Making my own yoghurt

I have made yoghurt for years. I love how economical it is to make comparing to buying it, including EasiYo. To get a freeze dried culture is so expensive, And pure store bought yoghurts failed as starters, BioFarm, Cyclops, etc. Then I saw this article: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/15/dining/15curi.html!_r=0
What, one of the ubiquitous global brands, sweeteners and stabilizers included. No way would these yoghurts make a good starter. But this curious cook had to give it a go. So last week I bought Yoplait Greek yoghurt and made a batch with one pottle. Well the result was 100% positively perfect. I made another batch last night using 1/2 cup of last weeks batch, and it too is 100% perfect. It was well worth spending $2.50 for a starter, now I can continue making 1 3/4 litres of yoghurt a week for $3.50, the price of 2 litres of milk.

Thanks for that.Harold McGee is one of my culinary heroes.

Having just had a total failure using Bio Farm as a starter I will follow your example and try the Yoplait.

so withthat1/2cupalreadymadedoyou then addthattomilkassetin theusualwaythanks

How to make Yoghurt

Required:
1) yoghurt thermometer
2) 1 litre full fat milk
3) yoghurt culture or half a cup of yoghurt (either your own existing stock or one like Yoplait Greek)

Instructions:
1) Heat milk in a pot till it reaches 85°C (nearly boiling)).
2) Allow to cool till milk is around 45°C. Add culture or yoghurt.
3) Incubate (see below for options). Yoghurt needs about 6-8 hours to develop the characteristic tartness. Don’t stir.

Refrigerate immediately for about 12 hours before eating. Yoghurt can be stored in the refrigerator for approximately 1 week; the lactic acid produced by the lactic acid bacteria has a preserving effect. If any Whey (clear liquid) forms in your yoghurt, just stir it back in.

From here onwards apon your yoghurt completion hold aside half a cup of yoghurt as a starter, to repeat the process.

Ways to incubate your yoghurt:

1 ) An electric yoghurt maker, use the directions that go with your incubator. Plug the yoghurt maker in to warm it up while you get the yoghurt ready.

2 ) Use a non-electric yoghurt incubator, the type which has a 2 litre plastic container or 1 litre glass jar nestled inside of a canister.

3 ) Styrofoam Cooler Method: You can use 3 wide-mouthed 500ml jars with screw-on lids (plastic lids, preferably), or even one large, wide-mouthed container, if you like. Place the container(s) inside of an inexpensive Styrofoam cooler along with 2 litre jars of boiling water (with lids– and the jar should not touch the yoghurt jars). (Warm up the cooler with the jars of hot water while you get the yoghurt ready.) Place the cover on the cooler and cover with an old blanket. You may have to add more hot water to the jars halfway through the incubation time. It works perfectly!

4 ) Use a thermos: Almost fill 2-3 large wide-mouth thermos bottles, the more expensive kind with a metal casing, with boiling water, heat for 10 minutes with boiling water inside. Pour out the water and add your incubated yoghurt at the right temperature. Put the lid on and wrap the thermoses each in two or three terrycloth towels, or together in a small quilt. Set it in a warm, draft-free place.

5) Wrap the container in a towel and place on top of your waterheater.

How thick is the resulting yoghurt.I like mine really thick.

Do you have a creme fraiche recipe you'd like to share!

Crème fraîche:

250 ml plain cream
1 tablespoon buttermilk

In a medium saucepan over low heat, warm the cream to 40 degrees C.Remove from heat and stir in the buttermilk.
Transfer the cream to a large bowl and allow this mixture to stand in a warm place, loosely covered with plastic wrap, until thickened but still of pouring consistency.  Stir and taste every 6 - 8 hours.
This process takes anywhere from 24 to 36 hours, depending on your room temperature.  The crème fraîche is ready when it is thick with a slightly nutty sour taste.  
Chill cream, in the refrigerator, for several hours before using. Creme fraiche may be made and stored in the refrigerator for up to 10 days.

Well you learn something new every day. This is exactly what I do to culture my cream for butter only I don't bother heating it. I just throw in the butter milk, stir with a sterile spoon, put the lid on, place the jar into a black lined bag, leave on the bench and 24 hours later I have cultured cream which I now discover is creme fraiche! The only difference is that my cream is raw and from Jersey cows and after 24 hours of 'culturing' at room temperature it is no longer pourable once it is chilled and has to be spooned out. Some of the buttermilk or milk solids present in the cream do separate out and sink to the bottom which is probably why it is so stiff.

This is a really thick yoghurt. It is much thicker than any I have made in the past.

I have used it so far in my banana smoothies, the kids mixed it with jam to make a sweeter fruit yoghurt, I made a choc yoghurt cake yesterday. I might make my coffee cake tommorrow as it calls for yoghurt. I love having yoghurt in the house again,