Yogurt making with Anna...

[clibbyjo]

I have a yogurt maker, I don't think it was a waste of money, but it depends on your style. For me, it works well, because my house temperature isn't stable. (It was a gift, I was making yogurt in a cooler with hot water, and my mom remembered her yogurt maker that she used constantly when we were little and thought it would be nice for me to have instead. I've also heard that some dehydrators work well for making yogurt, but mine is a stackable tray nesco, so it won't work. (good dehydrator if you can't afford an Excalibur, though.)

I have an Excalibur, I never thought to make yogurt in it. :)

[Witsec5]

Try it clibbyjo. The dehydrators are supposed to do a better job than the yogurt-makers because the temperature is always consistent. All you will need is some kind of milk (goats, cows, soy, or almond), a candy thermometer or thermometer spoon, and starter (either some plain Dannon yogurt or commercial starter). The consistency of the cow's milk yogurt is the thickest but I have started making goat's milk yogurt (for allergy reasons) which is more runny. BTW, I have made it with an old yogurt maker and with an ice chest and a hot pad set to medium. Both batches turned out great.

[Katiebug]

Several North American yogurt brands don't include gelatin, but usually have pectin instead. I guess we like a firmer consistency.

Our toddler eats Stonyfield Farm plain whole milk organic yogurt. The ingredients are: cultured pasteurized organic whole milk, pectin, Vitamin D3. She eats it plain or with some pureed fruit stirred in. Occasionally I switch it up and buy the French Vanilla version if the supermarket is out of plain, but given the choice I go for the plain because of the added sugar in the French Vanilla.

I got a yogurt maker for Christmas maybe 5 years ago. It worked well and tasted good but I was just too damned lazy to make it myself regularly so it's been relegated to the closet along with the bread maker, the sausage attachment for my KitchenAid, and the rice cooker. I've read on natural living websites that an easy way to make it at home is in a crock pot or a Thermos bottle.

[Caramel]

The gelatin makes up for the reduced fat. Skim milk yogurt is very thin and soupy. Because nearly all prepared yogurts these days have reduced or no fat *shudder* they all have gelatin. Basically, it's just sour milk flavoured jello.

You can remove the excess moisture from any yogurt and make it firmer. The gelatin is the industrial approach because it is more cost effective, but if one is bothering to make yogurt at home, the gelatin seems misguided. Here's a website with a great MacGyver-esque approach to making yogurt:

http://www.makeyourownyogurt.com/

[LilMissMetaphor]

Making yogurt is not hard nor is it a complicated process.

Also, it is not time-consuming nor is it a lengthy process.

But it's not fun, neither is it very enjoyable.

Kind of like the Maxwells' existence in that respect. Boring, not very exciting. Redundant, inclined to repetition. Stilted, somewhat awkward.

But what happens if you flop a Maxwell? Should you make a new batch?

[Sola]

Ex-pat here so they don't use gelatin in European yoghurts? That would make me happy to hear as a vegetarian, who had issues reading containers on vacation in France.

Not in the UK. There's pectin in fruit yoghurts sometimes, but not in plain yoghurt. If you want thicker yoghurt, you just let it sit for longer.

[Sola]

I've never heard of it. I know that there is fructose syrup in French yoghurts like Yoplait with fruit so I avoid them and buy other brands.

Here's the recipe I used:

http://frenchwomendontgetfat.com/conten ... gurt-maker

Sophie - I'd love to have a yoghurt maker but they aren't sold here. Will look for one next time I visit France!

If you have a thermos flask, you can use that. Just heat your milk, put it in the flask, add your starter and then leave it to sit.

[Justme]

The gelatin makes up for the reduced fat. Skim milk yogurt is very thin and soupy. Because nearly all prepared yogurts these days have reduced or no fat *shudder* they all have gelatin. Basically, it's just sour milk flavoured jello.

Anna uses whole milk. Why does she need the gelatin? (I don't eat yogurt.)

[Conuly]

It's possible she doesn't know better than to use gelatin, or she wants a firmer texture still. However, if you want a thicker texture, it's very easy to just strain your yogurt. Get a colander, line it with cheesecloth, place it over a deep bowl, dump your yogurt in and wait a few hours. Voila - Greek yogurt. (Or is Greek yogurt strained while still warm?)

[zoestercoaster]

It's possible she doesn't know better than to use gelatin, or she wants a firmer texture still. However, if you want a thicker texture, it's very easy to just strain your yogurt. Get a colander, line it with cheesecloth, place it over a deep bowl, dump your yogurt in and wait a few hours. Voila - Greek yogurt. (Or is Greek yogurt strained while still warm?)

And then you can use leftover whey from straining in baked goods!

[terranova]

I read that post as more about showcasing Anna's domestic tallents than about yoghurt.

[Wolfie]

And then you can use leftover whey from straining in baked goods!

Or in lacto fermentation- NOT Emily style, though. I tend to feed it to critters, my cats and chickens love it too.

[ladypuglover]

Link please as I don't know which Anna you mean.

[eohiken]

You can remove the excess moisture from any yogurt and make it firmer. The gelatin is the industrial approach because it is more cost effective, but if one is bothering to make yogurt at home, the gelatin seems misguided. Here's a website with a great MacGyver-esque approach to making yogurt:

http://www.makeyourownyogurt.com/

Exacty. It's rather like putting MSG in homemade chinese food, I don't get it.

[acheronbeach]

Link please as I don't know which Anna you mean.

It's Anna Maxwell

http://www.titus2 (dot) com/blog/

[ladypuglover]

It's Anna Maxwell

http://www.titus2 (dot) com/blog/

Thank you. :D

[Arete]

First time replying to a topic, so this is kinda off the cuff...........Why do fundies think these domestic skills are such a BFD? My dad taught me how to make yogurt as park of the "useful shit you should know" portion of his parenting, and I was still expected to get an education, a job, and remember to change my car's oil. There was no men's work or women's work when I was growing up, there was just WORK.

[Buzzard]

First time replying to a topic, so this is kinda off the cuff...........Why do fundies think these domestic skills are such a BFD? My dad taught me how to make yogurt as park of the "useful shit you should know" portion of his parenting, and I was still expected to get an education, a job, and remember to change my car's oil. There was no men's work or women's work when I was growing up, there was just WORK.

They're sharing the "blessing" of their skills. Aka look how godly I am. I don't need heathen products!

Count me in as another single female heathen that makes my own yogurt, I run it through a coffee filter to firm up the skim milk. The dogs get the whey!

[WonderingInWA]

First time replying to a topic, so this is kinda off the cuff...........Why do fundies think these domestic skills are such a BFD? My dad taught me how to make yogurt as park of the "useful shit you should know" portion of his parenting, and I was still expected to get an education, a job, and remember to change my car's oil. There was no men's work or women's work when I was growing up, there was just WORK.

I agree -- most of what they do is just "life skills" kind of stuff.

But fundies really pride themselves on being self-sufficient and if you don't have a job that pays you money, you have to be hard at work at home saving from spending at the evil hands of corporate America. I don't think it's all bad -- I try to reduce my spending, too. But I draw the line at raising and "processing" animals and I pay plenty of businesses to help make my life convenient (I am a single mother of two young boys).

I think in this particular case with Anna and her yogurt, her father Stevie is putting Anna on the market. He failed to secure a husband for his older daughter, 30yo Sarah, so he's seeing the writing on the wall. It's time to throw Anna out there and show potential suitors what she can do! We've seen a lot of posts about Anna's domestic "gifts" in the past few months, so I think that's probably more what's going on than showing her prowess at yogurt-making. Sad, but probably true.

[ilovetchotchkes]

What she's also failed to mention about the milk is that you CANNOT use ultrapasteurized milk or it will be incredibly runny. Maybe that's why they're using gelatin. Ew.

I really should start making my own. My 2 yr old son inhales the greek stuff at an alarming rate.

[debrand]

I'm trying to make Yogurt right now. You guys have inspired me! My batch is in my ice chest with a heating pad. If it works, I'll eat yogurt in the morning.

[sippin0nsunshine]

I don't like Yogurt :shock: Maybe it's just the north american Yogurt? I've tasted it a few times and it just tastes sour and not good at all.

I think I'll stick to Chocolate or Vanilla Pudding. :whistle:

[Creaky Mom]

Another yogurt maker here. Cathlick Lebanese lady showed me how.

You don't need a thermometer and for sure no mucky-muck gelatin. And I have never seen anyone anywhere use a flavoured yogurt for their starter. That's likely why she needs the mucky-muck gelatin.

Bring a gallon of milk to rolling boil while stirring constantly.

Remove and let cool to baby bottle warm.

Whisk in a cup of skim milk powder mixed with 2 cups PLAIN yogurt. (No additives of any kind.)

Pour into a lidded container and wrap up in a blanket and toss in oven with light on. Or sit it outside in summer.

Come back in 6 hours and you have yogurt.

They may be trying to ply John Marie with Anna.

Doubt it's going to work. I still say he's interested in Mary.

[I live off the state]

I dont have a yogurt maker, a thermos or a cool bod but I make my own yogurt.

- heat the milk

- cool the milk

- pour the milk into a jar with a little of the previous weeks batch of yogurt (or organic natural yogurt if it is your first batch)

- wrap jar in woolen jumper or blanket

- cuddle jar in bed and wake up to fresh yogurt (works best if the yogurt is being snuggled between 2 persons)

[Arete]

Putting his kid on the market :doh: ......Yeah, you guys most likely nailed it. The Baby Jesus Wept. :angry-screaming:

I never use gelatin either. For years starters went around our church and who knows where the original came from, now if I want a big batch I buy Greek yogurt and get busy. Strain through cheesecloth at end of incubation, the Greek yogurt became fruitful and multiplied.

Steve Maxwell is the fundie I vote "most likely to go postal". That guy really scares me, but I can't turn away. I still read those Mom/Dad Corners every month, and he has DEFINITELY gotten more hardcore as time goes by. His girls seem sweet, I just feel so bad for them.