Home Made Yogurt is Good!!!

Just a quick update on the yogurt making from Friday evening....

On Saturday morning the yogurt was done. It had a good, yogurty taste and was a little thicker than it was as plain milk. The next step was to separate the whey from the concoction to make it a little thicker. 

To do that, I lined a screen strainer with cheese cloth and ladled the yogurt in. At first I was concerned that the cheese cloth was a little too thin and the whole mix was going to run right through but after a few minutes, the holes is the cheese cloth clogged and the clear whey started dripping from the bottom of the strainer.

Straining the whey

I let the mix drain for about 90 minutes. After it became an acceptable thickness, I scooped it into a large Tupperware container. It got even thicker after cooling in the refrigerator.

Finished Yogurt... Mmmmmm

This is probably some of the best yogurt I have ever had. I don't know if that is because I made it at home or because it is made with whole milk and is loaded with fat. It is smooth and creamy with a nice sweetness and a great vanilla taste. It was pure luck because I didn't really follow a recipe or measure the ingredients. When I was heating the milk, I added about 3/4 cup of sugar, a little honey and two dashes of real vanilla to the gallon of milk. 

Now I have a tupperware container of yogurt and a pitcher of whey that I saved from the straining process. I found this site that gives 16 ways to use the whey. I'll have to experiment with a few of these as well, but I think the most practical use for us it to give it to the animals. 

That's it for now.... Have a happy Sunday.