Making Goats Milk Yogurt

I have to extend gratitude to the wise Hedgewizard who has bestowed many a useful tip to Dan and I on our new polytunnel adventures. As Dan says when I post anything to do with the tunnel 'lets see what Hedgewizard says, because he always turns out to be right', and he is. Besides that, if you enjoy a humorous read, head over to his blog for a visit, you won't come away without laughing out loud.

So on this occasion I'm saying thank you because he posted this all about a new yogurt maker on the market. Since our goat kids were weaned a couple of weeks ago we have had a good 3 litres of milk a day, and at some point, you begin to realise you can't drink any more of it than you are, and that there is a backlog beginning to build up in the fridge! For some reason I thought making yogurt would be difficult and so I hadn't embarked on a research expedition yet, but seeing Hedgewizards post got me off my arse, reading my Home Cheese Making book by Ricki Carroll,  and Googling for more information. So, you can either buy the EasiYo, or you can make it as easy as pie if you have these things in your cupboards, as I did.

1. A cooking thermometer. I have both a mercury jam making thermometer, and a digital one, I prefer the latter
2. A thermos flask, or a plastic cool box
3. A litre of milk from your own animals or bought from your local shop. I use my own goats milk.
4. A small tub of live natural yogurt from your local shop.
5. Honey, nuts or fruit to flavour as desired.

Note : All your equipment should be scrupulously clean, and preferably disinfected

• Let your small pot of yogurt come to room temperature
• In a heavy bottomed pan slowly heat the milk to 180F/82C
• Turn off the heat and stand the pan in some cold water to cool
• When the milk reaches 128F/53C stir in the pot of yogurt
• Heat your flask by rinsing it out with boiled water
• Pour the milk into the flask, put the lid on and leave it for 12 hours...
• .. or if using the cool box method pour the milk into clean jars with tight lids. Place these in the cool box. Fill the cool box with hot tap water, close it and leave for 12 hours.
• After 12 hours pour the yogurt from the thermos into a clean jar and leave in the fridge, don't be disheartened if it seems a little runny. Or if using a cool box, simply remove the jars, dry them off and place them in the fridge
• Once chilled it will have thickened more. Yogurt made in the cool box may thicken better as it is not disturbed by pouring.
• Keep refrigerated and eat within a week
• Use a couple of tablespoons of your yogurt to start the next batch

If you find your yogurt is too runny you can experiment with various methods of thickening it which include adding a tablespoon of pectin (apple derived - used to thicken jam), agar flakes, milk powder or tapioca.

Before I thought of using a thermos flask or cool box I also had reasonable success by putting the pot of milk in the polytunnel on a hot day for 8 hours, and on another occasion I put it in the passenger seat of the car on a black plastic bag.  Both worked, just remember to remove the concoction before driving, or you could live with a stinky reminder for a very long time to come!

Once you have mastered making yogurt, its time to try a simple cheese. More on that to come soon.

Note : apologies to those who tried, but were unable, to leave messages on this and the previous two posts, there has been a problem with Typepad, who assure me that this bug has now been resolved. Thanks for your patience, please keep commenting, I LOVE IT, and it brings the blog alive.

Comments

[Rebecca (author of Irish Craftworkers Good Life)]

Horrah, comments on Typepad are working again.

[Dawn]

I really enjoyed reading your yogurt recipe. Sounds great! I've not tried making yogurt before, but just might give it a shot now.

Love the photos of your goats. I miss living on a farm.

Regards,
Dawn

[Podchef]

Don't forget to share the leftover whey and spoilt milk with those chickens and piggies!

BTW--how are the pigs? We need an update! Mine are going strong and haven't escaped once since I gave them a pig-fountain: http://kitchengardenfoods.com/2007/05/04/a-fountain-for-pigs/

[hedgewizard]

Glad to be of service, and I can't wait to hear about the cheese... it's something I've always wanted to try even though we only keep chookses. Chook cheese might have an untapped market, I feel!

[Vallen Queen]

While we didn't have goats when i was young, my mom made yogurt every week. I did the same for my young girls. I used to let the yogurt warm on a shelf above the hot water heater. When it was set I would strain it through cheesecloth to make it even thicker. My girls liked it flavored with vanilla and sweetened, then frozen. A perfect summer treat.

['EF' x]

Well..seeing as you love comments :)

Hubby and I are suffering mouth watering agonies looking at the yoghurt you have made..somehow reading the instructions along side makes it all the more delicious!

[Rebecca (feltmaking and living sustainably)]

Chookses cheese an extreme delicacy I hear! If you manage to make some Hedgewizard, I'll buy it!

Great to hear memories of cheese cloth and cheesemaking. My children love watching the cheesecloth fat with yogurt dripping into the bowl, I hope its the making of their future memories.

And really, it is easy, worth a go and did I mention how delicious it is?!

Ah Podchef, piggy post on its way.

[Retro Jordans]

Your article give me a lot helpful message, no doubt a valuable blog. Best wishes to you.

[Milkweed]

I'm so glad I stumbled across your blog while looking around for goat's milk yogurt recipes. What beautiful photos and how inspiring - we are doing many similar things on our small farm in North Carolina (www.redwingfarm.net)...I will add you to the blogroll! And lovely to see glimpses of Ireland, where I lived for a year almost 20 years ago. Thanks for sharing what you're doing!

[claire]

can I ask you, how many mls of yogurt is a small tub