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How to Use Yogurt Culture

Use homemade yogurt to make delicious low-fat salad dressings, dips and sauces. Spoon over baked potatoes instead of sour cream. Add it to pancake or muffin batter, top fresh fruit with yogurt, or place yogurt and fresh fruit in the blender for delicious, nutritious smoothies.

The pure yogurt culture in this package contains Streptococcus thermophilus, Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Bifidobacterium longum, Bifidobacterium infantis. Please note that there are no added fillers. This presents you with two options for preparing yogurt. Both methods will work and you should choose one based on your application and desired results. Note that the recipe and procedure for preparing one quart of yogurt is the same in both cases.

Pure Culture Method

You may use the pure culture straight (as is) at the rate of 1/8 teaspoon in as little as 1 quart of milk and up to 4 gallons of milk. At this dosage, the smaller the quantity of milk, the faster it will set and the tangier (more acidic) the yogurt will be.

Extended Culture Method

If you regularly make small batches of less than 1 gallon or you are concerned about bacterial mutation from re-culturing, you can prepare a stable extended culture using dry milk. This is a practical, economical and safe way to assure fresh consistent quality in each new batch of yogurt you make. You may use either powdered cow’s milk or goat’s milk to prepare the dry extended culture. Regardless of which type of dry milk used, both will work to make yogurt in either type of milk.

Extended Culture Formula: Combine 3 parts of nonfat powdered milk with 1 part of yogurt culture. Mix until they are evenly blended. It may be necessary to gently break up larger pieces of the yogurt culture. This creates a mixture that is 25% culture. Store the extended culture in an air tight container in the freezer for up to 12 months.

Yogurt Recipe

One Quart Yogurt Recipe (fresh starter either pure or extended)
Heat one quart of milk to 180°F. Cool the milk to 115°F then add 1/8 teaspoon of either pure or extended yogurt culture. Stir it in gently making sure it is completely dissolved. Hold the temperature at between105 – 110°F for about 8 hours. You may adjust the time more or less depending on how tart you want the flavor to be. Once your yogurt has reached the desired flavor and texture it must be refrigerated.

One Quart Yogurt Recipe (re-cultured starter)
Heat 1 quart of milk to 180°F. Quickly cool the milk to 115°F then add 2-4 Tablespoons of previously prepared active yogurt. Whisk it in gently making sure it is completely mixed. Hold the temperature at between 105 to 110°F for about 8 hours. You may adjust the time more or less depending on how tart you want the flavor to be. Once your yogurt has reached the desired flavor and texture it must be refrigerated. This method may be repeated until the yogurt becomes too tart or develops undesirable flavors. This can occur in as little as 3 generations.

Tasty Tips

To make yogurt with added body and protein add ½ cup of nonfat powdered cow or goat milk. Heat the mixture to 180°F and hold the temperature for 30 minutes. Continue as described above.

For enhanced flavor, add a few drops of vanilla extract when adding the culture. You can try other flavored extracts as well such as banana, almond, etc. A teaspoon of instant coffee or espresso powder is also nice.

Notes On Using Goat’s Milk

Goat’s milk produces a pleasingly tart yogurt using the same dosing amounts as you would with cow’s milk. It does have a thinner consistency than cow’s milk yogurt and much thinner than commercially made yogurt. The yogurts you find in the grocery store are fortified with nonfat milk solids or contain gelatin or other thickeners to give it more body.

To make a thicker goat milk yogurt you may either add nonfat powdered milk as detailed above or try adding one tablespoon of a very weak solution of rennet (one drop of liquid rennet or a small amount of powder scraped from a rennet tablet dissolved in ¼ cup distilled water) along with the culture.

8 dose - 1/8 teaspoon will culture 2 quarts of milk

Contains: Streptococcus thermophilus, Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. Bulgaricus, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Bifidobacterium longum, Bifidobacterium infantis

This is the smoothest, richest taste we have ever found and one of the healthiest yogurts for you. This culture will also work with skim milk to give a low-fat, low cholesterol yogurt. This package contains enough to make 16 gallons using 1/8 teaspoon per 2 gallons of milk. Each batch may be re-cultured up to 10 generations before flavor becomes overly tart. Bulk package contains 48 x 1/8 teaspoon doses. See: How To Use Yogurt Culture for detailed instructions.

Each packet will culture 1 gallon of cow, goat or soy milk.

Contains: L. cremoris, L. plantarum, L. lactis, S. cremoris, S. diacelilactis, saccharomyces kefir, skim milk powder, ascorbic acid

Kefir has been called the champagne of dairy products. Our kefir produces a rich, creamy drink with a bubbly effervescence. The cultures used to make kefir are unique in that they are a combination of lactic acid bacteria and yeasts, producing both lactic acid and small amounts of alcohol at the same time. This culture can be used with cow, soy or goat milk. You may use skim, reduced fat or whole milk. It may be re-cultured. This Kefir culture is a combination of beneficial yeast and bacteria that are isolated from kefir grains and cultured to produce the shelf-stable freeze-dried product.

To Make Kefir

Heat 1 gallon of pasteurized milk to 86 F. Remove from heat. Sprinkle contents of 1 packet of Kefir starter over milk surface and allow to rehydrate for 2 to 3 minutes before stirring it in thoroughly. Cover pot and allow to set at room temperature for 12 to 24 hrs. or until thickened to desired consistency. Store refrigerated for up to 2 weeks. If you want to prepare less than 1 gallon of Kefir, each packet measures approximately 2 teaspoons. Gently shake packet before opening in order to distribute contents evenly. Measure out desired amount (1/2 teaspoon per quart of milk), fold up packet and place back in an airtight container for freezer storage.

Suggested Uses for Kefir

Sweeten with honey or maple syrup to produce a refreshing and nutritious dairy treat.

Mix kefir in a blender with frozen fruit to make a kefir smoothie.

Use kefir as a substitute in baked goods that call for buttermilk.

Make a healthy salad dressing by combining 2 cups mayonnaise, 2 cups kefir, your favorite chopped herbs, 1/2 teaspoon onion powder, 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder and salt and pepper to taste.

Kefir may be re-cultured but the number of times will vary. Since there are many yeast and bacteria involved, one or more of them may dominate when reculturing depending on time, temperature and milk used. Try reculturing as many times as you can as long as it continues to give you good results. Start a new packet when flavor begins to deteriorate.

makes eight cups of yogurt at once

Measures 6 by 11-1/2 by 4-1/2 inches. 110v UL Approved

Yogurt culture is not included. Make homemade yogurt with no artificial additives or preservatives with the Donvier™ electronic yogurt maker. This remarkable machine is temperature controlled to make the best yogurt you have ever tasted. Using only milk and a starter, create fresh, natural yogurt at a fraction of the cost of commercial brands. This unit makes eight individual cups of great-tasting homemade yogurt at once allowing you to create up to 8 different flavors at a time. Features: Digital LCD display with electric timer; 5 and 10 minute warning beeps; auto shut-off, thermometer stirrer, 8 jars with lids, unit cover; 1-year limited warranty; and user manual with recipes included.