Valerie's Yoghurt & Yoghurt Cheese

[Gralke]

I wouldn't know - sorry - maybe in Lisbon...

[judydawn]

Thanks for the recipes Barbara, have printed them off for my 'what to do with yoghurt' file.

One question, how much is 1 natural yoghurt? The first two recipes are treated as if you are making a batch of yoghurt by leaving the mixture sit until firm but the last one (coconut yoghurt) doesn't have the 'proceed as usual from hereon' line.  So, is it ready to go after you have added the remainder of the milk or does it get the same treatment as the first 2 recipes.

[andiesenji]

I have a friend in Victoria who makes cheeses and yogurt.  She buys starters for various cheeses and for yogurt from
http://www.cheeselinks.com.au/homestarters.html

I think I mentioned this company on another topic regarding the cheesecloth they sell - not the gauzy stuff - which can be washed and reused. 

She visited me here in California several years ago and we have been corresponding ever since.  At first by snail mail, then via usergroup and now by internet. 
She writes that her favorite is the Type  C aBY which produces a much thicker yogurt. 

[Thermomixer]

Small world !!!  They are just down the road.  I see they now sell Kefir !!!!

They have been involved in cheese for some time.

This is the husband's website http://www.cheeseexpertise.com.au/ 

Carole does the more basic workshops for people like me and Neil is the professional and judge.

They worked at the Gilbert Chandler Dairy Research Institute or whatever and she may still be there - they sell the cheeses made in the workshops on Fridays - some good and some OK.

[Nay-nay]

Talk about small world - I've been looking at the Cheeselinks website ALL year wanting to go to one of these courses!!! Carol Willman runs a course up here in QLD at 'Witches Chase'  at Mt Tambourine - one day............
http://www.witcheschasecheese.com.au/index.php?page=38&ssid=38&mid=1

[Gralke]

Thanks for the recipes Barbara, have printed them off for my 'what to do with yoghurt' file.

One question, how much is 1 natural yoghurt? The first two recipes are treated as if you are making a batch of yoghurt by leaving the mixture sit until firm but the last one (coconut yoghurt) doesn't have the 'proceed as usual from hereon' line.  So, is it ready to go after you have added the remainder of the milk or does it get the same treatment as the first 2 recipes.

Thanks for drawing my attention to this. All three recipes are to make a new batch. I will correct the coconut recipe. The portuguese purchased natural yogurt normally have a 125gr weight.
 

[JulieO]

I made the yoghurt this morning (1 litre) and left in a thermoserver for the 5 hours..  Have just checked it and it's still thin and runny    Obviously something I've done and I'm glad I only made half serve.  Used jalna low fat natural as the starter and a combo of full cream milk and reduced fat.

I wonder if it's because I put the heated milk in the fridge to cool down to the 37 degrees that caused the failure? 
Have left it to one side in the kitchen and will check it again later, but looks like I may have to throw this batch away and try again tomorrow. 

[Thermomixer]

Might be the low fat starter - best with a full fat starter.  Also, better with full fat milk to start - but if you have been making it with half and half then the starter is the likely problem.

Check the ingredients for the low-fat yoghurt, and compare with their Natural.

[JulieO]

Thanks Thermomixer, maybe I'll buy the full fat starter too just to be on the safe side so I hopefully won't waste any more milk. 

[JulieO]

Mmm just tried two supermarkets and neither have the full fat Jalna    Mine is the no fat one not low fat as I first thought, oh boy, maybe I'll just do a litre again using whole milk and see how that goes.    At least if it doesn't turn out again I'll know it is the starter. 

[judydawn]

JulieO, I used Jalna BioDynamic Organic Whole Milk Yoghurt from Woolworths (in a 500g pot) and used full cream milk and it was perfect.  Just left it in the TM bowl to cool down to 37^o - took a while but I had other things to do so didn't notice the time it took.  The next time I make it I want to try it with skim milk to see if that works as I don't generally buy full fat dairy products.  Working my way through my 2 litres and by the end of the week will post everything I did with it.

[Chelsea (Thermie Groupie)]

I made the yoghurt this morning (1 litre) and left in a thermoserver for the 5 hours..  Have just checked it and it's still thin and runny    Obviously something I've done and I'm glad I only made half serve.  Used jalna low fat natural as the starter and a combo of full cream milk and reduced fat.

I wonder if it's because I put the heated milk in the fridge to cool down to the 37 degrees that caused the failure? 
Have left it to one side in the kitchen and will check it again later, but looks like I may have to throw this batch away and try again tomorrow. 

I put my milk in the fridge to cool Julie and it still thickens beautifully.  Did you put the thermoserver in the fridge overnight (or for eight hours) after it had been left out undisturbed for 5 hours?  That is when it should really thicken up.

[CarolineW]

Update on using EasyYo thermos for TMX yogurt, instead of just warming it up with a bit of hot water and tipping it out as I would with any thermos, I left it in (about 1 -2 tbsp worth of hot water).  Yogurt worked perfectly.  So it works either tipping it out or leaving it in.

[JulieO]

Chelsea, after the 5 hours it was like thin milk, no thickness what so ever. 

I nipped to the shops just after posting my last post and in my haste left without taking my reading glasses    when I got to Coles, I was looking for the blue rimmed container of Jalna and couldn't see it.  I'm sure I saw the one Judy is referring to above, but without my glasses I couldn't read if it was pot set or not    So went to Woolies and same thing.    Didn't want to ask anyone because I felt like a right idiot, so got some more milk and came home. 

Have now made another batch using the whole milk and I won't know until 11pm if it has worked or not.  If not will try one more time after getting the other yoghurt. 

[Chelsea (Thermie Groupie)]

My fingers are crossed for you Julie.  I used the same starter as JD for my first batch, so hopefully that is the difference.