I realized the other day that I hadn't shared my boil method yogurt on here yet! It's for people that want to make their own yogurt but don't want to spend the big bucks on ultra pasteurized/ultra filtered milk. (that's the cold start method. google it if you want)
And that's me.
Plus my Instant Pot doesn't have a yogurt button, so there's that.
It's for people who want to increase their protein intake and yet make yogurt as cheaply as possible.
And that's me.
Don't be discouraged by the little black bits in my yogurt. Those are Chia seeds and I like them as an addition to the yogurt. And as one daughter told me, "it'll make you poop."
Boil Method Yogurt
by the gallon...
Ingredients:
1 gallon whole milk. tip later.
4 Tbs yogurt with live cultures. tip on this later.
2 cans of sweetened condensed milk (but I have a tip for that below) (and optional)
(or Splenda if your family likes it - some of my family don't, so I don't make it with that.)
(or don't use sweetener at all and add fruit when you serve.)
(or don't use any sweetener or vanilla and make plain!)
3 Tbs Vanilla flavoring (optional)
If you're using frozen whey, get it out first and set it in a small bowl inside a bowl with warm water to melt it down. NOT any hotter than 115 degree water.
Some people say to sterilize your IP pot, but really if you've washed it with soap and water and given it a good hot rinse, you're fine.
This isn't rocket science.
Only put the milk into your Instant Pot. Have a good thermometer handy.
Push the Saute button.
Check the temp every 5 minutes or so. When it reaches 170 degrees, start watching it sooner.
180 degrees is the magic number. It'll take not quite 30 minutes.
Once it hits 180, hit the off button on the machine and set your oven time to 5 minutes.
Let it sit for the 5 minutes.
The temp will fluctuate a little higher than 180 and that's ok. Just let it sit.
While it's sitting, fill one of your sinks with cold water and dump a bunch of ice cubes into it.
When the 5 minutes is up, remove the IP liner with the milk in it and set it in the sink of ice cold water.
Skim off any milk deposits that have risen to the top and stir.
Careful not to scrape the bottom of the pot.
At this point, you can add the SCM or equivalent.
Every time you stir, check the temp. The temp will drop fast. Sometimes it drops 10 degrees with each stir.
The magic number NOW is 115. If you're within 4-5 degrees of that, pull it out of the water and wipe off the outside of the pot.
Put the pot back into the IP.
Add the yogurt/whey starter (4 Tbl) and the vanilla. I mix those two together ahead of time.
Stir or whisk til mixed well. don't scrape the bottom.
Put the IP lid on and I usually close the vent thingy.
The IP should NOT be on.
Wrap it up with a fleece blanket or two towels.
It'll be done after 8-12 hours depending on your schedule. Don't leave it past 12 hours.
DONE INCUBATING
Once it's done incubating, pull the liner pot out of the IP, put a plate or lid on top and place in the fridge for 4 hours or overnight to completely chill it down.
DON'T STIR IT! The yogurt is very fragile at this point.
After it's done chilling, you can scoop it into containers with tight lids and place right in the fridge for use OR to drain off the whey and make it thicker, spoon it into a towel lined colander and place it in the fridge. Let it strain. I sometimes forget about it until the next day. And that's ok.
I usually strain about a quart of whey off each gallon.
If you don't strain the yogurt and later come get a container with the whey separated, don't worry. Either pour it off or mix it back in.
If you've made it with no sweeteners or vanilla, you can use it in place of sour cream or cream cheese. Depending on how thick you let it drain.
If it's TOO thick, add some whey back into it and stir to the right consistency.
At this point, you can put it in easy serving sized containers, or empty cottage cheese containers, or glass jars. Keep in fridge for up to two weeks, but I'll bet it won't last that long.
Mine never does. Everyone eats it way before then.
So I make it about once a week.
TIPS...
Milk tip -
You can use whatever milk you want to use. It can be whole milk all the way down to skim. the difference will be texture and how much whey you'll produce...
(And I've got tips for the whey too! :)
Yogurt starter tip -
It must be yogurt with live cultures. Some will insist on Fage yogurt, but if you're spending that much money for a starter, cripes... Just check the label for live cultures. After you start producing whey from draining the yogurt, you can use 4 tablespoons of that per gallon. I freeze it in ice cube trays for future use as soon as I get some strained out. Fresh whey frozen immediately is best.
OR you can use 4 tablespoons of the yogurt you make for the next batch... If your family hasn't eaten it all. That's the problem in my family... So I make sure I freeze the whey.
Sweetened Condensed Milk tip
Instead of two cans of SCM (sweetened condensed milk) I put one can of evaporated milk in a sauce pan along with 1.5 cups of sugar. You can experiment and use less sugar if you want.
Heat it up until the sugar dissolves into the milk. Then turn off the heat and let it set until you're ready for it. It keeps well in the fridge if you don't need it all right away.
Whey usage tips
In addition to saving the whey in ice cube trays, I've done the following with success.
Our Golden Retrievers love it! I don't give them more than 1/4 cup each at a time tho.
Replaced the water in a bread machine bread with whey! JUST did this successfully yesterday and it was really good! I used this recipe. HERE
Only substituting the water with whey and adding 1.5 teaspoons salt instead of 1.
I've used the whey along with broth when making soup.
Instead of water or milk when making an omelet.
Any time you need extra liquid in a dish that you're making, add it.
The extra protein is great!
Additions tip-
Once the yogurt is put into smaller containers for easy access, you can add sweeteners or fruit or whatever you want to it for serving.
I sometimes put my cup of yogurt in a bowl and pour any cereal over the top of it for breakfast. Granola is delish, but so is Cinnamon Toast Squares.
And of course if you need to poop, use Chia seeds!
