Electric Yoghurt maker question

[Meagan]

Thanks Faffa 

[KarenH]

How is homemade yoghurt different to bought stuff?  I mean, I can buy a locally made organic biodynamic youghurt that the kids love, and I hadn't thought it would be worth making my own - but this thread has got me interested ....... I can understand that homemade yoghurt would be better than the Ski/Nestle etc etc type brands which are full of artificial stuff and thickeners - but is it worth the effort if you can buy a really good organic natural yoghurt??

[stacelee]

Two answers in one here....
1. Container to fit in the easyyo - I have the easyyo and a kambrook yoghurt maker, (I bought the easyyo for my sister and then she didn't want it).  I use the Easiyo plastic containers that are designed to go with the powdered mixes in my Kambrook yoghurt maker.....I don't know if they will fit in the Easyyo machine.  I will try them tonight and let you know.  I tend to use the Kambrook yoghurt maker the most because I have used it for about 15 years and it is habit.
2. I make yoghurt mainly for myself because I am the only one who likes plain yoghurt in our house and it is cheaper than buying it.  Now that you can buy milk for $1 a litre, it is very cheap to make....if you don't mind buying cheap milk.  I normally drain it for a couple of hours to make it thicker.  I have (hopefully) a yoghurt drainer arriving from the US today that should make it easier to drain.  I am currently using a jelly bag strainer and the bag is always getting lost in the washing because it is so small.  The other reason, apart from cost, that I make my own yoghurt is that I know then how fresh it is.

Take care
Stacey

[achookwoman]

Stacelee,  I line a large strainer with a chux,  and strain through this.  Could use cheese cloth.  The large  Jalna containers fit into the Easyyo machines.  Sometimes I fill several  small flat  glass containers and put these in the electric machine.   I think they are Pyrex.

[Meagan]

SUCCESS      I found one of these http://thecookskitchen.com/browse_2562 the 1lt size which fits in my 'easy yogurt' maker perfectly  I bought two and will try them out next week when I need more yoghurt. I am excited about making it in jars now. I did find a place in Australia that sells the Yo life (linked in Andis post) which I probably would have bought if I didn't have this one already because you can do a larger quantity at one time.

I will let you know how it goes 

[KarenH]

Meagan, where did you find the YoLife that Andi menetioned?

[Meagan]

KJH this is it
http://raw-pleasure.com.au/Tribest-And-Green-Star-Products/Yolife-Yogurt-Maker
The only drawback is they don't sell the 64oz large jars as it is too expensive to ship them from the US but looking at it I think you could use any jar as long as it fits when the lid is closed

If you get it let me know how it goes ok?

[pumpkin pie]

megan is there a difference in the yoghurt when  using the yoghurt culture to using some yoghurt from the batch you have already made?

[andiesenji]

KJH this is it
http://raw-pleasure.com.au/Tribest-And-Green-Star-Products/Yolife-Yogurt-Maker
The only drawback is they don't sell the 64oz large jars as it is too expensive to ship them from the US but looking at it I think you could use any jar as long as it fits when the lid is closed

If you get it let me know how it goes ok?

Three of these 1 liter wide-mouth canning  jars will fit in it if you get the squarish ones.  I advise buying the plastic lids which I think are now available in Australia.
They are suitable for using the jars for freezer storage (leave sufficient head room) and have the advantage of not being affected by acids or by salty stuff that causes corrosion on the metal lids. 


I took photos of the Yo-Life with three of the 1 quart/liter canning jars with the plastic lids.



You can see how they fit perfectly.  You can also use just one or two. 

[Meagan]

Thanks for the pic andi my jars have metal lids do you think they will be ok?
Pp I only use the culture now as I often forget to put some yoghurt aside but I know andi does it for a few batches before using the culture again

[andiesenji]

Thanks for the pic andi my jars have metal lids do you think they will be ok?
Pp I only use the culture now as I often forget to put some yoghurt aside but I know andi does it for a few batches before using the culture again

The metal lids are fine but it's better to keep the metal away from contact with the yogurt because it is acid.

An easy fix is to just use the lid ring with plastic wrap over the top of the jars and covering the threads.    Before the plastic lids were available I used to use this whenever I had something that was high acid to store in the fridge. 

You don't have to worry about canned stuff because the vacuum will create a seal and without oxygen the metal won't react but it will without the vacuum seal created during the canning process. 

I've had metal lids start to corrode after only a couple of days in the fridge with tomato-based pasta sauces and I've sometimes noticed a metallic flavor in certain foods.   

[KarenH]

Thanks for all the advice and info andie and meagan - I am sorely tempted to buy the Yolife maker, and the big jars that andie mentioned - but I am still not certain of the advantages of making my own yoghurt as opposed to buying an organic biodynamic one.  Is it just the benefit of cost??

[stacelee]

The easiyo containers definately do not fit into the easyyo yoghurt maker.  Another reason to make sure that I look after my kambrook one.  The yoghurt drainer arrived yesterday, but I may have outsmarted myself there as a full 1 litre of yoghurt doesn't fit......only about 750ml.  Never mind.....

Take care
Stacey

[Meagan]

Thanks for all the advice and info andie and meagan - I am sorely tempted to buy the Yolife maker, and the big jars that andie mentioned - but I am still not certain of the advantages of making my own yoghurt as opposed to buying an organic biodynamic one.  Is it just the benefit of cost??

If you can buy organic biodynamic at a good price then go with that. It is a money saving thing for me and knowing what I am eating/feeding my family

[andiesenji]

Uh...  All the yogurt cultures sold by cheeselinks are  "biodynamic"  which is just a complicated way of saying they contain the active cultures that turn milk into yogurt.
It's a marketing ploy to get you to buy a particular product. 

and it is easy to find organic milk.  Every supermarket here carries at least two brands of organic.  The Walmart  in my area carries four brands.  And I know they have it in Australia too. 

Unless yogurt has been cooked and processed after it is incubated, all yogurt is "biodynamic" but some has other additives which add body (carrageenan) or gelatine, or flavorings, or preservatives can lessen the effectiveness of the living cultures.