How to make yoghurt at home
Is your milk about to go out-of-date and you don’t want to waste it? Or do you just fancy a cheap and easy yoghurt without all the added sugar? Dr Veronica Giacintucci, Teaching Fellow in Food Science, shares how you make homemade yoghurt and how you can emulate your favourite brands.
You can add lots of flavour to plain yoghurt by combining it with fruit, jam or vanilla.
How can milk be used to make yoghurt?
Yogurt is a versatile ingredient and is great for breakfasts (used in overnight oats), perfect as a midday snack (try it with granola) and is added as a base for many sauces and dressings (such as minty raita).
Yogurt is made through a process called lactic acid fermentation – this is where lactobacteria converts sugars found in milk (lactose) to generate energy. This reaction forms a by-product, lactic acid, which makes the milk more acidic, causing it to curdle and form yoghurt.
There are lots of different types of bacteria that are used to make the yoghurts you can buy from supermarkets, but two of the most commonly used are Lactobacillus debruekij and Streptococcus thermophilus.
My recipe
Try my recipe, using your favourite yoghurt as a starter. With your homemade batch you’ll never have to buy branded again!
- Take milk from the fridge (whole milk works best) and heat it up in a pan until it starts to foam (make sure it doesn't boil).
- Once the milk starts to foam, take the pan away from the hob and let it cool down to roughly 28-30 degrees Celsius.
- Pour your favourite yogurt into a separate heat-proof container and pour the warm milk into it.
- Stir the mixture and pour this back into the warm pan you used to heat up the milk.
- Let it rest for a 7-8 hours in a warm place (leave this overnight for better results).
- Pop your yoghurt in the fridge and wait for it to settle.
- Enjoy!
Top tip: if you prefer thinner yoghurt, simmer the mixture for longer, if you want it a bit thicker, add some gelatine, or if you want something more personalised, try adding flavourings or fruit pieces.
Now that you know my recipe for success, grab a spoon and whip up some tasty yoghurt!
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