Pasteurised/Fresh Milk OptionHeat 2 litres/2 qts of milk almost but not quite to boiling point (or use a thermometer), where the milk will start to froth on top. 180 F or 80 C and then allow it to cool on its own in the fridge or actively try to cool it with a cold bath etc down to about 40 C/104 F, if you want to use it straight away. If the temperature is too warm it will kill the culture so be precise. The milk can be cooled down completely.
UHT Milk Option Simply use the milk straight form the UHT carton with any need to heat and cool the milk.
MIXING THE YOGHURT AND THE INCUBATION PERIOD
Make sure that your yoghurt maker incubation bowl is thoroughly clean and dry. Add a speck (a tiny amount) of yoghurt culture or follow the culture's instructions (and a speck of probiotic if using as well) to the bowl and add about a cup of your desired milk and blend really well with a very clean, spoon or whisk. Note that if you wish to use an existing 'mother yoghurt' you would blend about 4 Tablespoons (4 Tbspns to 2 litres/ 2 qts of milk) of the older 'mother yoghurt' with the cup of milk, instead of using the culture. Remember my points on the limitations of this though as mentioned in the article above supporting this recipe. Finally, simply add the remainder of the milk, whisk again really well and turn your yoghurt machine on.
You need to decide how long you want to incubate your yoghurt for. I like to incubate for approximately 10-11 hours as this means that most of the lactose (natural milk sugar) is eaten up in the fermenting process which means a lower carbohydrate yoghurt at the end. You can incubate it it for anywhere between 8 and 12 hours.
Note that your yoghurt will have a more sour taste the longer you incubate it for but even at about 11 hours this is not an overly sour yoghurt, so don't let this deter you from a longer incubation.
After the desired amount of time, simply remove the container from the incubator, place in the fridge and allow it to cool down completely. You now have natural yoghurt which can be eaten simply as it is.
To create Greek yoghurt (the absolute ideal yoghurt for a low carb low sugar lifestyle) from this natural yoghurt, you have one further step to take, and that is to strain your yoghurt.
MAKING GREEK YOGHURT BY STRAINING IT
After refrigerating the natural yoghurt for a couple of hours until it is cool, prepare to drain the yoghurt in the fridge. Very carefully pour the yogurt into a muslin straining cloth over a container to catch the whey. You may have to empty the whey if it starts to creep up near the base of the cloth. You can strain the yoghurt for as little as 1-2 hours which will remove approximately 20-30 % of the whey or if you leave it for about 4 hours it will remove approximately 50% of the whey. I often leave it for about 4 hours. You can drain it for up to 10-12 hours. Check the consistency of the yoghurt every now and then and stop straining when it reaches the consistency you like. You can beat additional whey back into the yoghurt if you feel it is too thick.
The yield is dependent on how much whey you strain from the yoghurt. I generally get approximately 1.2-1.5 litres/ 1.2-1.5 qts of yoghurt to 2 litres/2 qts of milk. Store the yoghurt for approximately 1-2 weeks in the fridge.
MAKE LABNEH OR YOGHURT CHEESE
To make the yoghurt into rich, thick labneh cheese (yogurt cheese), simply follow the instructions for making Greek yoghurt. Blend a squeeze of lemon juice and a pinch of salt into a cup of Greek yoghurt and stir through.Let the yoghurt strain again in muslin cloth for anywhere between 12-24 hours in the fridge. 12 hours will create a slightly softer cheese. You can leave it for longer to make a stiffer textured labneh. Note that you can do this from the Natural yoghurt in the first step as well but you will need to strain it for labout twice as long and your yield will be less as well, as more whey will drain from the yoghurt.Store labneh for approximately 1-2 weeks in the fridge.
USING LEFT OVER WHEY
Whey is the product used in WPI powders and is full of nutrients. It can be used to make soups and casseroles if you don’t want to waste it. It can also be used in place of water to make sour dough. I often use it when I make my own dog food or simply add it to my dogs water or you can use it to water your garden. It can be frozen to use at another time as well. Don’t forget that you can also use a little whey to ferment your mayonnaise so that it will last for around 3 months instead of only a couple of weeks.