Using Powdered Milk When Making Yogurt?

Cindy

March 12, 20130 found this helpful

The powdered milk does help it thicken and set better. I use Fage Greek as a starter for mine and warm my milk in the microwave before putting it in my yogurt maker. Cindy

AuntieBim

March 13, 20130 found this helpful

Hi Kerry - I've never heard of adding powdered milk to home-made yogurt. I haven't made some for a while now, but it was so very simple. If I didn't have any yogurt on hand, I would start with heating milk (I always used 2%) and adding the contents of one or two acidophilus capsules. Stir well, cover (with plastic wrap or such) and put in oven with pilot lite on, leave overnight.

In the morning, it was solidified and delicious! If I saved some of the yogurt from the last batch, just stir that into the warmed milk -let set same as before. I used to do like a half-gallon at a time in a big glass mixing bowl.

With electric ovens, I think you could do as with yeast doughs--that is, pre-heat the oven a bit then turn off and put yogurt mix into oven. Do not open door before morning. In most cases, should be enough warmth to do the job. I've heard some people using heating pads - haven't tried that at all m'self.

I did try those commercial yogurt makers, the ones with 4 or 5 small cups. I preferred the big batch for my own use--it was less time-consuming, less costly, and I had more on hand for various uses at any one time.

Don't know what recipe(s) you're using--but you know that after you've got the basic yogurt you can add any fruits and/or sweeteners you want. So much cooking can be done with yogurt as well.

Hope this helps - I know I've gone way beyond the why-add-powdered-milk question! One of my problems with powdered milk for anything I used to use it for is that now-a-days it's more expensive than regular liquid milk! Good luck with your own homemade yogurt.