Is yoghurt worth making yourself?

nopot2pin

thriftlady wrote: »

Nopot2pin when I make yogurt with UHT I don't heat it. It isn't necessary because it has already been heated. I use it striaght from the carton and let it yog for 8-10 hours.

Likewise I have more success with fresh milk if I let it cool to room temp after first bringing it to boiling point. I did this today and left it in my yogurt maker for about 8 hours and it turned out very well.

I was a bit confused about not heating it, if using a flask, as there is no heat to help it yog.

I decided to throw out the first batch as it really didn't look to good at all.
But I am going to try again, and not heat the milk so much this time

I was looking at the Lakeland site earlier... and seen this
I might get that, if I dont get the hang of the flask

Potty

thriftlady_2

nopot2pin wrote: »

I was a bit confused about not heating it, if using a flask, as there is no heat to help it yog.

Ah, yes, sorry, I didn't twig that you were using a thermos. You're quite right it needs to be warm to start with. My yogurt maker does that for me.

There's a whole thread about using an EasiYo;) My yogurt maker is also from Lakeland- it is just a simple electric one. I've had it for years.

ceridwen

Reet - so overall I guess the cost of homemade yogurt would be half that of shop yogurt - if one works on any like for like basis (eg I buy organic milk and my yogurt is bought Yeo Valley organic) - so I guess I would still be on that half price basis?

One thought re uses for yogurt - I spotted summat recently about making yogurt cheese and it just seemed to be the case that one puts some yogurt into muslin to drain for 24 hours and - bingo - yogurt cheese (ie a type of soft cheese). Thinks...."that sounds easy, I'll try that". So thats one possible use. What I DID wonder with that "recipe" is what one does with the leftover whey. All ideas welcome as to what one can do with said whey purlease.....

Re using a haybox to put setting yogurt in - I never thought of that and will bear that in mind - as I have one. (NB: whilst on the subject of hayboxes - I have one and it just consists of two "floppy" type large-ish cushions filled with those beanbag type granules and one just puts one in the bottom of a rigid container and one on top of the casserole dish one has just put onto that to "cook"). I did have problems wondering just what to use for the rigid container to put those "cushions" in - until I spotted a smaller Trug of mine and thought "ideal" and so use that.

(EDIT: errr....before anyone asks about experiences of using said haybox - guilty admission time: that one is still in "experiment to come" stage - I'm working on a LOT of little experiments of this nature at t'moment).

thriftlady_2

ceridwen wrote: »

What I DID wonder with that "recipe" is what one does with the leftover whey. All ideas welcome as to what one can do with said whey purlease.....

Whey can be used instead of water or milk in baking. Scones, bread, soda bread, muffins etc. I usually add it to a breakfast smoothie, or sometimes I just drink it.

mummysaver

I make my yoghurt in a large thermos flask, I use a litre of uht heated to hand temp in the microwave, four spoons of dried milk powder, and four spoons of yoghurt - I bung it on at breakfast time and it's usually ready by breakfast the next day, I then chill it in the fridge. My girls all eat it as it is, or with a bit of honey stirred into it - ds doesn't really like yoghurt much, but uses it in smoothies.

As my yoghurt is fairly thick due to the milk powder, which is the way the kids prefer it, I find that I can make a simple soft cheese just by putting it in a sieve over a bowl overnight, I then flavour it with mixed herbs and garlic (powder is best I think!) gives a boursin style cheese, and a whole lot cheaper! btw this tip was originally Celyn's - so thanks hun, you've saved me a fortune as boursin was dd1's fave cheese, but now she prefers the hm version!

Edit: I also use the whey for scones, basically it works in anything that requires buttermilk.

nopot2pin

thriftlady wrote: »

Ah, yes, sorry, I didn't twig that you were using a thermos. You're quite right it needs to be warm to start with. My yogurt maker does that for me.

There's a whole thread about using an EasiYo;) My yogurt maker is also from Lakeland- it is just a simple electric one. I've had it for years.

:j
Well it worked

I guess I had the milk too hot in the first place

I am going to use the flask for a while. I might still get the EasiYo, if I start to encounter lots of problems with using a flask.

Thanks
Potty

purpleivy

I make yoghurt cheese sometimes. I have 2 sort of sieve things that came from Lakeland I think.

nopot2pin

ceridwen wrote: »

Reet - so overall I guess the cost of homemade yogurt would be half that of shop yogurt - if one works on any like for like basis (eg I buy organic milk and my yogurt is bought Yeo Valley organic) - so I guess I would still be on that half price basis?

Small tub of YeoValley organic yoghurt - 25p plus One litre of UHT orgainc milk - 99p = 1.24.
A large kg tub of YeoValley organic Bio Live yoghurt 1.95.

So, its not quite half price for the initail yoghurt.
But for subsequent yoghurts, you are only paying for the milk, as you keep enough yoghurt back to make your next batch. I believe you can do this 6 times before the yoghurt runs out of steam, and cannot yog anymore.
The first tub of yoghurt that you buy, is enough to start at least 2 batches.

So, buy my reckoning, you get 12 batches of yoghurt from one 25p tub.

The over all comparison is 12.13 for HM yoghurt, against 23.40 for shop bought.
It can be done cheaper if you use fresh organic milk at 10.69....

Or, if you fancy using organic sweetened soya milk 10.21..... I think I am going to try this next
The orgainic unsweetend soya milk, is cheaper again 9.85.

And of course, prices drastically reduce if you use unorganic milk, UHT or fresh.


Potty:)

nopot2pin

mummysaver wrote: »

As my yoghurt is fairly thick due to the milk powder, which is the way the kids prefer it, I find that I can make a simple soft cheese just by putting it in a sieve over a bowl overnight, I then flavour it with mixed herbs and garlic (powder is best I think!) gives a boursin style cheese, and a whole lot cheaper! btw this tip was originally Celyn's - so thanks hun, you've saved me a fortune as boursin was dd1's fave cheese, but now she prefers the hm version!

Edit: I also use the whey for scones, basically it works in anything that requires buttermilk.

Brilliant :T
I must try that..... SOON
Thanks

Potty

nopot2pin

I have seived and muslined my yoghurt ... and now it is very, very thick.
Almost whipped double cream like... so I have added a bit of the whey back into it.
I have started another batch off.... just loving it
I have added a bit more milk powder to see if that thickens it...
If not, seiving/muslining seems to be the whey(sorry, pardon the pun:p)ahead...
Tomorrow, holds the answers, for now