Thermomix Yoghurt

Miss Bethany just loves yoghurt- Gippsland Thick and Creamy Vanilla to be exact. It is the most amazing yoghurt, but at almost $6 a 750g tub it is one of the more expensive yoghurts to buy. And when we can easily eat 4 or 5 tubs a week, the cost quickly adds up.

So I took my hand to making yoghurt in the Thermomix. The first attempt was a complete failure- a runny, stringy mess. I did some more research and realised that yoghurt making is a pretty precise art.

So with some extra tips in hand, I have since made 2 successful batches of Thermomix yoghurt. The first one was more like plain natural yoghurt, and the most recent is much more like the Gippsland yoghurt we inhale.

Thermomix Yoghurt

1000g full cream milk (I use the unhomogenised organic milk)

100g raw organic sugar (optional)

120g good quality yoghurt (or yoghurt you made previously)

1. Heat milk and sugar in Thermomix for 20 minutes at 80degrees, speed 2-3.

2. Place in fridge with a candy thermometer, and monitor until temperature is 37degrees.

3. Return to Thermomix, add yoghurt and cook for 20 minutes at 37degrees, speed 2-3.

4. Place in steralised Thermoserver, wrap in tea towel and allow to sit/set for at least 8 hours.  Overnight is best. You can place it in a esky with hot water bottles or any other insultated container.

5. Place in fridge for at least 4 hours before serving.

Tips- adding sugar with the milk gives a sweeter yoghurt. You can leave it out though.

- you could also add vanilla to the milk at step 1

- using a thermometer is vital to ensuring the milk is the correct temperature, otherwise when you add the yoghurt the heat will kill the very cultures you need to set your yoghurt.

- steralise the Thermoserver by rinsing in boiling water just before the yoghurt has finished cooking.

- I have found the yoghurt stays best set when not disturbed so leave in the Thermoserver in the fridge if you can. You could also set it in smaller steralised glass jars.