36
votes
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Why is it recommended to mix yogurt starter with a small amount of milk before adding to the entire batch?
Dry powders are easier to mix if you make a slurry first with a small amount of liquid and then mix the slurry in.
If you skip this step you will have clumps of dry powder floating on top of the milk ...
- 47.4k
36
votes
When making yogurt, why doesn't bad bacteria grow as well?
The initial heating of the milk, besides denaturing proteins to improve the texture, also pasteurizes the milk.
The culture needs to be added in a high enough concentration to crowd out harmful ...
- 47.4k
33
votes
Accepted
Why does blending blueberries, milk, banana and vanilla extract cause the mixture to have a yogurty consistency?
The pectin from the blueberries jelled in the presence of the calcium in the milk. The texture might be unexpected, but it is perfectly safe and tasty. It is the same process that thickens blueberry ...
- 133k
32
votes
Yogurt + tahini = paste?
Adding a small amount of water to tahini causes it to thicken into a paste because of carbohydrate binding. Clearly, the yogurt had just that amount of water. The solution to getting it to thin out ...
- 55.8k
26
votes
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Does the yogurt set from 500 ml milk result in 500 g yogurt?
Making yogurt means letting lactic acid bacteria alter the texture and chemical composition of milk by digesting lactose and producing lactic acid, which in turn interacts with the proteins in the ...
- 57.5k
19
votes
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Why is DIY yogurt not as stable as sourdough starter?
First, we are talking about different microorganisms when comparing sourdough to yogurt. Generally, a sourdough starter is populated by numerous strains of yeast and bacteria, while store bought ...
- 70.4k
18
votes
When making yogurt, why doesn't bad bacteria grow as well?
Note that the milk you take out of the fridge has been sterilised (UHT or pasteurisation) - it doesn't have any bacteria (etc.)[1]. It also isn't very acidic or salty. This makes it a wonderful ...
- 298
17
votes
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Why does yoghurt need to feed on milk products? Why not plain sugar?
Lactobacillus is the genus of the bacteria responsible for making yogurt.
These bacteria consume sugars and excrete lactic acid. The acid denatures the proteins in the milk, causing them to coagulate ...
- 47.4k
16
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Milk curdles while heating to make yogurt…is it safe to eat?
I wouldn’t. If the milk curdled, it’s a sign of spoilage and the very last thing you want to do now is keep it in a warm environment for a prolonged time.
And while many yogurt recipes include a ...
- 57.5k
12
votes
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What milk and yoghurt is the best for mango lassi?
It all depends on taste [of course].
Lower fat milk & yoghurt are sharper, more tangy, almost 'lemony'.
High fat are rich, smooth & creamy.
So, start with 'How tart do you like your lassi?' &...
- 27.6k
11
votes
Slimy whey in store-bought yoghurt
It's probably thickeners, such as carrageenan or xanthan gum, which are thickening/sliming up the whey. Draining off the whey or stirring it back in should be fine. A brand which doesn't have added ...
- 24.6k
10
votes
Can yogurt be used as a substitute for yeast in pizza dough?
No, the bacteria in yogurt will not serve as the primary leavening agent for dough.
- 70.4k
9
votes
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I have been cooking yogurt cakes in the US for a while and each time it has to cook for an extra 20 min. Why?
My first suspicion would be your oven. Home ovens are notoriously inaccurate, and it may be that yours is just slow, which is to say that it doesn't quite reach the temperature to which you set it. If ...
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9
votes
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how to get rid the sourness in yogurt
If you want less sour yogurt, you have to pick the right culture and right process.
First, choose a streptococcus culture, or maybe bifida. Lactobacilicus bulgaricus gives you more sour yogurt.
...
- 133k
8
votes
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Why do they put the fruit on the bottom?
Fruit will settle to the bottom of the yogurt during transit anyway; this way, it ends up neat and tidy and intentional. Many people mix it together just before eating if they prefer a more blended ...
- 8,776
8
votes
Do commercial yogurt starters (i.e.: store-bought yogurt) actually degrade over time?
Off the top of my head, I don't know of scientific studies that have tested this. But even if there were, I don't think they'd necessarily be meaningful in comparing a particular store-bought culture ...
- 32k
8
votes
How to mark yogurt jars?
Some permanent markers (sharpies for example) can take multiple passes through the dishwasher while still being legible, but a quick wipe with alcohol of any kind will take it off.
For truly ...
- 42k
8
votes
Why is it recommended to mix yogurt starter with a small amount of milk before adding to the entire batch?
To avoid clumping. It is much easier to disperse a solid into a small volume of liquid first by whisking or stirring to reach an even consistency and then pouring it into a larger volume of liquid ...
- 191
7
votes
Why are all sour cream cultures I've found for sale online labeled as direct set? Why can't I reuse like I do yogurt?
If you can't find a reusable sour cream starter, you can use buttermilk starter. Some bloggers and biology/chemistry professors just use fresh active buttermilk as a starter rather than ordering some ...
- 368
7
votes
Homemade plain yogurt
The leftover yogurt must contain live and active cultures. It does not matter whether the leftover yogurt is sweetened or not.
- 2,464
7
votes
Accepted
What is the difference in the making of yoghurt to produce carbonated (like Kefir) vs non-carbonated yoghurt?
There are different kinds of lactic acid fermentation which are done by different kinds of bacteria and/or yeasts.
The simplistic picture is that yogurt is typically made with only two types of ...
- 2,155
7
votes
How to mark yogurt jars?
Having marks that are both temporary and durable is a tough combination, because something that can survive a dishwasher will by definition be hard to remove.
Good answers already provided, but I ...
- 787
7
votes
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Do you need more yogurt starter for more milk?
Recipes call for a certain amount of starter to maximize the chances that your starter bacteria will crowd out undesirable wild bacteria.
If you use too little starter you will increase the chances ...
- 47.4k
7
votes
Accepted
Should you layer Greek yoghurt on porridge oats or mix it in with the porridge oats?
The point of overnight oats is to allow the oats time to hydrate slowly at a cool temperature, rather than cooking them in water. So it's best to have them well-mixed with the liquid they'll be ...
- 24.6k
7
votes
Accepted
Yogurt from raw cow milk has a gelatinous consistency
Your process skips the scalding step for the milk.
To get the proper consistency for yogurt, you have to boil it up once. This has two functions: it kills bacteria which might outcompete the culture, ...
- 133k
6
votes
Cooking protein marinated in yogurt
You cannot "cook off the calories". Also, caramelized yogurt is still yogurt.
Some of the lactose in your yogurt surely got converted to something else, but 1) there is no way to estimate how much ...
- 133k
6
votes
How to mark yogurt jars?
Personally, I tend to use "permanent" markers:
Once you run the jars through a dishwasher, they usually disappear.
Nail polish is a bit more permanent and suitable for colour-coding and writing (at ...
- 57.5k
6
votes
Add fresh yogurt to whipping cream to make creme fraiche?
No, creme fraiche needs specific cultures, which are not yogurt cultures, and lower fermentation temperature.
If you use yogurt with Lactobacilicus Bulgaricus to innoculate your cream, and a ...
- 133k
6
votes
Accepted
When should I add fresh fruits in homemade yogurt?
The Codex Alimentarius standard 243-2003 on fermented milk products, states in section 2.3 that:
The non-dairy ingredients can be mixed in prior to/or after fermentation.
So, yes the recipe is ...
- 5,817
6
votes
Accepted
Homemade yogurt hygiene; can the results be dangerous?
Food safety for homemade yogurt works basically the same way as cooking: you are safe as long as you respect the needed time and temperature restrictions.
Yogurt food safety risks
The reason yogurt ...
- 133k
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