I bought a yogurt machine last month, and I’ve been making yogurt as fast as my family will eat it. I’ve had mixed results, depending on what type of milk (2%, whole, very fresh, closer to expiration) and what type of starter went into each batch. I love the idea of a yogurt that contains nothing but milk and probiotics, but last night I tried Alton Brown’s yogurt recipe and it is the best yogurt I have ever tasted. I used whole milk and live cultures, but Alton’s recipe adds nonfat dry milk (which boosts the protein and calcium) and a touch of honey.
Wow.
This stuff is thick and creamy, with a slightly tart but mellow flavor. It’s delicious! I plan to partially drain it and make a big batch of garlicky tzatziki today. I might drain some of it more fully for a batch of yogurt cheese.
No, no… not honey yogurt. It’s yogurt made with a tiny bit of honey. I used less than a tbsp to almost 50 ounces of milk. I don’t know if the yogurt thickens, feeds the bacteria, or just smooths out the flavor, but it’s not sweet.
Before I started making my own, my brands of choice were Fage, Nancy’s, and Stonyfield Farms. Yogurt sits in the heater for 4-20 hours, but there’s a lot less active prep time than there is for decent homemade ice cream.
One thing about homemade yogurt is that it’s not particularly cost effective… especially in the experimental phase. I’ve probably dumped close to a gallon of milk this month. Now that I’ve got it tweaked, there should not be any more waste.
The Count’s homemade is the best yogurt I have had in some time. He inspired me to get a yogurt machine which still sits in a kitchen cabinet unused. I really need to fool around with it.
I have been getting back to eating yogurt daily in the last few months and the Greek style is definitely where it’s at for me. Sometimes I eat with fruit but plain is fine.
I have tried through all the types I can find–Fage, Chobani, Stonyfield Farms “Oikos” and Brown Cow. Chobani seems to be the best value but for taste I think Fage is the best and that is my brand of choice, though I will occasionally buy the others if there is a silly sale. What is weird is that the price can vary by as much as $1.00 per container for the larger size in the various supermarkets around me, Trader Joe’s is the cheapest.