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Homemade low-fat and skim milk yogurt recipe
With tips to make it extra creamy.
There are so many kinds of milk on store shelves these days that it’s hard to know which one to choose. The primary types are differentiated by the percentage of fat. As a guide whole milk has approx. 3.5% milk fat, reduced-fat (2% milk fat), low-fat milk (1%) and finally fat-free milk, which is also known as skim milk.
Prior to the 1960’s when reduced fat milk was popularised, yogurt was only made from whole milk. The fat in whole milk naturally helps thicken the yogurt. Yogurt made with reduced fat milk or skim milk is thinner. For this reason, commercially made, low-fat yogurts include additives and stabilisers to improve the texture. The beauty of making yogurt at home is that you can control what goes in and avoid additives altogether. With a few extra simple steps in the method, it’s possible to achieve homemade, thick and creamy, reduced-fat yogurt. Choose one (or two) of the following steps.
1. HEAT THE MILK FOR LONGER
With most of the fat removed, skim milk ends up with a larger percentage of the milk protein, casein then regular whole milk. When heated these proteins denature, coagulate and thicken. Heating the milk for an extended period will naturally help thicken the yogurt.
When preparing the milk, gently heat it to 160º-180°F, (71°-82°C) and maintain the temperature for 15 to 30 minutes. To ensure a continuous, pre-boil temperature, use a wok ring to create a distance between the flame and pot, or a double boiler pot with boiling water. This method is explained below.
2. ADD SKIM MILK POWDER
An extra boost of skim milk powder can also be added to the milk to increase the proteins in the milk. As a guide add 1/3 cup of dry skim milk powder to every litre of milk. We also recommend heating and holding the milk at 160º-180°F, (71°-82°C) for 10-20 minutes.
3. STRAIN THE YOGURT
The straining process removes the water content (whey) from the yogurt, so you are left with a thicker composition similar to Greek style yogurt. The longer you drain away the whey, the thicker your yogurt will become. Removing all the whey will result in a yogurt cream cheese.
PREPARATION
Before you begin it is important to sterilise the glass jar, lid and any utensils you use, in boiling hot water. The danger of not sterilising is that other bacteria may overpower your culture and affect the quality of your yogurt.
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