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Farm Kitchen:  Making Homemade Yogurt Taste More "Commercial-y"?  |
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JessieMae
True Blue Farmgirl
702 Posts
Jessie
Raleigh
North Carolina
USA
702 Posts |
 Posted - Feb 01 2011 : 08:06:13 AM
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Does anyone have any ideas how to make homemade plain yogurt taste more like commercial fruity yogurt? Appalled by the amount of artificial sweeteners and chemicals in my husband's daily Yoplait, I bought a yogurt maker and whipped up my first batch...which sent him screaming back to the dairy case at Kroger.  Being used to such sweet, fruity yogurt has ruined his taste for REAL yogurt. Anyone have suggestions on how to make plain yogurt fruity and sweeter?
Jessie Mae
Farmgirl Sisterhood #134 |
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HollyG
True Blue Farmgirl
214 Posts
Holly
Hamburg
Arkansas
USA
214 Posts |
Posted - Feb 01 2011 : 08:38:56 AM
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Jessie,
I'm experimenting now. I make it plain, then add to it. It's never as sickeningly sweet as even the light at the store, but it's satisfying. My machine makes about 7, 6-7 oz. jars. To the completed, cooled jar, I add a teaspoon of agave nectar, and mix well. I then add fruit I've macerated in sugar. I buy large bags of frozen fruit at Sam's - or have fresh or frozen I've picked myself. For the first batch, I used about 3 frozen peach slices (enough for one jar) about 4 strawberry slices, and about 10 blackberries. I thawed them on a dinner plate at room temp, diced them very fine, and sprinkled about 1/4 t. sugar over them. It was just enough to make them juicy. I just scooped them into the jars (separately, of course), mixed well, and enjoyed. Since then, we've tried 1/2 a mashed banana and fresh red cherries. Last night he requested applesauce with cinnamon. I never got a consensus if that was a "go" or not.
We try to watch our sugar intake. If you aren't worried about that, the you can just add the frozen strawberries (or other fruit) in syrup from your grocers freezer. It won't taste exactly like Yoplait, but it should satisfy his sweet tooth. My maker can with a recipe book for adding fruit, etc. If yours doesn't have it, e-mail me and I'll send you the recipes. I've got photo evidence of my first experience with yogurt on my blog - listed below. Check out the kitchen link!
HollyG
Farmgirl #2513
www.mydeepwoodslife.com |
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AuntieM
True Blue Farmgirl
151 Posts
Marjorie
Holly Springs
NC
USA
151 Posts |
Posted - Feb 01 2011 : 08:41:43 AM
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The simple way would be to just stir in a spoonful of jam, any flavor you fancy. But to get away from the overly sweet yogurt, I like to have it with fresh fruit, a drizzle of honey, and a few crushed nuts on top for crunch. I also use it anyplace I would use sour cream - muffins, dips, potato topper, etc. Then it's not so important that it be sweet.
Good for you, making yogurt! |
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windypines
True Blue Farmgirl
4272 Posts
Michele
Bruce
Wisconsin
USA
4272 Posts |
Posted - Feb 01 2011 : 09:07:25 AM
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Fruit, jam, honey, real maple syrup, any of those are good tasting mixed into the yogurt.
Michele |
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SusanScarlet
True Blue Farmgirl
317 Posts
317 Posts |
Posted - Feb 01 2011 : 1:01:59 PM
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| Would love to know which type of yogurt maker you have. And if you like it. |
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Okie Farm Girl
True Blue Farmgirl
1674 Posts
Mary Beth
McLoud
Oklahoma
USA
1674 Posts |
Posted - Feb 01 2011 : 6:57:09 PM
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I have been making yogurt for years and I have a few secrets up my sleeve. :-) First, if you aren't already, add 1/2 cup powdered milk to 4 cups of your skim, 2% or whole milk and dissolve it before you start heating the milk. This makes the yogurt creamier.
~Second, I don't know if you are using a powdered starter or commercial yogurt for your starter but I have experimented with it all and hands down Stoneyville Farms plain yogurt is the best to use for starter. While the recipes always call for 1 tbsp, I use 3 tbsp! And my yogurt is so firm and creamy it is amazing. I get the Stoneyville at Walmart. If you can't find it where you are, experiment with plain, all-natural or organic yogurts that are very firm to use as your starter.
~Third, depending on for whom I am making it, I use either 1 tbsp raw sugar, or 1 tbsp of honey or 1/4 tsp stevia in the bottom of each yogurt cup. My maker does 5 individual cups. If yours is one that makes all the yogurt together, you will have to figure out how many cups that is and adjust. But the sweetner goes directly into the container or containers.
`Fourth, I add 1/4 tsp vanilla per cup to the sweetner
OR I add 2 tbsp homemade jam in the bottom of the cups instead of using the vanilla and sweetner
~Fifth, I then pour the prepared milk with starter into each cup. The cups with the sweetner and vanilla get a good stir. If it is with the jam I don't. At that point I put the cups in the yogurt maker and let it do its thing. When it comes out and I chill it in the frig, I wind up with creamy sweetened vanilla yogurt or yogurt with fruit on the bottom. I am going to experiment with putting frozen concentrate fruit juice into my milk before I boil it and see if I can come up with "flavored" yogurt like yoplait's.
Hope that helps!
Mary Beth
www.OklahomaPastryCloth.com
The Sovereign Lord is my strength - Habakkuk 3:19 |
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CasieD
Farmgirl in Training
34 Posts
Casie
Edgar
WI
USA
34 Posts |
Posted - Feb 02 2011 : 05:51:38 AM
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After reading this thread yesterday I decided to make some yogurt myself!
I had heard you could do it in a crock pot, so I googled it and it worked great! Started it in the afternoon and let is sit overnight. It was nice and thick this morning. I did add the 1/2 cup powdered milk to help make it thicker. I sweetened it with raw sugar and added my homemade vanilla extract for flavor. It's in two canning jars chilling out in the fridge right now to thicken up some more. Can't wait to have the kids try it out for breakfast tomorrow!
Casie
http://www.etsy.com/shop/designsbycd
http://www.designsbycd.com/ |
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JojoNH
True Blue Farmgirl
1984 Posts
Joanna
Dunbarton
New Hampshire
USA
1984 Posts |
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Farm Kitchen: Making Homemade Yogurt Taste More "Commercial-y"? |
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Making Homemade Yogurt Taste More "Commercial-y"?
Thank you for sharing