[Runningmommy]

I would like to try to make yogurt due to the health benefits. Would anyone be able to recommend a yogurt maker and how to's? Thanks so much!!

Lisa

 

[rainbowmoon]

:

 

[homemademomma]

i dont think you need a yogurt maker. i just leave my yogurt in the oven w/the light on overnight. also, i use a tsp of organic yogurt as a starter. also, never use more starter than called for, or shake the jar while it is setting up. that will cause the yogurt to be runny. sorry so short, nak!!

 

[MamaMonica]

I love my Girmi yogurt maker- have had it a year. It's flat and looks like a flying saucer- cost about $29 ppd.

What I like about this one is I can substitute 4 pint canning jars for the little jars it comes with and set a towel over the lid and I get a a half gallon of yogurt.

It's very reliable- I simply plug it and forget about it. It also stores easy, being flat. I don't use the jars it came with because they didn't make enough and they were hard to clean compared to canning jars.

 

[Runningmommy]

how about this one? $15, 1 qt, looks easy?
http://store.yahoo.com/buzzappliances/104591.html

 

[MamaMonica]

Runningmommy, that kind looks fine but check if it has plastic or glass. I wouldn't culture in plastic myself.

 

[Runningmommy]

why is that?

 

[MamaMonica]

I don't like plastic taste- it's a personal choice of course

 

[Runningmommy]

oh wow, I wouldnt' have thought you would be able to taste it, thanks for the input!

anyone have the recipes taht I;ll need? Is yogurt then considered a probiotic and are there different kinds of probiotics other than yogurt? Trying to keep my family healthy as best I can, thansk!

 

[MamaMonica]

Here's a thread for you:

http://www.mothering.com/discussions...wer+probiotics

You might have to sift through it- there's info. on both probiotics, starters and yogurt making in general. Good luck! Homemade yogurt is so good.

 

[late-night nan]

re yogurt as probiotic, i believe that it does give benefits but does not colonize the digestive tract in the way that kefir does. we had problems with digesting the kefir, so we just use a probiotic supplement for the babe. we like baby maxidophilous, which has a wider range of probiotics than yogurt. although i'm all for feeding the babe yogurt also!

we found our salton yogurt maker at a garage sale for $1. needed a little cleaning but otherwise it was a great deal. it's handy because it came with glass jars and plastic tops in roughly 1-cup sizes.

 

[Runningmommy]

which leads me to the question, what is kefir? thanks!

 

[princess buttercup]

First decide if you want a larger bowl of yogurt (like the quart size makers) or an individual cup size maker. They are pretty cheap on eBay.(or as everone has said, try the methods with out a maker) I have an individual cup size and love it...I can experiment with one of the cups and not "ruin" the rest of the yogurt. (I alternate using the cups that came with it and the larger size babyfood jars, so I can make a batch before the other runs out) I like Stonyfield yogurt as a starter (the full cream version..I just freeze the extra in starter size containers)
Alton Brown has a great show on yogurt (good milk gone bad), It's not on the foodnetwork web page but it airs again on Jan. 13.
Here is Alton's recipe and method.
http://www.recipezaar.com/recipe/getrecipe.zsp?id=40602

There are a ton of articles recipes on the web...Enough to keep you reading for days.

The basics are the correct temperature, Clean, clean clean cups.jars/utensils...and don't jostle or jiggle your culturing yogurt.
Good luck.

 

[jplain]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Runningmommy how about this one? $15, 1 qt, looks easy? http://store.yahoo.com/buzzappliances/104591.html

I use this one and love it. I threw out the plastic container they provide for culturing yogurt. I scald the milk in a wide-mouth quart jar. After adding the starter (either yogurt with live cultures, or Yogourmet starter), I place the jar in the yogurt maker. Fits perfectly and works great!

Carolyn

 

[splendid]

*hijack*

I'm thinking about buying the Girmi JC70 Yogurt Maker, can I use any small jars in this or do I have to buy the ones Girmi makes?

 

[CarolynnMarilynn]

My kids like fruit-bottomed yogurt so I add a teaspoon of organic, juice-sweetened jam to the bottom before I pour the scalded milk in and they love it.

Carolynn

 

[rainbowmoon]

has anyone tried this machine?
http://store.yahoo.com/dynadirect/ha-ym80.html

I have never made yogurt

but am going to make my first batch this week (w/out a machine) what's the simplest easiest recipe? do I have to use dry milk btw? also I like my yogurt premixed, can I just stick it in the food processor with the fruit after it's done?

 

[splendid]

that is the Girmi JC70 Yogurt Maker, I ordered it from amazon.com ($24.99 plus free shipping), I know many here that use it.

 

[rainbowmoon]

cool. thanks! if my yogurt making endevour works I may invest in one!

 

[Runningmommy]

so how do you make it with no maker? i'm clueless.