How to Use Yogurt Makers?
Yogurt makers are a great way to cut down on the time you would have otherwise spent making yogurt from scratch. Do you enjoy a lot of yogurt and are tired of either making it without a machine or buying store-bought yogurt? With the help of a yogurt maker, you can enjoy having your favorite yogurt as often as you’d like.
It is not uncommon for people to find it hard to use a yogurt maker. This is especially true if you have no experience whatsoever making yogurt from scratch. This article will help show you how you can use a yogurt maker.
Steps to Using a Yogurt Maker
- First and foremost, you will need to purchase a yogurt maker if you do not have one already. You’ll need to choose the type of yogurt maker. You can choose one that makes yogurt only, or you can choose one that makes sour cream, buttermilk, and cheese too. You’ll need to select the number of pots you want your machine to come with. Lastly, you’ll need to consider the timer and the price.
- Once you have your yogurt maker, switch it on and allow it to warm up before you use it. Next, you want to read the instructions on the amount of milk needed for your machine. Most machines can handle 1 liter of milk which you place in the machine’s jug. You want to ensure you use warm or room temperature milk and not milk straight from the fridge.
- If you do have cold milk, you can heat it up a little bit in the microwave. Pour the milk into the jug, add powdered milk and the yogurt culture. Stir continuously until it is well-mixed. Cover the yogurt maker with its lid.
- Leave the mixture to prepare for at least 4 hours, with 8 being the recommended duration. After that, you’ll find your yogurt delicious and ready. Store it in the fridge immediately it is done to allow it to chill.
- After chilling, you can add sugar, flavor, or fruits, depending on your preference.
You should note that the kind of milk you use depends on your preference. You can opt to choose whole milk, skimmed milk, or semi-skimmed. The only impact the choice of milk has is on how thick the yogurt turns out.
Do’s and Don’ts for Using a Yogurt Maker
- Do choose good yogurt culture. You don’t want to go through all the effort of making your yogurt and waiting hours for it to be ready, only to find a curdled mess simply because you used poor quality culture.
- Do feel free to use any kind of milk, but for the best results, use whole milk to produce thick, creamy yogurt.
- Do strain your yogurt for Greek yogurt-like results.
- Don’t interfere or disturb the yogurt as it ‘cooks.’ Allow it to complete the recommended amount of time for it to set.
- Don’t use stale or old milk. You want to ensure you use fresh milk.
With the tips mentioned above, you’ll quickly learn how easy it is to use a yogurt maker.
