A good brand of yogurt to use as a starter culture
I've been making my own yogurt lately, but have yet to find a good brand to use as a starter culture. Usually, I end up with something much more watery than I would prefer. I believe I've tried Trader Joe's store brand, Greek Gods, and Stonyfield Farms, off the top of my head. Does anyone who makes homemade yogurt have any favorite brands that they use as a seed culture?
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4 Comments:
I used freeze-dried Yogourmet starter. I find it yields much more consistent results than commercial yogurt, most of which include thickeners or additives. When I've started with yogurt, I've had the best results with a local additive-free yogurt from the market, which has the other benefit of being fresher than the store brands.
producestories at 1:06PM on 08/21/09
I've seen the freeze dried cultures, but been somewhat reluctant to buy them, on the grounds that I would actually eat the rest of whichever yogurt I used as a starter, which seemed like a better deal. I'll give it a try though. Thanks.
Nicholas H at 2:09PM on 08/21/09
As well as trying different starters, have you tried lining a colander with cheesecloth and draining away the whey of the yogurt overnight in the refrigerator to thicken it up? And are you sure your temperature's are correct for the method you are using to make your yogurt? There may be a combination of reasons for the watery texture.
Are you using anything else other than milk and starter for your recipe? The recipe I have calls for adding 1/2 cup of non-fat dry milk powder at the start for thickening as well as the starter.
Please let us know what winds up working for you.
Gator Pam at 8:28AM on 08/22/09
Nicholas - I'm wondering what you're using for the milk to culture, and if that could be the problem.
lemonfair at 3:30PM on 08/22/09