

Traditional Greek yogurt is known to have first appeared. What modern yoghurt is not made of in production. In the process of making the dessert, a chemical reaction takes place: a controlled process of curdling fresh milk under the influence of high temperature takes place.

During the reaction of milk, large fat particles are broken down into smaller ones, which are subsequently enveloped by the proteins contained in the milk. After this stage, the milk is subject to mandatory heating, which will help to exclude all harmful bacteria from the product. At this time, the unfolding of stuck together protein enzymes occurs. Then they spread throughout the entire volume of the product, forming a reliable molecular lattice, which will be the basis of the yoghurt mass.

 NOTE!

The milk must be heated to a maximum temperature of 76 ° C. This will help to keep the future yogurt taste alive, which will not hide the notes of fruits and berries.

How does a yoghurt maker work? The rules of its functionality

Agree that homemade yogurt is much tastier and healthier than the one that is produced in industrial production. In addition, the finished product has a delicate aroma and unforgettable taste. This can only be achieved if the home yoghurt maker is working properly.

The principle of its functioning is based on one simple rule: to maintain the temperature regime in the range of up to 40-44 ° C for some time (depending on the device model). If the milk in the yogurt maker is exposed to higher temperatures, the lactic acid bacteria will begin to die.

To prepare the product, milk at room temperature must be poured into cups that are set on platform of the device, and add a special ferment to each of them (the amount is determined in accordance with recipe). Then the device is closed with a lid, its tightness is checked and connected to the electrical network for a certain time (controlled by the type of starter culture). By heating the milk is fermented with sourdough, as a result of which a perfectly tender yoghurt of the desired consistency is obtained.

 ADVICE!

After the device finishes its work, the finished product must be moved to the refrigerator so that lactic acid bacteria stop developing.

Preparing ingredients for yoghurt

To make yogurt at home, you need to have basic foods:

• fresh milk, preferably natural rustic;
• sugar or refined sugar;
• sourdough (purchased or prepared by hand);
• fruits and berries. For yogurt, you can use blueberries, peaches, bananas, strawberries, apricots, and dried fruits.

Please note that when adding dried fruits to a dessert product, they must first be doused with boiling water in order to soften and eliminate the presence of pathogenic bacteria.

Choosing milk: natural or pasteurized

Ideal for preparing homemade yoghurt in modern electrical devices using pasteurized store milk, since for these products a product with a low fat content is better suited (approximately 2,5−3,5%).

If desired, you can apply natural fresh products from a dairy or agricultural farmers. Pre-boil the product and cool to room temperature. Otherwise, you risk getting fermented baked milk instead of hearty and tender yogurt of dubious quality.

Recommendations for the choice of starter culture

There are two options for yoghurt starter: dry and liquid. You can buy yoghurt starter at a pharmacy or specialty stores. For homemade yoghurt, it is ideal to purchase starter cultures from manufacturers that fall in the rating.

1. Bulgarian sourdough "Genesis" is renowned for its quality and gains positive reviews among housewives.
2. Sourdough from Armenia "Narine" available in dry and liquid form. Ideal for preparing homemade fermented milk products.
3. Ferment "Vivo" on a bacterial basis is produced in Ukraine. Perfectly ferments fresh milk.
4. Starter culture "Good Food" recently entered the market, allows you to quickly prepare homemade sour milk for breakfast or afternoon tea.
5. You can also make a yogurt starter at home with "Activia" or another yogurt yourself.

Which is better: dry or liquid sourdough

Starter cultures for making homemade yoghurt differ in consistency: dry or liquid. Dry yoghurt starter has a longer shelf life and gives the finished product a special taste.

Liquid sourdough is stored less than dry and is considered alive. It is used as a preparation for yoghurt as often as the previous one. Regardless of the type of preparation for homemade sour milk, the products are equally useful for humans, have satiety, and also have a beneficial effect on immunity. For homemade yoghurt, you can use any type of starter culture, provided that it is not expired.

Sourdough preparation method

A tasty and healthy starter culture must be made according to the instructions, otherwise it will lose its beneficial properties, and the dessert may not work out or will not be beneficial.

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	We take pasteurized or village milk with a minimum fat content.
	Village milk must be boiled, and pasteurized milk is enough to heat up to 90 ° C.
	Add the purchased dry starter culture to the warmed milk. It is important that its temperature does not exceed 45 ° C, otherwise the bifidobacteria will die.
	Shake the mixture well and place in a warm place for 12 hours so that the product is well fermented.
	Further, the blank can be used to make homemade yoghurt.

How to make yogurt at home in stages

To be sure of the naturalness of the prepared dessert, you need to know special recipes for making yogurt in a yogurt maker. This is the only way to get a truly delicious and natural product. Here are some ways to make yogurt at home.

How to make yogurt in a yogurt maker: the principle of preparation

Please note that yogurt makers come in one container and several. In the first case, the entire volume of milk is poured into one bowl, and in the second, it is evenly poured into portioned cups.

Let's look at the step-by-step instructions.

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	1 liter of pasteurized or boiled homemade milk with a minimum fat content (no more than 3.5%) is heated on the stove.
	In the meantime, we send the starter culture to a separate container and fill it with two or three tablespoons of milk, whisk the composition thoroughly.
	We send the resulting consistency to the main part of the milk, mix well and distribute over the containers of the yogurt maker.
	We set the required time (6-10 hours) and leave the product until it is completely cooked.
	Next, take out the product, close the lids and cool.
	As soon as the yogurt is at room temperature, we place it in the refrigerator for 2.5-3 hours.
	Add thermally processed fruits or berries if desired and stir the yogurt well.
	Dessert is ready to eat.

Cooking a fermented milk dessert without a yogurt maker

If you do not have the opportunity to use a special device for making yoghurt, then you can prepare in an easier way, for example, to apply a recipe for making yogurt at home using thermos.

To prepare a classic dessert in this way, you can use the recipe.

 NOTE!

The finished product turns out to be satisfying and dietary, therefore it is often prescribed as the main component in the daily diet for those who plan to lose weight.

How to make yogurt in a slow cooker: the nuances of cooking

There are multi-cookers that have the function of making yogurt. It is this household appliance that you can use so as not to buy a yogurt maker. Cooking recipes may vary depending on the model of the device, however, without exception, all fermented milk desserts are made on the basis of milk.

To make Greek yogurt at home in your Philips multicooker, you will need:

• skim milk - 1 l;
• sugar - 3 tbsp. l .;
• powdered milk - 1 tbsp. l .;
• vanillin - on the tip of a knife;
• dry sourdough for yogurt - 2 tbsp. l.

The preparation method is as follows. First of all, we mix milk with sugar, make sure that the sugar dissolves well. Next, add milk powder and vanillin to the mixture. In the process of stirring, gradually introduce the leaven. After making sure that the mass is homogeneous, pour the composition into jars and put it on the bottom of the multicooker. We close the device with a lid, select the “Yogurt” function and leave the product until the device emits a signal of readiness. Then you need to place the yogurt in the refrigerator for several hours, and before serving, you can mix it with berry puree, which will add aroma and exquisite taste.

Popular homemade yogurt recipes

Making yogurt with your own hands does not take much time, however, the classic version can get bored quickly, so we offer several interesting recipes that are often used housewives.

Dahi Indian Yogurt Recipe

To prepare this dessert you will need:

• homemade milk - 0.5 l;
• natural yogurt (as a ferment) "Danone" - 2 tbsp. l.

Cooking method:

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	We sterilize milk (boil it). Remember to stir constantly to avoid burning.
	Cool down to the limit of 40-45 ° C. To make the process go faster, lower the container with hot milk in a cup of water.
	We sterilize the jar where you will prepare the yogurt. To do this, just hold it on the steam bath for a few minutes.
	Cool and put 2 tbsp into it. l. yogurt, then pour boiled milk, cover with a lid.
	We heat the jar with the contents using a heating pad, keeping the temperature for 6-8 hours.

Drinking yogurt recipe "Matsoni"

Ingredients:

• whole milk - 1 l;
• homemade sour cream - 3 tbsp. l.

Cooking method:

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	Boil the milk well, then cool it down to 55 ° C. It is important that it is hot.
	Add sour cream and mix well.
	Pour the consistency into a previously sterilized container and cover with a lid.
	We wrap it up with a thick towel and leave it overnight.
	After the time has elapsed, it is necessary to stir the product, at the end you can add finely chopped berries and fruits.

NOTE!

To make yoghurt with your own hands, you should use a clean container (sterilized). Otherwise, the milk may go bad and the yogurt will not work.

We recommend watching a video that describes all the nuances of making homemade yogurt.