This week's product review is for something I've owned for at least 20 years: A Yogotherm yogurt incubator. It's been in storage for the last few years since we didn't have a milk cow. Now that I'm milking Maggie, I'm using it weekly once more. [NOTE: A reader pointed out that this product is no longer available on Amazon. I checked and she's right. I've updated the link to direct people to Lehman's. We won't make any commission from this link, but it's a good product regardless.]
There are endless yogurt incubators on the market, but most are all fancy and electric, which means they're more likely to break down. Yogotherm is, literally, a Styrofoam sleeve with a bucket inside. That's it.
To make yogurt, I heat the milk to 180F, let it cool to 110F, add the yogurt culture, mix well, and slip the bucket into the foam insulator and let it sit for 10 or 12 hours. That's it. Nothing to break, nothing to plug in. Easy peasey.
I use a Bulgarian yogurt culture because it can be recultivated indefinitely.
When the yogurt is finished, I scoop a bit into a jar and keep it in the fridge. That becomes the starter culture for the next batch. Great stuff.
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Nice item! I use a hay box cooker that I made. I start my yogurt in a crock pot with a removable liner. Then I take the liner and lid when it's ready and place it in the hay box cooker. It stays in there all snug until its ready. Works great for me.
ReplyDeleteUsing what I have had at had for years, I heat my milk in a Crockpot, let it cool, then pitch the culture and wrap the outside in a blanket with towel over the lid to keep it warm. I am always surprised at how well it maintains temperature when I open it up.
ReplyDeleteI will admit I do like working with the Old Tools and “stuff”.
ReplyDeleteBUT!!!!
I cheat. As an Old Far+, I get to do that, I guess.
Here’s my Yogurt making process.
I use an Eight Quart Insta-pot
Add ½ gallon Whole Milk, ½ gallon Half-Half, 1 quart Heavy Whipping Cream, 2 small containers of Strained Greek Plain Yogurt (Starter) or use your own 'Starter' and 4 packets of Knox Gelatin.
Just dump it all in the Insta-pot, stir with a large whisk very well to make sure the Gelatin is dissolved.
Set the Insta-pot on “Yogurt setting for 10 hours and let it sit.
I stir the mix once an hour, with the whisk, just to mix it up some.
When finished, just pour it into CLEAN one-pint jars and tighten the Lid/Ring. Yes the Mix will be a little runny, so use a scoop or measuring cup and jar funnel. It WILL congeal to a nice consistency when it’s cold.
Put into the Fridge, it will last months, several months.
This will make a good 10.5 pints. Like I said, this will last for months in the fridge.
I don’t add fruit or flavoring when I make this, add it when eaten.
BTW, YES it tastes a LOT better than store-bought Yogurt.
I’ve had a Yogatherm for quite a while as well. I’ve tried the Amy-Dacyczyn-Tightwad-Gazette method and various crockpot/slow cooker methods. The Yogatherm yields the most consistent results. As you say, easy-peasy.
ReplyDeleteWhen I click on the link for the Yogotherm the Amazon page indicates that the product is not available.
ReplyDeleteYikes! You're right. That changed fast, as I can no longer find the incubator on Amazon at all. Instead, I've redirected the link to Lehman's, which does carry it. Thank you for the head's up!
Delete- Patrice
I have eaten yogurt, both the "fake" typical American version with or without fruit and the Greek yogurt. Not too bad especially the fruity ones. But I almost always ask why? I can drink a glass of milk and it tastes better that the somewhat "tangy" yogurt. Why make yogurt? If I am in the mood for something "dessert'y" I would pick ice cream or almost anything but yogurt. I have seen and tried recipes with yogurt in them and they never taste good to me I prefer cream cheese or heavy cream in place of the yogurt. It could just be a taste thing.
ReplyDelete