powdered milk in yogurt? + a milk ?

pfal6

Every batch of yogurt I make is ridiculously watery. I am reusing 2 mayonnaise jars. I am wondering if the containers are too big, therefore making it runny. If I were to add powdered milk to thicken it, when would I add it? Would it be before the incubation period or when it is all ready? I am thinking that if I can't fix this myself that I will buy a yogurt machine.

Also what would you pick....organic milk from Whole Foods (365 brand shipped from Texas I believe (I am in MA)) or a local farm like Garelic (Franklin, MA that I haven't visited). Trying to figure out the whole shipping versus local dilemma!

 

Thanks!!

Mrs.A&J

With milk I'd always go organic....unless you can speak to the local dairy owners and find out more about their methods.

mominatrix

Mrs.A&J:

With milk I'd always go organic....unless you can speak to the local dairy owners and find out more about their methods.

...but when making yogurt you have to be super careful that it's not ultra-pasteurized, which the vast majority of organic milk is.

The first time I made yogurt it came out super watery, and I think this was the problem...

If the milk is ultra pasteurized, it won't yo properly...

It will either say that it's ultra-pasteurized OR it will have an expiration date that's a month or more in the future. 

CDMay2006

mominatrix:

Mrs.A&J:

With milk I'd always go organic....unless you can speak to the local dairy owners and find out more about their methods.

...but when making yogurt you have to be super careful that it's not ultra-pasteurized, which the vast majority of organic milk is.

The first time I made yogurt it came out super watery, and I think this was the problem...

If the milk is ultra pasteurized, it won't yo properly...

It will either say that it's ultra-pasteurized OR it will have an expiration date that's a month or more in the future.

So that's why organic milk lasts so much longer (people told me i was crazy, but i knew that wasn't the case... not for this reason anyway ).

SuperGreen

I agree with mominatrix, I think the problem is you're using ultra-pasturized milk.  DH makes the yogurt in our household and he uses Organic Valley milk.  It comes out too runny for my taste, he loves it though.  I put my portion in a strainer lined with cheesecloth and let it drain into a bowl overnight.  It comes out nice and thick, like Greek yogurt.  Delish!

uncannycanuck

I use whole milk that's regular pasteurized, not ultra.

It gets pretty thick.

You can also add unflavoured gelatin at the stage you add the culture. If you do add milk powder, do it when you add the culture.

I just do mine in a casserole dish in the oven (light on, no heat). Less things to wash.

Mrs.A&J

Ooops, sorry, I thought it was just a local vs organic question...I didn't put two and two together that you were asking about which to use for yogurt. I've never made yogurt, so I don't know.