In a blender, mix 2½ cups warm water (105 to 120 degrees)
with 1 cup non-instant milk powder and 1 heaping Tbsp starter. Pour into a clean warm quart jar and screw on
a lid. Incubate undisturbed at 105 to
120 degrees for 4 to 8 hours (until a custard-like consistency). Place in refrigerator. Best used within 1 week.
Additional yogurt information:
Starter: Plain
store-bought yogurt that contains active cultures (or yogurt that is less than
1 week old). You can freeze starter in
ice cube trays and store in a plasric bag.
Thaw before using.
Milk: Any milk may be
used. Best with milk having a high
concentration of milk solids (add powder or evaporated milk to increase milk
solids). Some recipes call for the milk
to be heated to a temperature of 180 degrees then cooled to 115 degrees before
using. This is not necessary with
powdered or homogenized milk, but is a must for raw milks. Heating will kill any microorganisms that
might be present and will help break down the proteins, resulting in a firmer
product.
Temperature: Recipes vary from 105 to 120 degrees. The warmer temperatures result in a tangier
finished product.
Incubation: Any method that holds the yogurt at a
constant temperature for several hours will work. Place the jars in a pot of warm water and set
on a hot plate. Or place the jars on a warm
heating pad and cover with a large pot.
Or place the jars in a thermos and replace the water as needed to keep
it at the right temperature. Or place in
an oven on low temperature. Or use a
commercial yogurt maker for small batches. I recommend placing your thermometer
in a jar of warm water and trying one of these methods for several hours before
making the yogurt to see how it works.
The longer the incubation, the tangier the yogurt will be.
