Ingredients
• 1 litre Fresh Milk of your choice
• 4 Heaped tablespoons spoons of Skim Milk Powder (optional)
• Freeze dried yoghurt culture (quantity as per packet directions) [use the code MTB952 for a discount]
or
• Up to half cup of fresh natural commercial yoghurt
Method
1. Make sure all equipment is clean.
2. Switch on the Yoghurt Maker with the cover in place and allow unit to prewarm whilst you are preparing milk.
3. Heating the milk. It is essential to sterilise all types of milk except for sterilised or UHT/Longlife milk (provided it is fresh from its sealed container). Sterilising the milk will improve the texture of the yoghurt and destroy harmful bacteria. Add skim milk powder to milk before heating. There are two ways to sterilise the milk:
a. Place milk in a double saucepan with the water in the lower container (a single saucepan may be used, however, constant supervision and stirring of milk is required). Bring milk gently to the boil 82°C (180°F). Around this temperature the milk should suddenly rise and foam. Remove immediately from heat to avoid spillage.
b. Place milk directly into the yoghurt pot and place into a microwave. Set microwave on high (600-650 watts) for approximately 10 minutes, or until milk rises and foams. Remove from microwave immediately. Watch the milk carefully while bringing to the boil and remove from the heat source once it rises and foams. Be careful not to let the milk boil over.
4. Cooling the Milk. Place the vessel in a bowl or sink of cold water to accelerate the cooling process. Ensure water does not mix with the milk. Stir the milk occasionally to cool evenly.
5. Place the supplied spoon/thermometer into milk and allow to cool until the “add starter” temperature is shown on the thermometer
(45°C). Add the starter culture or yoghurt and GENTLY stir.
DO NOT BEAT OR WHIP. If a saucepan was used to heat milk, pour contents into yoghurt pot and cover with lid.
6. Place yoghurt pot into Yoghurt Maker and replace the cover. The contents should incubate for 6-6 1/2 hours. Avoid disturbing the pot until yoghurt has set. If using UHT milk the contents should incubate for up to eight hours or overnight.
7. Remove Yoghurt pot from Yoghurt Maker and place pot in refrigerator for about eight hours to allow flavours to mature.
Remove half cup yoghurt, for future use as starter, before adding flavourings.
The above simple directions will ensure successful yoghurt making for years to come.
ENJOY YOUR YOGHURT!
Ways to incubate your yoghurt:
1 ) An electric yoghurt maker, use the directions that go with your incubator. Plug the yoghurt maker in to warm it up while you get the yoghurt ready.
2 ) Use a non-electric yoghurt incubator, the type which has a 2 litre plastic container or 1 litre glass jar nestled inside of a canister.
3 ) Styrofoam Cooler Method: You can use 3 wide-mouthed 500ml jars with screw-on lids (plastic lids, preferably), or even one large, wide-mouthed container, if you like. Place the container(s) inside of an inexpensive Styrofoam cooler along with 2 litre jars of boiling water (with lids– and the jar should not touch the yoghurt jars). (Warm up the cooler with the jars of hot water while you get the yoghurt ready.) Place the cover on the cooler and cover with an old blanket. You may have to add more hot water to the jars halfway through the incubation time. It works perfectly!
4 ) Use a thermos: Almost fill 2-3 large wide-mouth thermos bottles, the more expensive kind with a metal casing, with boiling water, heat for 10 minutes with boiling water inside. Pour out the water and add your incubated yoghurt at the right temperature. Put the lid on and wrap the thermoses each in two or three terrycloth towels, or together in a small quilt. Set it in a warm, draft-free place.
5) Use jars left on top of the waterheater.