Homemade yogurt/dahi/curd is so simple to make that you’ll wonder why you haven’t made it before. Use organic milk to make organic yogurt. Try this recipe and you will agree that homemade yogurt has a delicious flavor that is very different from store bought ones, not to mention how much cheaper it is to make versus buying.
Ingredients:
Whole Milk – 4 cups
Starter Yogurt – 1 heaping Tbsp
Method:
1. Bring Milk to a boil on the stove top or microwave. If you have a candy thermometer, bring milk to approx 180 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Allow Milk to cool to slightly warmer than luke warm (approx 115 degrees F on a candy thermometer).
3. Add Starter Yogurt to the Milk and blend together with a hand blender or whisk.
4. Transfer Milk to a container with a tight fitting lid.
5. Preheat oven to 180 degrees F and switch oven OFF.
6. Place container with milk into warm oven and set timer for 3 1/2 hours.
7. After 3 1/2 hours, remove yogurt from oven and store in refrigerator.
Tips:
1. Starter yogurt can be from your previous batch or you can buy a small single serve Plain Yogurt from the grocery store.
2. Do not add starter yogurt into hot milk or yogurt bacteria will die and yogurt will not set.
3. If you prefer yogurt which is on the tart (sour) side, keep the yogurt in the warm oven for 5-6 hours. The longer you keep it outside, the more sour it becomes.
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How to make homemade yogurt, can I make yogurt without a yogurt maker, save money by making dahi at home, organic yogurt.
I have been trying to figure out why my crock pot yogurt went slimy after many previous successes. I may have slightly overheated the milk and then I think I let it cool too much from the 185 temp when I added the yogurt. Then I placed it in a warmed oven and left overnight. It thickened nicely. I have done this many times and it turned out wonderful. I drained it thru cheesecloth like a usually do, but now it looks like thick slim. And I made a big batch! Is there anything I can do with the slimy yogurt? I hate to throw anything out. Thank you.
Hi well I m trying to prepare yogurt but it comes out to b sticky .kindly help
Hi Senegal,
Yogurt becomes slimy if the milk has not been heated long enough. To avoid this, heat the milk at a lower temperature and for longer to break down some of the proteins.
Hi Hetal,
I am soooo sorry that I happened to see your question to one of my comments now only. It is not allowing me to reply there and so I am adding it as a new comment. When I talked to my mom, she said it is not green chillies but fresh green chilly crowns to be used for starter yogurt. Add few fresh chilly crowns to the lukewarm milk and set it aside for few hours. Once the starter is set, chilly crowns can be removed. Also fresh chilly crowns should be used for this.
Again Sorry for such a late late reply!
Hello,
i have been trying to turn curd sour in winter but cudn’t and some recipes need that to turn out well….please help me.
Hi Shweta,
The only way to get sour curd is to leave it out for a longer time, even after it has set.
There are yogurt makers available on amazon for around $25 and they have a tiny heater (kind of like a night bulb wattage power) to keep the milk warm during cold weather. One such yogurt maker is a Salton yogurt maker.
i tried this at home and it turned out soo creamy and nice.. Thanks a lot for the recipe.. Although it took me more than 4 hours.
Hi Pree,
Over time, we have realized that the time can vary depending on what kind of container you use (glass, plastic, etc) and how much quantity you make. Glad it worked out for you.
Hi
It would be useful to know the time it took for the milk to come to the right temperature(lukewarm) after boiling.
Thank You
Hi,
How do I make ‘Greek Style’ yoghurt (its thicker and creamier)?
Hi Ferhana,
Greek yogurt is strained to remove excess whey, making it thicker and creamier.
Re-visiting……….Hi Again
Else-where, it says to add 2 Table Spoons of yogurt to 3 1/2 cups of milk
In your recipe, you call for 1 TBLS for 4 cups of milk
Please ENLIGHTEN
Merci
Greetings Ladies:
Re Yogurt, your recipe calls for WHOLE MILK
WHAT IS THAT PRAY TELL ??!!
Here in Canada, the MAX I can find is 3.25%
One has to buy CREAMS from that point on
I am not sure which section of your site your response will appear, so may I request you to respond to my Email — Much obliged
How to make curd in 2 hours with out becoming sour.
I have made yougurt at home for last 30 years (once a week) and has come out perfectly everytime.
However, since last 5 weeks (tried 12 times), it is coming sticky or slimy and I cannot understand why.
I have changed cultures like Dannon Yougurt, culture from a friend etc to no avail.
Any idaes?
Hi Riddhi,
Milk usually has some sort of protein structure that gets broken down when the temperature reaches and is maintained at 180-185 degrees Fahrenheit for about 20 minutes or so. Maybe you can try to heat your milk at a medium flame for longer instead of on high for a shorter time.
Hi Hetal/Anuja,
Thanks for your recipes! I have seen my mom using split green chillies instead of starter yoghurt.
Hi Anjali,
Wow! We’ve never heard that one before. Would you be able to get more details on exactly what to do? We’re very interested!
Yes. It works with red chillies also. My mom had also mentioned this to me once. Just take a small quantity of boiled milk, add a very small piece of dried tamarind and a dried whole red chilli to set yogurt. When the yogurt is set, just remove the red chilly and the tamarind piece and use that as a starter for making a bigger batch. The red chilly makes the yogurt thick. Try it, works well.
I tried this the other night but ended up with just liquid… I did follow everything perfectly. I’m thinking I will try a different container next time. Will post results again soon! Thanks for this way of making yogurt – I’ve made yogurt a different way over a 12-13 hour period and it set but just didn’t last long.
Hi Kate,
Over time, we have also realized that yogurt in plastic containers set faster than glass. Also the quantity matters as well.
Hi
I’ve been making yoghurt for a while, and it’s been going really well, but lately, my yoghurt has only been lasting for 1 week instead of the normal 3 weeks. I’m trying to find out why, and then I stumbled on your site and it’s great!!.
So what I do for my yoghurt (I make 4L at a time because I run a little restaurant in Singapore) – add 1cup milk powder, 8tbsp honey before taking it up to scald. Keep it there 5 mins
I let it go down to 120F, then whisk in 1 cup of room temp starter (I use a new starter about every 3 batches). Then I put in glass jars (500ml/1L and 2L) then I put it in a pot with jars of hot water, which keeps it at about 110F for 5 hours, then put in the fridge. The yoghurt is lovely for 7 days, then it goes off. It is usually the open jars that go off faster, but they are only out of the fridge for 5 minutes maximum at a time, never more. It also always stays in the glass jars that I make it in.
Do you have any ideas? Please help! I never used to have this problem and I have no idea why it’s started – I haven’t changed anything that I’m doing!!
thank you so much!
Christina
Hi Christina,
It seems you are doing everything correctly…especially since you’ve been doing this from the beginning. The new starter you are using…is it from a completely new source or does it have any connection to your existing yogurt?
Hi
It’s from a completely new source. I’ve been sterilising my jars, trying it in different fridges in case mine aren’t cold enough, it’s totally inexplicable!! Oh well, thanks for replying.
Love your website! 🙂
Christina
hi
i am able to make my yogurt perfect.it tasts good.but my curd is very sticky.can u tell me the reason where i am going wrong
Hi Deepu,
Sure sigh of needing a fresh starter – try with a fresh batch.
Hi,
I am a Bachelorette, so i am sharing a room with my friend, we don’t have oven, is there any other way, we can make thick curds ?
Hi Nami,
There are a lot of other ways to make dahi/curd/yogurt.
You just have to create a warm/cozy place for the put the container – wrap a blanket around it or put it in a warmer part of the house or wrap it in a shawl and put it inside a pressure cooker and allow the curd to set. Otherwise create a warm area with a light on it.
Hope that helps.
Hi Hetal & Anuja! I tried making my own yogurt and the taste was amazing! It took me about 11 hrs though.. It was not very thick when I placed it in the refrigerator. But later it became nice and thick. I used the 2% milk. Just wanted to let you guys know how much I appreciate your videos and all the answers to the viewers questions..
I am just curious – if I am using a store bought yogurt as starter, will it have ‘lesser quality live cultures’? Also, is it better to start off with an organic starter, so that the home-made yogurt will be better – like getting better ‘genes’ :)?
Steph
Hi Steph,
You definitely want a good quality yogurt to start making yogurt at home. Store bought yogurt will not have “lesser quality” cultures however you want to use a brand that has nothing but milk and active cultures as the ingredients. Organic yogurt is great if you plan to make your yogurt with organic milk. Even non-organic yogurt starter works great.
Hi Hetal,
Sorry, if my questions are too naive. I made my yogurt using Pavel full fat. I checked the ingredients and was glad that it just had milk, active cultures and Vitamin D. So I think I am good to go?? Anyway, the yogurt tasted amazing.
I ran out of yogurt and I got ‘mountain high’from the store and it has pectin in it. Now my question is:
Is it healthier to have home made yogurt that the store bought? I researched a little bit and got the info that store bought yogurts might have added sugar and might be days old and might have preservatives. But ‘Pavel’ did not list preservatives or sugar in its ingredients. As I missing something?
Thanx 4 all the method in ur yoghurt recipe.although I’D used a different starter.it’s nuscience gainbac capsul.each contain 5 billion CPU,dried live LACTOBACILUS.and the result after 8 hours,still liquid.what should I do? Next time I’LLsurely follow ur exact recipe.
Hi Ratih,
Unfortunately, we have not tried to make yogurt with anything other than starter yogurt so we cannot offer any advice about the capsules you are using. Sorry.
Just the perfect method i finally found for preparing homemade yogurt. Simple and easy with best results…Thanks a thousand times both of u.Love ur site..
Do you know if I could make this yogurt using cream (whipping or heavy) instead of milk. I’m trying to cut out the carbs. Also can this recipe be cut in half without hurting the quality? Thank you, Cindy
i truly need a recipe for homemade curd that coul be used for a prayer for lord krishna
Hi Hetal & Anuja,
do you think this will work with 30% cream? and what about lactose free milk or cream, does it work also?
thanks a lot & keep up the brilliant work 🙂
leylo
Hi Leylo,
We have never tried making yogurt with that combination so can’t say for sure. We usually make yogurt with 2% milk and it works well. We suggest that you make a little bit and experiment so in case it does not work out, you don’t end up wasting a lot of milk/cream.
Let us know your feedback in case you do try it 🙂
The ‘starter’ for yogurt consists of a mixture of bacteria, the balance of which determines both the taste and texture of the final product. Everything you do to make yogurt is aimed at keeping the bacteria happy (temperature, fat content, etc.) An important bacterium in the culture for yogurt is a ‘lactobacillus’. Lactose is its source of nutrition.
Hi, I saw you’re video on youtube and it looks good! I just wanted to know if incubating it at the end is compulsory because I’ve asked the lady making the Dahi at the Indian Restaurant and she just told me to let it sit in a cool place with a cloth over it.
Also, I read on another blog that they do not incubate it at the end and just left the Dahi with a cloth over it.
Here’s the link
http://thecookscottage.typepad.com/curry/2008/11/how-to-make-yogurt–dahi.html
Does living in a tropical country count for anything? Thanks!
Hi Samantha,
Incubating is not necessary but it makes the process faster. Yogurt cultures need warmth to grow so I’m not sure about the person saying to keep it in a cool place (room temp should be fine but it takes 8-10 hours).
Sorry, one question really interests me!
Can I use starter yoghurt made from cow milk to make yoghurt with goat milk?
Hi Alexander,
We’ve never tried it, but after some research, it looks like it is possible to make goat’s milk yogurt with a cow’s milk starter. You may also consider picking up some dried bacterial cultures from a local health food store and use it as your starter.
Thanks again Hetal.
My dahi did not come out as planned 🙁 I fermented it for 3 1/2 hours yesterday, but it just thickened to whole milk consistency. It tasted great just like dahi, but it was more on the liquid side. I will definitely try again! 🙂
Hi Hetal and Anuja!! This recipe looks really good. Im not really a fan of yogurt, but is there a way that this yogurt can be flavored? Like maybe adding vanilla extract when it is finished? Or sweetening it? Or maybe even making it with flavors? Chocolate, or fresh fruits?? Thank you so much! 🙂
Justin
Hi Justin,
You can definitely add flavors to this yogurt. After the milk has boiled (or scalded), stir in sugar, honey, molasses, chocolate syrup, etc. You can even add vanilla extract, instant coffee or other spices. Then allow the milk to cool to luke warm before adding the starter yogurt and incubating. If you want to have fruit preserves, jam or peanut butter at the bottom, you can spoon a tbsp into the bottom of of small containers and gently pour the warm milk/yogurt mixture over the top and then incubate. If you are using canned or fresh fruit, it is best to mix them in after the yogurt has set. Sometimes, the acid in certain fruits will prevent the yogurt from forming.
Thank you soo much Hetal!!!! 🙂
I am currently making a test run batch. I reduced the recipe to 1 cup of milk, and 2 teaspoons of yogurt. I added about 1 tablespoon of sugar while the milk was hot, and when I put my finger in it, it was lukewarm. Its been fermenting for about 2 1/2 hours now, and when I just opened the oven and shook the container to see, it was still liquid. What do I do if it does not set?
Hi Justin,
I am assuming you put the starter yogurt in when the milk was luke warm and not when it was hot. It takes some time for the yogurt to form. We keep it in a warm oven and it takes 3 1/2 hours. Even the container you use makes a difference in the time. Just leave it alone. People even keep the yogurt overnight and it doesn’t spoil.
Hello,
I tried making yogurt exactly as you have mentioned (along with pre-heating oven to 180F and then switching off) around twice but with no success 🙁
The problem each time was that after 3.5 hrs, the container still looked like it had just milk in it, no sign of thickening at all. I still kept in the refrigerator and ended up throwing it the next day 🙁 But I am determined to make good dahi… some day 😉 I did notice that when I threw it off, the container had some traces of yogurt at the bottom, almost as if a very little milk had turned into yogurt, its possible that it could be just traces of the starter yogurt. I have no idea what I am doing wrong, I tried with full fat and 2% milk and the starter yogurt was plain store bought yogurt which said it had active cultures in it. The last time I made it, I also turned on the oven light for last 20 mins as I thought the oven had gone cold (I live in a cold region in US). I saw you mentioned that we can turn on the oven every few hours to keep the temp constant but I will need to remove the container with dahi before startign the oven. Wont that harm further as it will shake the mixture each time I remove the container out?
Please help, I have really run out of ideas on what to do!
even i’ve got the same problem…the dahi not thickening at all…i did it in the cooking range oven.i think that could be one reason for my failure…anywyas hope we both get a reply at the earliest.
Hi Shaharrr,
The cooking range should not be the issue, looks like it’s something else. I have responded to Swapna…same questions apply for you. Give me your answers and we’ll try and help you out! 🙂
u know wot…atlast…SUCCESS…actually i pre-heated my oven for 5 minutes at 140 C…kept for 3 and a half hours…then to the refrigerator…and u wont believe…i got the perrrfect dahi that i was looking for…..thankyou soooo much….now i’m gonna try paneer…..
thyanx a loooot
Yeaahhhh! Good for you Shaaharrr!
Hi Swapna,
And we are “determined” to make your yogurt a success 😉
Here are a few questions for you:
– how much yogurt are you making?
– how much starter are you using (sounds like a it may be less than required)?
– was the starter at room temperature?
– what type of container are you using?
– was the milk warm (and not cold) once you added the starter?
And a few clarifications:
– we turn on the oven and take it upto 170/180 and then turn it off and only then put the container in the oven.
– we have the oven light on all thru (specially during the winter months)
– once the yogurt is setting, we do not turn on the oven every few hours.
Thank you so much for the prompt response. Here are my answers:
1) Since I was trying for the first time, I started with less milk, almost 1.5 – 2 cups.
2) I used one spoon of the starter.
3) The starter was slightly cooler than room temperature. Maybe thats the problem!
4)The container I used was a RubberMaid plastic dabba with a tight fitting lid.
5) Yes milk was warm when I added starter.
Also I too turned off the oven when it reached 180F and then put the container in it. I was thinking that if I pre-heat the oven and also keep light on, it might get too warm inside. But I can will try keeping light on next time. Also I probably read somewhere else then, to start up the oven every few hours to maintain a warm temperature.
Please let me know. Thank you so much. It feels gr8 that there’s someone out there to help me with my yogurt making adventure 😉
Hello,
I was able to finally successfully make some dahi… woohoooo!!!!!!!!!
The changes I made were:
1) Kept starter out for sometime (abt an hr) to bring to room temp.
2) Kept container in pre-heated (&switched off) oven along with the light ON too.
3) After 3.5 hrs since it didnt look like milk had thickened at all, I left the container inside oven overnight. In the morning, dahi had set!!!!!
I think I kept it almost 10 hrs in oven and then for 3 hrs in fridge. I didnt find dahi very tart, but next time onwards will keep 5-6 hrs in oven and see how that goes.
Kudos, Swapna! The feeling that you have got it right is amazing 🙂
Enjoy your dahi!
hi there….i’m from a remote village in kerala…i’ve tried this recipe once but it dint set at all…..i used pastuerised toned milk…thats the only milk that we get here…can u gimme any extra tips to make my homemade yoghurt perfect….pls tell me in degree celcius…
waiting for ur reply…
thank you…..
Thanks for everything but Dahi is slimy tried all different thing it always come slimy.
Hi Priti,
That usually happens if your starter is slimy (old). try and get a new starter and try it again…should do the trick 🙂
Thanks for every thing. My son ha milk allerg so can you please teach me how to make Yogurt from soymilk.
You’ve said sour cream can be used as a substitue for yougurt. Is the opposite true? Can we use curd in the place of sour cream. I specifically want to know if I can use it in bakes because sour cream is high calorie.
Love you guys. This site is awesome and I am so glad I discovered it.
Do you know how to make FRUIT flavored ice cream? I really like this place called caliyogurt, and they always have honeydew ice cream…do you know how to make it have that flavor? Also, how sweet is this yogurt, because I have noticed that it does not have sugar? If it is not sweet enough, how do we add the sugar? Thank you in advance!
Hello Anuja and Hetal,
I have been making curd at home after seeing this recipe and its turning out fab. I use 2% milk and a good starter and its been working out great. There is just one problem there is lot of water in the curd after it sets. There is this watery portion that floats on top. I tried draining it after i took it out of the oven, but every time i scoop out curd the water forms again. Is it coz of the 2% milk or coz I close the tupperware container before putting it in the oven tht condesation takes place. The curd taste very good though.
Thanks
Sanchitha
Hi Sanchitha,
The water that collects is perfectly fine…home made yogurt does that because there is no pectin or gelatin added like store bought yogurt. Yes, 2% milk will leave a little more water than whole milk, but like I said, it doesn’t hurt anything. There is no need to remove it. Just scoop out the thick part to eat and use the watery part mixed with the thick part for raita or kadhi.
Hi There,
Just wanted to confirm is it ok to use yogurt which has a expiration date in about 2 days and milk which has an expiration in 14days .
Can the yogurt (home made) which is prepared using the above ingredients be used for 14days.
Hi Joyce,
As long as the milk is not spoiled and smelly, you can use the it for the yogurt and will extend the life span. In genral the shelf life of yougurt is a lot longer that milk. Same goes for the starter.
Hi,
I tried to make yogurt. After the milk is lukewarm I added yogurt. heated the oven to 180F, turned it off. Kept the milk in the oven for more than 4 hrs.
But there is no change, not even the slightest sign of yogurt. 🙂
Any suggestions
Thanks
Challa
Hi Challa,
Here are a few things that might be the issue:
– the starter is not enough or was not mixed in well.
– the milk was not warm enough or cool enough, when the starter was added.
– the 4 hour works well for about a quater of a gallon of milk (more milk needs more time)
Hi Hetal
My Oven temperature reads out 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 … till 10.
Out of this which number is 180 degrees? Pls. help
Seena
Hi Seena,
I would guess that 1 would be closest to 180F. Just a note…you can heat your oven for quick set yogurt (3 1/2 hrs), but if you have time, you can just leave the milk with the starter in your oven (without heating) overnight and it will still set.
thanks for this recipe is good and can you passme
about recipe with kefir
HI GLZ…U BOTH R ROCKING..!! M BIGGGG FAN OF URZ..U R DOING WONDERFUL…LOOKS GOOD! N COOKS GOOD!
WISH U ALL THE BEST!! TAKE CARE!!
Hi Hetal
First of all, i’m simply love you guys! The way you teach is so easy for teenagers like me 🙂
Anyways, I have got a mocrowave-oven and not a oven. So could you you tell me how do i go about setting the yogurt?
Thanks a lot for teaching us some wonderful recipes!
It’s so nice to see teenagers interested in cooking!
We use the oven to keep the milk warm so that the yogurt bacteria can grow and become yogurt. We are not actually cooking with the oven. So, unfortunately, you cannot use your microwave because you cannot pre-heat a microwave. One alternate option is to fill an ice chest or cooler with warm water and keep your yogurt container in it. If you close the cooler lid tightly, your yogurt will remain warm for quite some time.
Dear Madam,
Your recipes are nice. Can I include them in my website for visitors (with reference to your site, like a link) to enjoy your recipes?
I hope you wont mind.
Thanks
When transferring the milk and yogurt mixture to a container with a tight fitting lid, do you place the lid on the container before putting it in the oven, or is this just for storage purposes when you move it to the refrigerator?
The tight fitting lid is really for the storage part. I usually close the lid tight anyway while it’s setting, but it’s not a requirement. Sometimes, if there are too many bubbles on top of the milk, the lid makes the milk spill out. In that case, I just lay the lid on top, but don’t tightly close it. The yogurt sets anyway.
Thank you so much for responding! I can’t wait to try this!
Hello,
I am really happy and thankful for doing a good job to help us all.I stay in U.K(its very cold here) and before i came across your website,I was able to prepare yogurt.My yogurt sets perfectly well and tastes good.But with a problem – yes!! The only problem is it will be sticky. I did follow the same procedure as suggested by you but again ended up with same problem. Please let me know how to overcome it because you know we cant accept it though it tastes good. We feel somethings is wrong in it and i have almost started disliking it. please suggest me how can i overcome the problem before i give up preparing yogurt.Hope to hear from you soon.
Many thanks for your time and help in advance.
With regards,
Megha
Hi Megha,
There are a couple of things that may cause slimy yogurt.
First, did you boil the milk before allowing it to cool. This heating process break down certain proteins in the milk and allows it to set.
Second, when you are incubating the milk (keeping in a warm place), if the temperature gets cold before the yogurt sets, it will become slimy.
Since you mention that the climate is cold where you live, try to maintain the warm temp while the yogurt is setting. If you’re using an oven, give it another kick start. Be sure to remove the yogurt from the oven before you turn it on again. Turn the oven off before putting the yogurt back in.
You can also use an ice chest filled with very warm water and keep the yogurt in there. After a couple of hours, you can add more warm water in it to maintain the temperature.
Finally, be sure to use good (fresh) yogurt starter — not the slimy one.
Good luck!
Hello Hetal,
Thank you loads for a quick reply!! So kind of you. Much appriciated. I will surely try your suggestion and let you know soon.
Many thanks once again.
With warmest regards,
Megha
Hi Hetal & Anuja,
If you want to make shrikhand then all you have to do is pour this yogurt (the sour kind as you said which is out for like 5 to 6 hours) in a thin clean cloth and tie it overnight on something over kitchen sink and let it become thick. Then all you do is add sugar ground with saffron to your taste and little bit vanilla extract and elaichi(cardomom powder)and charoli to the thickened yogurt.And your shrikhand is ready!
Hi Amita,
Thanks so much for sharing your Shrikand recipe. Sounds delicious!
Hi, my wife and I tried homemade yogurt and it came out real nice and delicious. The yogurt was thick and none water although, we left it in the oven for about 5hrs it did not become sour. Thank for your recipe.
I remember, my mom used to put garlic pieces in the milk in case she had no left over yogurt. Do you know how to make yogurt without yogurt starter?
Hi Hebret,
Glad your yogurt came out well. Sorry, we have not tried making yogurt without the starter. The garlic idea sounds interesting though…will have to try it out.
You probably are not going to believe this, but the only way that I know of to make yogurt without a yogurt starter is with –
ants.
You are guffawing now, or at least chortling – maybe snorting perhaps in disbelief: “Yeah right buddy, you’re pullin my leg. Ants, what a load of crock!”
Let me explain.
I am an American living in Turkey (as a translator), where yogurt is also a daily staple. I got curious one day and started asking my Turkish friends here how the original yogurt starter was made, and was met with blank looks. Chicken and egg story, right? Yogurt come from – well, yogurt, naturally.
So a Turkish friend and I went online one night, bent on solving this mystery: where the hell do those bacteria come from and where can I get them?
Well friends, the answer is right in your backyard.
There are two ways to get the bacteria, that we found; one, using the soil from an anthill, or using crushed ant eggs.
I cannot vouch however for American ants, I don’t know if they carry the same bacteria as ants in Turkey (I am not a biologist, I am a translator and a university academic). But the situation is this:
as with regular yogurt making, where you add a pre-existing yogurt culture to milk, you have to heat the milk (a jar’s worth). Then, you add the mashed up ant eggs (about 30 eggs will do), or a good pinch of soil from an ant hill. Seal and bundle up, so that the bacteria stay cozy and get to work on reproducing. After a day, open up and there will be a medley of liquid (kind of a whey) and white solids. The white solid, which looks a bit like feta cheese, is your starter.
Again heat your milk in a clean container, and this time add a tablespoon-size lump of the starter, and shake or stir a bit. Then seal, wrap and let sit for about 4 to 6 hours. Upon opening, you will find that you have yogurt. Made from ants. You can terrify your friends with this.
According to the Turkish web pages we found, the best-tasting yogurt comes from anthill soil.
I am pasting below a link to a video. It is in Turkish, so find a Turkish friend to help you work through it. But even if you can’t speak Turkish, just watch along and you can pick up on what’s going on:
http://www.annemmutfakta.tv/video/hulya-erol/evde-gida/arastirma-karinca-yumurtasindan-yogurt-mayalamak/index.html
I am pasting below another link, which is a text web page which details a study which arrived at the same results. It is also in Turkish, so find a translator:
http://www.ekoses.com/ekolojikyasamportali/bpg/publication_view.asp?InfoID=147383&iabspos=1&vjob=vkwd,KARINCA%20TOPRA%C4%9EI
Last night I happened to meet some Austrian biologists here in Istanbul who were baffled by this idea that the yogurt culture is actually carried by ants. Baffled isn’t enough. They were flabbergasted. They refused to accept this. I was met by all-around rejection and stern looks. They told me that the yogurt-producing bacteria is actually found in the stomachs of cows. Which may also be correct. In Austria. My German is not good enough to hunt this down, but it could also be an interesting lead, for anyone with good German.
In light of the fact that NOTHING in English on the web touches on this subject successfully (that’s how I found this web page, in my fruitless search to find an alternative answer), I felt compelled to post this. Cheers, and happy ant-yogurt making.
Hi, I would also like to mention that while the yogurt is being set in the oven, please do not shake or move the container. By doing this the yogurt may become watery or may not set at all.
Hi guys,
I have tried making yogurt with this recipe. The consistency is good no doubt. But i find that the yogurt is slimy and sticky. Though the taste is perfectly normal. I use 2% milk and started with the store bought Indian yogurt with no gelatin in it. What could be the reason?
Hi coffee,
Did you heat the milk at least up to 180F? or boiling? There is apparently some kind of protein in milk that needs to be heated to at least 180F and is responsible for the texture to come out right.
Hi hetal.
I have not checked the temperature. I heat it for 8 mins in a microwave and let it cool. But i am sure it has come to a boil. But i will check the temperature tomorrow and let you know. Thanks for the response.
Sure. Be sure to use good (fresh) starter, not the slimy one.
hello i have a question about cultures. i have recently tried creating more varying recipes from your homemade yogurt recipe, such as frozen yogurt or cream sauce. i have heard that freezing or heating yogurt will kill the active cultures in it from many professional chefs and even nutritionists. iss this true? and how about the cultures in store bought frozen yogurt that states it contains live active cultures in it?
Hi Luu-luu,
Heating yogurt will probably kill the bacteria but freezing will not. Some people freeze fresh yogurt in small batches and then defrost it to use as the starter every time they make yogurt. Technically, you can use your existing yogurt as the starter, but every so often, it’s good to get a fresh starter. Some of the bacteria change as time goes on.
One more thing Selena….
For thicker yogurt, you can mix non-fat dry milk into your regular milk before boiling it.
Hi Selena,
One of the reasons that yogurt will not set is that the temperature of the milk that you start with is too high or too low. It should be approx 115 degrees F (if you have a candy thermometer) or slightly warmer than luke warm but shouldn’t burn your finger if you touch it. The temperature of the oven does not need to stay constant…just warm at the beginning to give it a good start. If you use a plastic quart size container, the yogurt should set nicely in 3 1/2 hours. The bigger your container is or if you use glass, the time to set will increase.
You can probably use what you have as buttermilk. It should not have spoiled.
Hello, I attempted to make yogurt last night and wanted to leave it overnight for a thicker consistency, but when I went to it this morning, I awoke to a runny consistency that looked just a little thicker than what it had looked like when i put it in the oven last night. I followed your instructions even at the correct temperature, but failed. Do you think it may be because the temperature dropped below 100 in the oven? And what if the cultures have died, do you think that made it go bad? Also, it doesn’t smell or look bad, is just runny. I really don’t want to waste this batch because of how frugile I am. Can I use this for the next one I try at, or even for recipes? Or will it harm me? Thanks!