We carry a variety of yogurt cultures, including Bulgarian<\/a>, Italian<\/a>, and ABY-2C<\/a>. The main differences between them are in the flavor\u00a0and the viscosity. Some are more sweet, and some are more tart. Some are thinner, and some are thicker. If you like a very thick yogurt with a mild, sweet flavor,\u00a0try our Italian culture.<\/p>\n The process of making yogurt comprises five\u00a0simple steps:<\/p>\n You will need the following:<\/p>\n Be careful not to overshoot 180 degrees. It’s better to go slowly rather than to try to turn up the heat too much and then not be able to get the temperature to stop climbing too fast.<\/p>\n Allow the milk to cool to 115 degrees Fahrenheit.<\/strong> You can do this by allowing the pot to sit on the stovetop (if cool) or counter.\u00a0Alternatively, immerse the pot in a cold water bath to speed up the cooling process. If you choose to do this, however, be sure monitor the temperature very carefully so the the milk doesn’t cool\u00a0below 115 degrees!<\/p>\n Yogurt culture is similar to yeast in that the milk\u00a0needs to be within a certain temperature for the culture to work properly<\/strong>. If the milk is too hot, it will kill the yogurt culture. On the other hand, if the milk falls below 100-115 degrees, the culture won’t get activated.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The amount of dried yogurt culture you need depends on the amount of milk and the type of culture you’re using.<\/strong> For example, in this recipe we are using two liters\/quarts of milk, so we can use\u00a0one envelope of our dried Bulgarian yogurt culture. If you are using a different type of yogurt culture, be sure to read the package directions to determine how much to you need.<\/p>\n Once you’ve measured out the appropriate amount of dried yogurt culture, add it to the cooled milk as described below.<\/p>\n It’s important to mix\u00a0the yogurt culture in very thoroughly<\/strong><\/span>;<\/span> otherwise, your yogurt might\u00a0separate<\/a>. The most reliable method is to\u00a0start by sprinkling the dried yogurt culture on top of the warmed milk and letting it sit there for a minute or so until it dissolves. When the dried culture has dissolved completely, mix it into the milk.\u00a0Make sure the culture is distributed evenly throughout. If you start mixing before the dried culture has completely dissolved, it can clump; and\u00a0then you won\u2019t be able to mix it in thoroughly.<\/p>\n It’s important to keep your yogurt as close as possible to the ideal temperature of 105 degrees for at least 10 to 12 (or up to 24) hours<\/strong> so the beneficial, health-promoting\u00a0bacteria in the culture\u00a0can multiply. This process is called incubating the yogurt. The longer you incubate the yogurt, the fewer carbohydrates it will have because the bacteria feed on the sugars naturally present in the milk. And, a<\/strong>\u00a0longer incubation period results in\u00a0thicker yogurt!<\/strong><\/p>\n This step is easy if you have a Yogotherm <\/a>or VitaClay <\/a>yogurt maker. All you have to do is transfer the yogurt into the provided container and follow the manufacturer’s directions.<\/p>\n Things can get a little trickier if you don’t have a yogurt maker, but it’s still relatively easy to set-up\u00a0your own incubator environment using readily available supplies.\u00a0Be sure to transfer your yogurt into an appropriate container first!\u00a0<\/strong>Large Mason jars are a good choice,<\/p>\n We recommend insulating the container of yogurt with towels and placing it in a cooler to keep the heat from escaping. You’ll want to fill any extra air space in the cooler with additional towels (or clean rags) to maximize the insulation. Then, set the cooler in a very warm place.<\/p>\n Ideally, you want to keep the temperature of the yogurt as close to 105 degrees as possible during the incubation period.\u00a0Under normal conditions, the temperature will drop very slowly over time. It probably won’t fall\u00a0below 80 degrees, though, and that’s okay.<\/p>\n When the incubation period is over, your yogurt is ready to be refrigerated. If you’re using Mason jars, be careful the temperature doesn’t drop too quickly or the jars might crack.<\/p>\n Allow your yogurt to cool in the refrigerator for at least six hours. During this period, the yogurt will thicken. If the yogurt has separated, you can stir the liquid back in.<\/p>\n For thicker yogurt, you can drain\u00a0off some of the whey. The easiest way to do this is by using\u00a0cheese cloth <\/a>to strain it. You can put the yogurt in cheese cloth and hang it over your kitchen faucet, or suspend it over a bowl and let it drain until the yogurt becomes very thick. If you let most of the whey drain out, you’ll end up with delicious yogurt cheese! Simply scrape the yogurt off the cheese cloth, whip it until it becomes very smooth, and then add herbs, spices, honey, or whatever flavorings you like. Place it in the refrigerator to cool, and in a few hours you’ll have scrumptious yogurt cheese! It’s delightful on crackers, with chips, on sandwiches, etc.<\/p>\n![\"Bavarian_yogurt\"](\"http:\/\/www.homesteadersupply.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/Bavarian_yogurt-300x267.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\nA Word about Our Yogurt Cultures<\/h2>\n
An Overview of the\u00a0Process<\/h2>\n
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Here’s What You’ll Need<\/h2>\n
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Step 1: \u00a0Heat Your Milk<\/h2>\n
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Step 2: Cool the Milk<\/h2>\n
![\"yogurt_110\"](\"http:\/\/www.homesteadersupply.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/yogurt_110-300x207.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\nStep 3: Measure and Add\u00a0the Dried Yogurt Culture<\/h2>\n
Step 4: Incubate the Yogurt<\/h2>\n
![\"yogotherm\"](\"http:\/\/www.homesteadersupply.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/yogotherm.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\nStep 5: Refrigerate the Yogurt<\/h2>\n
![\"yogurt](\"http:\/\/www.homesteadersupply.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/yogurt-cheese.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\n![\"yogurt_spoon\"](\"http:\/\/www.homesteadersupply.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/yogurt_spoon1.jpg\")
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