The benefits of homemade yogurt
Today, when the popularity of healthy eating is gaining momentum, natural yoghurts are often found among recipes. Unfortunately, it is difficult to purchase such yogurt in an ordinary store, but there is a way out - making natural yogurt at home. Making homemade yogurt at home is not difficult, the main thing is desire and following the recipe.
Natural yogurt is considered to be one that contains beneficial bacteria, namely lactobacilli bulgaricus. The content of vitamins A and B in these bacteria exceeds their content even in dairy products. A person needs these vitamins to get a boost of energy for the whole day. Vitamins can also normalize the functioning of the central nervous system and regulate blood cholesterol levels.
Do-it-yourself natural yogurt Vitamin A can prolong the youth of your skin for a long time, is good for the eyes, and can also protect the body from various infections. Frequent consumption of yogurt will provide your body with vitamins and minerals. Is it worth talking about increasing immunity?
How to make natural yogurt at home?
You've probably seen videos online about making natural yogurt at home more than once. It’s better to take charge of making high-quality yogurt yourself. I bring to your attention a step-by-step cooking process.
1. We purchase a starter for making yogurt.
You can buy sourdough at any pharmacy in your city. One serving of starter will be enough for you to prepare approximately 2-3 liters of yogurt. Yogurts that can be found on supermarket shelves are not suitable as a starter, despite the low content of dyes and preservatives. In any case, E. coli appears in milk, yogurt, and cottage cheese over time, which makes them unsuitable for this purpose. During the fermentation process, an increase in undesirable microflora occurs, which can lead to infectious diseases of the body.
Making natural yogurt at home 2. Choose fermented milk products
To make natural yogurt, it is best to choose fresh, pasteurized milk. Sterilized milk, according to experts, is not the best option. The EEC has long abandoned this technique, since the vitamins in milk and the microelements contained in them lose their properties. The salt and stabilizers it contains also make it unsuitable for use as a starter.
3. Proportions for breeding
About 200 ml of pre-boiled milk is cooled to a temperature of 40 degrees. Next, take up to 10 ml of the resulting milk and pour it into a vessel with the starter previously poured into it. After this, the vessel should be shaken well. Next, pour the mixture from the vessel into the bowl with the remaining milk, mixing thoroughly. The mixture should be poured into a yogurt maker, although an ordinary thermos can perform its functions. Wrap the yogurt maker and place it in a warm place. Fermentation takes 8-10 hours. The prepared starter can be stored for 14 days. Please note: it is not recommended to use plastic containers to ferment the resulting mixture, since the carcinogenic resins that are released when the plastic is heated will not give your yogurt medicinal properties.
4. Prepare yogurt
Boil and cool to +40–45 degrees one liter of milk and add just a tablespoon of already diluted starter. The liquid can be placed either in a glass jar or in a thermos or yogurt maker. Fermentation takes 5-6 hours. Yogurt will become more sour if fermentation takes longer. The resulting yogurt can be stored for no more than five to seven days in the refrigerator.
Result of making homemade yogurt Attention! Bacteria will begin to actively multiply and turn milk into yogurt if homemade yogurt is left too long. At the end, what awaits you is not the product you would like to receive. Please note, when we prepare live yogurt, as you have seen in the photos of other sites, when you add milk powder, the yogurt becomes thicker, but this will not add nutrients to your product.
Be attentive to the rules of sanitation - be sure to treat dishes with boiling water. As you already understand, making homemade yogurt is not difficult. The next time you make this product again, it is better to choose homemade yogurt as a starter.
What else is good about homemade yogurt besides its naturalness?
You can control the fat content of yogurt yourself. To get less fat yogurt, we buy 1% milk; if you want to increase the fat content, take 3.2%. If you are wondering how to make low-fat yogurt at home, the answer is simple - for this you just need to buy skim milk as a starter.
Useful properties of homemade yogurt Use of additives
Videos of making natural yogurt at home can be easily found on the Internet. You will be offered many examples of making yogurt. Many positive reviews about the taste and beneficial properties of natural yogurt only confirm that the idea is worth the effort. But what if you like sweet yoghurts or yoghurts with the addition of berries, chocolate and many other additives?
Using different yogurt additives You can, of course, add all these goodies before you put the yoghurt into cups for fermentation, but, alas, there are moments because of which it is not advisable to do this. Bacteria contained in natural yoghurts oxidize the sugar contained in milk. That's why. Adding sugar or fruit to yogurt at the ripening stage can cause bacteria to switch to these additives.
As for citrus fruits or other fruits that contain a large amount of acids, such as kiwi, their interaction with milk is excluded. As a result, the milk will curdle before the fermentation process begins. It would be safer to prepare homemade fruit yogurt, adding all kinds of fruits, nuts, chocolate at the end of cooking, or before directly cooling.
Recipe for making homemade yogurt
You can also make homemade yogurt using herbs and mint. It is often added when preparing salads and desserts. Here is an example of a recipe: peel the orange, cut into pieces. Grind nuts and chocolate. Next, you need to combine all these ingredients and mix thoroughly. After this, add oatmeal and yogurt.
Salads using yogurt are also quite popular. For example, a recipe for an exotic salad will not take much of your time and will bring great pleasure to you and your loved ones. Cut large strawberries into 2 parts, chop the avocado, add lemon juice. Next, add pre-boiled shrimp and a little olive oil. Next you should add the yogurt you prepared.
Recipe for making natural yogurt Daily consumption of yoghurt helps improve the functioning of the digestive tract and improve immunity. A hundred years ago, yogurt was known for its beneficial substances. It not only has a good effect on digestion, but also copes with infections. Eat fresh and high-quality yogurt, and you will soon see for yourself its benefits.
Video
High-quality yogurt made from natural ingredients can perform several tasks simultaneously: normalize the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract, get rid of the hated centimeters in the waist, suppress raging hunger, and replace a full meal. Partly for this reason, PP adherents are looking for ways to make their own yogurt. In fact, it is easy to prepare from milk at home. We offer for consideration not just one recipe, but several variations at once.
The subtleties of making homemade yogurt from milk
Since you can make yogurt yourself, learn all the intricacies of the procedure at home. Below we present the available recipes.
1. Choose natural milk as a base. If this is not possible, buy a high-fat product.
2. Before the main manipulations, the milk is boiled. This way you can kill pathogenic microflora, which sometimes causes stomach upset. Even a store-bought pasteurized product needs to be boiled.
3. Since homemade yogurt must contain beneficial bacteria, the recipe must be followed. After boiling, let the milk cool to a temperature of 38-40 degrees, only then start the process.
4. Take care in advance to sterilize containers and all cutlery that will be used in cooking.
5. If you care about your figure, you need to take milk with a low fat content ratio (1-3.2%). In other cases, it is better to buy a composition from 6%.
6. Since making yogurt from milk, following all the rules, does not always work out the first time at home, stick to the recipe. Keep in mind that during the fermentation process you should not stir or shake the fermented composition. Otherwise, the fermented milk drink will not ripen.
Sourdough milk yogurt: “classic”
- milk - 1 l.
- sourdough starter (can be purchased at a pharmacy) - 1 package
1. Pour the milk into a saucepan and boil, then leave to cool. The composition should reach 38-40 degrees.
2. Measure out a small amount and dissolve the powdered starter in it. Add to cooled milk.
3. Sterilize the bottles in which the yogurt will be prepared. Pour the mixture into them and cover with nylon lids. Insulate each jar with a towel.
4. Keep the product in a warm place for about 13 hours. After the specified time, place in the refrigerator, cool and taste.
Yogurt from milk in a thermos
- milk - 0.9-1 l.
- fresh yogurt - 0.2 kg.
1. Boil the milk, then remove from the stove and let cool to 40-42 degrees. Fill a thermos with boiling water, close, shake, and dry. The steam and water should go away.
2. Mix some of the milk with natural yogurt, make sure there are no lumps. Add this mixture to the cooled milk.
3. Transfer the ingredients into a thermos and seal. Expect 7-9 hours. Then pour into containers, cool for 8 hours and taste.
Fruit and berry yogurt in a slow cooker
- milk - 1 l.
- fruits/berries - 0.2 kg.
- natural yogurt - 0.2 kg.
Since you can make yogurt from milk not only using the above methods, we recommend using the “helper” that almost everyone has at home. The recipe is simple.
1. Rinse assorted fruits or berries, dry them, pass through a blender and turn into puree. Next, wipe with a sieve to remove peels and seeds.
2. Pour the milk into a fireproof container, boil, cool to 38 degrees. Add the fruit and berry mixture and yogurt according to the recipe. Stir.
3. Sterilize the container and pour the base over it. Prepare the multicooker for use: line the bowl with a cotton towel and place jars of yogurt on top.
4. Pour in warm water until it reaches 1/3 of the multi-bowl. Turn on the Yogurt function for 7.5 hours.
5. When the signal sounds, remove the mixture and cool. Then refrigerate for another 8 hours and taste homemade yogurt. Here is such a simple recipe in a slow cooker!
Thick yogurt "Greek"
- natural yogurt - 250 ml.
- whole milk - 0.9 l.
This yogurt is distinguished by the technology of creating it at home. The recipe allows you to get a composition with a thicker consistency without a yogurt maker.
1. Before making yogurt from milk, place it on the stove and wait for it to boil, then cool it to 40 degrees at home. The recipe calls for diluting yogurt in a small amount of milk.
2. After this, mix the prepared mass in a saucepan with the remaining milk. Cover the container with a lid and wrap it with a warm cloth. For convenience, it is recommended to use a blanket.
3. Leave at room temperature for 7.5 hours. After this, move the workpiece into the cold. It is important to know that stirring the product is strictly prohibited.
4. Use a colander and cover with gauze folded in 4 layers. Carefully pour in the yogurt. Leave the mixture for 4 hours. During the allotted time, excess whey will drain. As a result, you will get about 400 grams. thick Greek yogurt.
Homemade yogurt in the oven
- milk - 1 l.
- 20% sour cream - 0.2 kg.
If you do not yet know how to make yogurt from milk, it is recommended that you familiarize yourself with the oven method. At home, it’s quite easy to turn the recipe into reality.
1. Bring the milk to a boil, then cool to an acceptable temperature. Dilute sour cream in half the volume of milk. After this, the workpiece must be carefully mixed with the rest of the milk.
2. Distribute the mixture into portioned glass containers. Preheat the oven to 50-60 degrees. After that, turn it off. Place the filled jars on a baking sheet.
3. Pack each one tightly with food foil. Place in the oven and close the door. Every hour the oven must be turned on for about 6 minutes at a temperature of 50-60 degrees.
4. The total procedure time will be about 7-8 hours. After this, put the workpiece in the refrigerator. Go to bed and rest. After waking up, the yogurt is completely ready and can be combined with jam.
Since making yogurt is not difficult, you just need to be patient. Consider making treats using milk. Try different variations of preparations at home. Each recipe is very easy to implement.
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Homemade yogurt
Natural yogurt consists of three components: whole milk, Bulgarian bacillus (Lactobacillus bulgaricus) and thermophilic lactic acid streptococcus (Streptococcus thermophilus).
These microorganisms are extremely useful: they normalize the intestinal flora, stop the growth of putrefactive and pathogenic bacteria, strengthen the immune system, weakened by poor ecology and low-quality products. They stimulate the absorption of essential amino acids and vitamins (including rare K and groups B, D), calcium, and iron.
Natural yogurt should not contain preservatives, stabilizers, flavors, dyes, added sugar or sweeteners. The shelf life of natural yogurt is no more than a month. The problem is that during industrial production and transportation, beneficial bacteria have very little chance of surviving. And if there is a tiny amount of them in yogurt, the effect tends to zero.
How to make natural yogurt at home?
If you want natural yogurt, the safest bet is to make your own. I asked Irina Rozhkova, senior researcher at the Central Laboratory of Microbiology of the All-Russian Research Institute of Dairy Industry, to give step-by-step instructions and describe the typical mistakes that we make when we make yogurt at home.
Step 1: Buy a yogurt starter
Denis Bykovskikh
Sourdough is sold in pharmacies. In Moscow, it can also be purchased at the All-Russian Research Institute of Dairy Industry. It is enough to prepare several liters of yogurt.
Not worth it: use store-bought yogurt as a starter, even without additives or preservatives. The fact is that due to the characteristics of the fermented milk product, foreign contaminating microflora (most often E. coli) inevitably forms in it. When fermented, such pathogenic microflora can increase, which leads to infections and food poisoning.
Step 2. Choose milk
Ideally, pasteurized or ultra-pasteurized milk with a short shelf life. Dairy experts trust, for example, the products of the Obninsk Dairy Plant, Valio and Ruzskoe Moloko.
Not worth it: make yogurt with sterilized milk. The European Union is already abandoning this technology: vitamins and other valuable substances are lost in such milk. In addition, a lot of salt and stabilizers are added to the sterilized drink.
Step 3. Dilute the starter
Bring a glass of milk (150-200 ml) to a boil and cool to +40-45 degrees. Add 5-7 ml of this milk to the bottle with the starter. Shake lightly. Mix the resulting liquid from the bottle with the remaining milk. Pour into a thermos or yogurt maker. Place in a warm place, for example near a radiator, or cover with a pillow. Ferment for eight to ten hours. Sourdough in liquid form can be stored in the refrigerator for no more than two weeks.
Not worth it: checking the temperature of milk with your finger is not hygienic. Place the container on your cheek - if the skin tolerates it, the temperature is ideal. Do not pour ingredients into a plastic container. Even when heated slightly, plastic can release carcinogenic phenol-formaldehyde resins into milk.
Step 4: Prepare the yogurt
Boil and cool to +40-45 degrees one liter of milk. Place a tablespoon of diluted starter into it. Pour into a glass jar, thermos or yogurt maker and ferment for five to six hours. This yogurt can be stored in the refrigerator for five to seven days.
Not worth it: adding powdered milk for thickness - this will definitely not add any beneficial qualities to your homemade yogurt. Do not ignore sanitary safety rules - always treat dishes with boiling water.
There are more and more supporters of a healthy lifestyle and proper nutrition. It's no secret that fermented milk products are very beneficial for the human body. One such product is homemade yogurt. Its main difference from the store-bought one is that cooking is done from natural ingredients without the inclusion of foreign components. This milk miracle will help improve the functioning of the digestive system, cope with losing excess weight, and normalize metabolism. It's also great for a light breakfast.
Many modern housewives produce homemade ones. But what to do if you don’t have this device in your kitchen? Don't despair. There are many ways to make your own yogurt at home without the help of any gadgets.
Let's look at them step by step and with photos.
A few important rules before cooking
- To ensure that the dish turns out not only tasty, but also retains its beneficial properties, be sure to use these tips:
- Be sure to boil milk, even if it is pasteurized. This will help get rid of pathogenic bacteria in its composition. Then it must be cooled to approximately 40 degrees, otherwise too high a temperature will kill beneficial microorganisms in the starter;
- Before you start making homemade yogurt, be sure to sterilize all kitchen equipment by pouring boiling water over it;
- The consistency of the product is directly affected by the fat content of the milk. The optimal percentage is 3.2%;
- As a starter, you can use either store-bought bio-yogurt without additives or special dry powder, which is used exactly according to the instructions that come with it;
During preparation, try not to “disturb” the dessert, that is, do not stir or shake it, otherwise it will not ferment and ripen.
Homemade yogurt recipes
Now let's look at how to make yogurt at home. It's very simple, you just need time and the “right” products.
- In a thermos
- Sterilize the thermos well from the inside with boiling water, wait a few minutes until the steam stops escaping, and cover with a lid;
- Pour 100 ml of milk, combine it with 200 g of fresh natural yoghurt and stir to obtain a lump-free mixture. After this, add it to the remaining milk and stir thoroughly;
- Fill the thermos with the resulting mixture, screw on the lid and leave for about 7 hours;
- Distribute the finished homemade yoghurt from milk into jars and refrigerate for another 8 hours.
Greek recipe
This recipe for homemade yogurt has a consistency where the dessert resembles soft cheese, similar to cream. This product also has a different preparation scheme.
- Boil the milk in a saucepan and cool to the already known 40 degrees;
- Combine 200 g of fresh yogurt without additives and stir with a small amount of milk, then add to a common pan;
- Close the container tightly with a lid and wrap it with a warm blanket or terry towel;
- Leave the pan motionless for 6-7 hours in a warm place, then move it to the refrigerator;
- Line a colander with several layers of gauze or a paper filter and slowly pour out the resulting product;
- Cover the top of the colander and let the excess whey drain out. The end result will be approximately 400 g of finished “Greek product”.
Sourdough
In these instructions, yogurt starter is sold at almost any pharmacy. A fermented milk dessert based on it will have a pleasant consistency and a delicate creamy taste.
- The first step is similar to the previous recipes;
- Mix one bottle of dry starter with several spoons of milk and pour it into a container with the rest of the milk;
- Pour the resulting liquid into jars, close them with lids or cling film, then wrap them in terry cloth or a blanket;
- Let stand for 12 hours, then cool for another 4 hours in the refrigerator.
Cooking in the oven
You can cook at home, but if you don’t have a “smart” device, you can make your favorite delicacy in the oven. The dessert will turn out amazing in any of these two options.
- This step is the same as the previous recipes;
- Dilute 200 g of sour cream (20%) or natural fresh yoghurt product in half a glass of milk, then pour into a common container and stir slowly;
- Pour the mixture into jars, tightly covering each with foil, and place them on a baking sheet;
- Preheat the oven to 50 degrees, then turn off. Place a baking sheet in it and close the door;
- Then preheat the oven to 50 degrees every hour. The cooking process itself takes about 7 hours;
- Refrigerate the finished dish overnight.
With sour cream
A homemade yogurt recipe can be made without sourdough. One option is to cook with sour cream. Of course, the cooking process will take a little longer, but the result is worth it.
- This step is exactly the same as in the instructions described above;
- Heat the sour cream a little (up to 38 degrees), add it to the milk and slowly mix with a whisk;
- Place the container with the resulting mass in a warm place, wrap it in a blanket or blanket and leave to ferment for 12 hours;
- At the final stage, place the fermented milk food in the refrigerator for 4 hours. After that you can try it.
The taste and color of the finished treat can be varied by adding various fillings, for example, jam, chocolate chips, jam, fresh fruit or dried fruit. But all this splendor needs to be added only after the ripening process is completed. This is due to the fact that beneficial bacteria can switch from lactose to the introduced additives, and the food may turn out to be of poor quality or even spoil.
It is also better not to add pieces of kiwi or citrus fruits, because they are not compatible with milk, so the finished product may curdle.
Video: Homemade yogurt recipe in a thermos
The diet of people who care about their health often includes fermented milk products. After all, everyone knows their positive effect on the gastrointestinal tract. But you can’t always find healthy classic yogurt without additives in supermarkets, so we suggest preparing it at home from simple ingredients.
It is very good if you have the opportunity to purchase whole milk from your household. This product has increased benefits and good fat content, which makes the yogurt with a delicate creamy taste.
As a starter, you can purchase dry preparations “Simbilact”, “Evitalia” or “Bifidumbacterin” at the pharmacy. If you can’t find them, you can buy regular classic Activia yogurt or something similar in the supermarket. Just before purchasing, pay attention to the composition of the product; there should be nothing in it except normalized milk and live yoghurt cultures.
Yogurt preparation time: 8 hours.
What you will need to make 2 servings of yogurt:
- 1/2 l milk;
- 2 tbsp. l. starter cultures (Activia yogurt)
You will also need 2 or 3 glass cups or jars, a spacious baking dish and a plastic bag.
Classic yogurt at home
1. Pour the milk into a clean, dry saucepan and place on the stove.
2. After the milk boils, set the pan aside and wait until it cools to a temperature of 35-40 °C. It is important that the milk is not hot, otherwise the living bacteria from the starter will simply “cook” and the yogurt will not turn out. You can determine the temperature in a simple old-fashioned way: drop a few drops of milk on the back of your hand; if you don’t feel any discomfort, you can introduce the starter.
3. In a small container, mix 2 tablespoons of starter with 5 tablespoons of milk.
4. Pour the contents into a saucepan with milk. Mix well.
5. Prepare portioned jars or cups from which, after preparing the yogurt, you can immediately eat it. To do this, you need to rinse them in hot water and wipe thoroughly.
6. Take a large container (I use a glass baking dish) and place the cups in it.
7. Pour the prepared milk into glasses.
8. Pour warm water (about 50 °C) into the mold where the glasses are located until the middle of the glasses.
9. Cut the cellophane bag so that it forms one large rectangle.
10. Cover the top of the baking dish with cellophane and secure its edges in any convenient way. You can use an elastic band or tape. This is necessary to create a greenhouse effect, so the yogurt will cook faster.
11. Leave the form on the table or on the windowsill and forget about it for 6 hours. Yogurt does not require additional heating, so do not place containers in the oven or on a radiator. Just don’t let the yogurt sit for longer than 6-8 hours, otherwise it will turn sour.
Check the readiness of the yogurt this way: remove one glass from the mold and slightly tilt it on its side; if the contents have turned into a thick mass, the yogurt is ready.
Remove the finished yogurt in cups from the mold and place it in a cool place. Leave for 2 hours and enjoy the divine taste.
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