To make no-fail yogurt in Instant Pot, or your favorite yogurt maker in just three steps, sanitation, inoculation and incubation. None of these steps can be skipped!
You can use any kind of milk you like, I prefer to use whole cow’s milk. See my tips at the bottom of this page for getting extra-thick yogurt!
Step 1: Sanitation
Ensure that all of the equipment, containers and utensils to be used in the yogurt-making process are carefully cleaned. This ensures that no other bacteria compete with the yogurt starter during the incubation.
If you’re making the yogurt directly in Instant Pot’s stainless steel container, sanitize the cooker by running Instant Pot on the pressure steam program for one minute with 1 1/2 cups of water. Set the valve on the lid to “Sealing” push the [steam] button and then the [-] button until you get down to one minute. When the program is finished, release the pressure and then pour out the water. Then, scald the milk by pushing [yogurt] button and [adjust] until the screen says “Boil” for the DUO model; for the DUO Plus, push the [yogurt] button, until the screen says “Boil” (there is no adjust button); and, for the ULTRA choose the [yogurt] program, and then select the recommended Temperature under “more” (181°F).
For all models, let Instant Pot bring the milk to a boil until the screen says “Yogt”.
If you’re going to make yogurt in little jars, anyway, you can sanitize the jars and scald the milk at the same time (as shown in the video). Add a cup of water and the steamer basket into Instant Pot. Pour the milk in the jars and place the jars in the cooker. Set the valve on the lid to “Sealing” push the [steam] button and then the [-] button until you get down to one minute. When the program is finished push [cancel] to turn off the instant pot and let it cool down naturally.
For both milk that has been scalded in the pot or little jars, wait until the yogurt cools down to at least 115°F/46°C before proceeding to the next step. That can take anywhere from 20 minutes to an hour (make sure to take the temperature with a clean thermometer). If you don’t have a thermometer handy, you’ll want to wait until the jars are cool enough to handle.
Step 2: Inoculation
To the scalded milk, add the yogurt inoculate according to package instructions or, use a high-quality plain yogurt with live active cultures. Once you get going, you can use the yogurt from a previous batch to make the next- as long as it’s under two weeks old. Measurements do not need to be exact, but you’ll want to aim for about one teaspoon per cup (250ml) of milk.
Mix the inoculate or yogurt into the milk until it dissolves completely (as shown in the video).
Step 3: Incubation
Close the lid with the pressure valve in any position or place the freshly cleaned glass lid to run the yogurt program by pressing [Yogurt] for the DUO model; for the DUO Plus, push the [yogurt] button, until the screen says “08:00”; and, for the ULTRA choose the [yogurt] program, and then select the recommended Temperature under “med” (107°F).
For all models, the default time is 8 hours, and I’ve had great results with this time but you can adjust the time by pressing the [+] or [-] buttons to get different effects.
Longer time will produce a more tart yogurt. Most yogurt strains will begin to solidify after bout 6 hours – for less tart results check to see if the milk has already solidified after this time.
When the program is finished the letters “Yogt” will appear in the display.
Storage
Top the jars with clean lids, or pour the contents of the inner pot into a clean container, and refrigerate for up to two weeks.
Extra-thick Greek-Style Yogurt
There are three ways to make a thicker yogurt.
- Nonfat Milk Powder – add 1/2 teaspoon of milk powder per cup of milk at the beginning of the process.
- Boil Milk a little longer – during the scalding process, boil the milk for an extra 10 minutes. When scalding milk directly in the stainless steel insert, simply run the scalding program (Boil) one or two extra times depending on the thickness desired.
- Strain the Yogurt – after the yogurt making process is complete. Pour the yogurt into a cloth-lined fine strainer that is positioned over a bowl. Place the whole set-up in the refrigerator for 4-6 hours depending on the desired thickness.
See Also:
Great video…thanks! Have you tried making yogurt with 0% skim milk in the Instant Pot? If so, how did it turn out? I love yogurt but always get the fat-free kind at the store.
No, I haven’t tried it. During my research I read that it CAN be done, the yogurt will not thicken-up as nicely as the store-bought kind because in the stores the add gelatin or other thickners. You can make any yogurt in the Instant Pot that you can make in any yogurt maker (the temperature and timing features are the same).
I found this great tutorial for non-fat yogurts. They recommend both using milk powder and straining.
Ciao,
L
Very thin and wet even after adding a thickener and straining. I used it for Smoothies so it was fine for me. Did 2 percent and very thick also strained it but did leave some whey for added moisture for the Smoothie. Pic isbusing 2 percent
Now I’m making a new batch of yogurt. Made a couple mistakes, but I hope it turns out OK…Forgot to put the control on sealing instead of venting, and didn’t realize it for about 10 minutes, then when the steaming was complete (I am doing the yogurt right in the jars) I forgot to turn off the pressure cooker when it was finished steaming. I have some questions though. There is a skin on the top of the milk.Do I discard it? And what about the water left over from steaming? Should I leave it in the pot or dump it before going on to phase 2?
Sherry, if you forget to turn off the pressure cooker when it’s finished steaming, that’s OK. Instant Pot will automatically go into keep-warm to ensure the milk does not go bad. What you don’t want to do is release pressure quickly – because that will boil the milk right out of the jars, and the steaming water right into them.
You can discard the skin, if you want a super-smooth yogurt or I just stir it back in when I add the yogurt inoculate. It’s up to you.
You can leave water from the steaming step in the Instant Pot – it’s now sanitized, too!
Ciao,
L
That will not affect the yogurt. Incubating longer will make it thicker and more tart. Which I like.
Hi. I followed the instructions to make this recipe yesterday but my yogurt is very runny. What did I do wrong? I used 2 cups of whole milk (grade A, pasteurized, homogenized) and 2 tsp of Fage all natural nonfat Greek strained yogurt (grade A pasteurized skim milk, live active yogurt cultures) I made it right in the pot. Set for 8 hrs and then transferred it in the fridge; covered overnight.
There are a couple of things that could have gone wrong. The first is if you skipped the sanitation step. My first few yogurts were runny because I tried to cut corners by using freshly dish-washed jars, and a hand-washed Instant Pot base and lid with pasteurized milk.
The second “problem” could be if you used fat-free milk. This is not necessarily a problem, you’ll just have to follow the steps to thicken the yogurt at the end of the article.
Lastly, I see you used a non-fat yogurt as a starter. Most non-fat yogurts use some kind of gelatin to thicken them but I did not see it listed in the ingredient list for your yogurt the FAGE website (though if it is below a certain amount they don’t have to list it). I would go with a different brand (and get whole milk NOT Greek-style this time) to see how that goes.
Splurge on the most organic, premium starter you can find. I’m in Italy so I use a starter from yogurt made in the Italian alps from cows that graze near the Austrian border. It’s an expensive little tub but I know that I can get at least one batch of 12 small jars and keep it going through new generations for at least a month and a half. After that – even with careful sanitation the yogurt that started from the yogurt that started from the yogurt starts to give up (the yogurt will be almost slimy) so when that happens it’s time to bring home another little tub of premium yogurt to use as starter. But at least I got 72 little jars out of it -if not more.
Whatever you make, will not initially be the same as the “greek yogurt” starter because even greek yogurt started out originally as somewhat runny, too, but it was either strained or has had non-fat milk powder added (which does not have to be listed in the ingredient listing) to make it thicker.
I hope this helps!
Ciao,
L
I use FAGE nonfat or 2% yogurt as a starter with skim milk successfully. It’s an excellent product and is rated highly in reviews. Whole milk yogurt will be somewhat thicker than one made with skim milk, but I drain mine for a thicker product.
Try straining through cheese cloth for a few hours. Makes a Hugh difference.
Beth I made the same but strained. I forgot to mention I pasteurized it (boil) for 2 1/2 cycles prior to cooking and adding starter.
Do you know if it’s possible to make non-dairy yogurts in this? Or does one have to use animal milk to make it work? Thanks!
I do not have personal experience making non-diary yogurt but I’ve read that it can be done with soy milk, coconut milk, almond milk. The process is the same, using yogurt starter. You need an incubator to grow the yogurt-making bacteria and that incubator can be a yogurt-maker OR Instant Pot’s Yogurt function.
Here is an article that describes the process:
http://www.culturesforhealth.com/make-coconut-milk-yogurt-recipe
Ciao,
L
Thanks Laura. After I posted on FB I saw your comments that questions might do better here in the forums so I posted again! I’m happy to report that the second batch of yogurt came out very well. I was afraid that not turning off the pot would adversely affect the milk. Then I read that heating it longer might help it thicken, which was good, because in addition to the other mistakes, I also let the yogurt cool below 110 before adding the starter. Anyway, after 8 hours my yogurt was the right consistency. The taste is milder, less tangy, than the first batch – I also read that adding the starter in at lower temps produces less tang, apparently that is true. Last batch I sweetened the yogurt, once with honey and once with stevia; this time all I did was add pomegranate seeds. I did pour the liquid out of the IP before starting the incubation period. The first time I did not, and I had liquid floating on the top of the yogurt (which I just poured off). This time there was nothing floating on top. Have a good week, and happy cooking!
Great news.
Yes, you can add the yogurt to the milk at any temperature BELOW 115F – you don’t want to go above, or you’ll cook and kill the beneficial bacteria that’s going to make yogurt!
It’ll get really easy once you get the hang of it!
Ciao,
L
I made my first batch yesterday in my Instant Pot! Love it! I used organic whole milk and organic whole yogurt. I made 2 two cup jars. One jar I added some powdered milk. That jar came out creamy and delightful! The other jar had a lot of liquid in it. I may just need to strain it! I’m having fun coming up with my ideal recipe. Thank you so much for your website! I’m having so much fun with my new Instant Pot!
Is it possible to make yogurt in the older Instant Pot models? I have model IP lux60 and it does not have a yogurt preset.
No, unfortunately you cannot make yogurt in the LUX. The lowest-temperature program, the keep warm setting, is too hot to make yogurt.
Ciao,
L
Thanks so much for this video and instructions. I have a question – I’m planning to try making some yogurt directly in the cooker and then strain it to get more of a Greek Yogurt texture, and then transfer to some smaller glass containers. Should I also sanitize the glass containers I plan to put the yogurt in at the end, or does the sanitizating only matter for the container the yogurt incubates in?
The jars should be clean (fresh from the dishwasher) but your yogurt will have already formed so you don’t need to sanitize them in the pressure cooker! But, if it makes you feel better, you can absolutely do that step AFTER making the yogurt. While the yogurt is straining and getting thick Instant Pot will be free and you can bring the jars and lids to pressure for one minute and then release pressure through the valve (when the jars are full of milk, like in the video you want do the natural release so milk doesn’t spray everywhere). Then, let the jars cool a bit before pouring in the yogurt so you can put everything right back in the refrigerator.
Ciao,
L
Hi Laura,
I have been happily pressure cooking and following your ground-breaking website for a couple of years now. Occasionally I would bemoan the fact that I really could use a second cooker, but an electric one never came to mind.
Then, like you, I was seduced by the capability of the latest Instant Pot to make yogurt. Yogurt and….. is our standard dessert around here, so I ordered an Instant Pot. Thank you for negotiating the discount coupon.
I asked my sister, “Why am I doing this? Long after its electronics have died, my Fagor will still be going strong.” Her reply, “Because you can walk away from it,” is SO true. I am a real convert although I certainly continue to use my stove-top Fagor too.
This week I bought a very deeply discounted 4 litre jug of organic milk that was approaching its “best before” date. I made a large batch of yogurt and wondered what to do with the rest. Having read many times how easy it is to make your own ricotta, I thought I’d give it a try. The online recipes I looked at gave quite a range of pasteurization temperatures; I decided, since the Instant Pot’ is programmed to 185°F, that is what I would use.
I poured the remainder of my milk into the stainless steel liner (it came to the 8 C mark), locked on the lid, pressed “Yogurt”, then “Adjust” which took me to the “more” setting. (First step in making yogurt). It took quite a while to gently heat my milk to the required temperature, but I did other things while waiting. When the pot beeped and the readout said “boil”, I removed the lid, quickly stirred in 1/3 C lemon juice and set my timer for twenty minutes.
At the end of the time, I was able to skim off big clumps of coagulated cheese with a slotted spoon. I put them into a sieve lined with a big round coffee filter to drain.
I used some of the cheese as a topping for for our lunch salad. It was pretty bland “as is” (I had used 2% b.f. milk) but with the addition of salt, fresh herbs and finely sliced green onion it was delicious.
There will be some who say, “That is not real ricotta,” but it works for me and soooo simple with the Instant Pot. I think the rest of the ricotta will go into your Limoncello Ricotta Cheesecake.
Please keep on challenging us to try new things.
Meg
Thank you so much Meg for posting about making ricotta. I’ve struggled with it on the stove and to make it in the instant pot would be so helpful! Thanks!
I am making yogurt for the first time in my Instant Pot, and I have a question. I have been making yogurt once a week for a long time (using a different method), and I always put the lids on the jars when I make the yogurt. I notice you don’t add the lids until the yogurt is done. Is there a reason for this? I was thinking that adding the lids would reduce the chance of water getting into the yogurt from the lid of the cooker. I am excited to try a new yogurt making technique. Thank you for your help.
We’ve started to put lids on from the beginning of the process b/c it keeps the film from forming at the top. Not screwed on lids, just the canning lids without the ring :)
I have the same question as Erica. The first time I made yogurt in my IP I used the clear lid. I followed your directions exactly. But I noticed that a lot of condensation formed on the inside of the lid and dripped into the yogurt. Question 1: should I NOT keep the water in the IP during the incubation phase? Question 2: should I cover the jars so water does not drip into them?
1. Yes, you should still have water in the pressure cooker during the incubation.
2. See my response, below.
Ciao!
L
Erica and Tampis, I cannot find an official word on the technical reason to leaving the lids off, but I’ll make an educated guess that it has to do with the yogurt growing a bit in size while it’s incubating and needing the extra room. Every yogurt maker mentions leaving the lids off.
Personally, I can’t see anything wrong with lightly laying the lids on top, without screwing them on. You will find, however, that the lids of the jars will also have some condensation underneath them from the milk steam.
To prevent condensation from the glass, or pressure cooking, lid remove the lid slowly and then only flip it over when it is not over the cooker.
Ciao,
L
Hi yogurt lovers,
I too have been making yogurt at least once a week since getting the Instant Pot.
I use a hybrid technique. “Boil” the milk right in the stainless steel insert, then when it is done, pour it into a 1.65 litre (7 cup) Pyrex bowl that fits the trivet that came with the I/P perfectly.
Over a cup of water, incubate the yogurt – no lid on the bowl, pressure lid on the I/P, just because “on” is the best place to keep it. When incubation is finished, I lift the bowl out, blot it by laying a sheet of paper towel on top, then snap on its plastic lid and refrigerate.
I do it this way because I have limited refrigerator space; the bowl takes up much less room than 6 or 7 jars would. The yogurt does weep as I use it, but then so does the good commercial stuff.
Laura, I’m going to try to add a photo here.
I know this is an old post but I am wanting to use this method and maybe someone could answer my question…
Do I have to sanitize the bowl that I am going to be pouring the mixture into?
If you’re going to make the yogurt directly in the stainless steel pot, you can bring the cooker up to pressure with 2 cups of water for a minute before starting to sanitize both the pot and lid. Then you can empty-out the pot and wipe with a clean towel and begin the yogurt-making process.
Ciao,
L
M. Kelsey, can you share your recipe for making yogurt in the I/P? I made my yogurt in the cute 6 oz jars (5 at a time) but as you said it takes up a lot of space in my fridge!
Specifics on how I make yogurt:
Fill a big measuring cup to the 6 C mark with organic milk ( 3.25% b.f)
Add 1/4 cup non-instant powdered milk from the health food store and mix well. The non-instant powder may be reluctant to mix – keep at it with a small whisk.
Dump the milk mixture into the stainless steel liner of the I/P, add your choice of pot lid (I use the pressure lid). Hit the “Yogurt” button followed by the adjust button. The display should flash ‘boil”. The milk will actually be heated to 185′ F.
When the pot beeps ten times to signal that it has completed this step, remove the s/s liner and pour the milk mixture into a large glass container that will fit inside the stainless liner of the I/P.
Now go away and do something else while the milk mixture cools to 115′ or below. Below is OK because the I/P will bring it back to ideal incubation temperature. Above 115’ and you begin to kill the culture.
I’d love an instant read thermometer but so far have just tested on the inside of my wrist the way you would a baby’s bath water.
When the milk has cooled sufficiently, put about 1/4 cup (generous) good quality unflavoured yogurt (perhaps left from your last batch) into a cup, stir in some of the warm milk to make it more liquid, then pour the works back into the milk and stir to distribute.
While the milk is cooling, you should have washed out the stainless liner and put 1 C water into it.
Lower your glass container onto the supplied trivet (or trivet or your choice) in the bottom of the s/s liner, close the lid and press “Yogurt”. Use the “-” sign to adjust the time. Time adjusts in 30 minute intervals. I have been using 6:30 i.e. six hours, thirty minutes. The display counts up from 0:00.
When your yogurt made from starter from the last batch gets too tart, buy a small quantity of good quality yogurt with LIVE culture (read the label) and use it to make the next batch.
So far I have been renewing my culture about once a month, but I do wait for a sale.
When the yogurt is done – the pot will beep ten times and say “Yog’t” – remove the container from the I/P, blot any condensation from the top with a paper towel, cover and refrigerate. The yogurt will get firmer as it cools.
Thank you for your recipe :))
I was surprised how yummy home-made yogurt is. I can’t get enough of it now.
Thanks for the great video. My kids are obsessed with yogurt, so now I can make it better, cheaper, and with less packaging! Unfortunately my Instant Pot has retained odors from strongly spiced savory dishes I’ve made in it. So my first batch tastes a bit like the odors it has retained. So disappointing! I used the pressure lid, so I could switch to the glass lid to see if it helps, but the odor seems to be in the body of the unit also. I hope there is something that can be done! Do you have any suggestions?
Clean stainless steel does not retain odors so make sure that the inner bowl and pressure lid are very clean -going as far as removing the valve cover and valve and giving them a good sud and rinse with a de-greasing dish washing detergent (I prefer un-scented baking-powder based ones).
The silicone/rubber gaskets are usually the biggest offenders in retaining odor and this can be minimized by soaking in a 50/50 vinegar hot water solution overnight. The best way to do this is to jam the gasket in a medium-sized jar and then fill it half-way with vinegar and half-way with boiling water before you go to bed. In the morning give it a good rinse and put back on the Instant Pot lid.
Ciao,
L
The yogurt with the smell and taste from things I made happened to me as well. I did the vinegar soak for my gasket, and it helped some, but there was still some odor that got into my yogurt. I decided to just use my instant pot as a pressure cooker, and keep making yogurt the way I’ve been making it for years.
I also found the 1 minute steam to heat the milk did not work well at all. It heated my milk to over 200 degrees which is way too hot for making yogurt, and results in a very grainy watery yogurt. When I heated the milk with the yogurt program it worked much better aside from the food odors that it gave the yogurt.
How about ordering a new rubber gasket and use the new one only for yogurt-making? Maybe that’ll work!
That’s what I was thinking of doing. Does the gasket for the DUO60 fit the SMART too? I don’t see one listed on the Instant Pot site for the SMART model.
Good question, the LUX, DUO & SMART all use the same gasket.
Ciao,
L
That makes sense, thank you for confirming!
Regarding the comment about grainy yogurt resulting from steaming 1 minute and the milk getting to above 200 degrees…. I have found that the grainy yogurt results from stirring it to soon after incubation is over. I never stir, just pour off whey a bit at a time as I use it, and the yogurt stays very smooth. Also I use the whey I’ve collected to inoculate each batch and the yogurt comes out smooth, even though i do the full minute steam (probably could just set steam setting to 0 minutes though)
I just started a batch of yogurt in the IP. I am making it directly in the SS pot. I sanitized the SS pot and poured my milk in, then pressed “yogt” and then “adjust” to go to “boil”. I put cover on pot and let it do its thing. When it was done (10 beeps) boiling it said “yogt”. When I opened the lid to let it cool down to 115 the milk did not seem very hot. I tested it with an instant read thermometer and it was only about 145 degrees. I had to keep repeating the boil cycle a few times and it did not reach up to 183 degrees until I did that “boil” cycle with the cover off. Is this normal???
Gus, I’m sorry for such a late reply! I just sent an e-mail to Instant Pot asking them to come and answer you here – because I’d like to know the answer, too!
Ciao,
L
I, too, had the same experience. I tested the temp of the milk after “scalding” it. It is never anywhere near 185. Often, just around 160. I went ahead and allowed the milk to cool to below 115 and added the starter yogurt. I usually cook it under “yogurt” for 5 1/2 to 6 hours to achieve a milder flavor,, but it is fairly thin. Last time, I decided to try and get it to 185 and hold it for 30 minutes. I tried to repeat the “boil” feature, but it kept beeping again after only a couple of minutes. The highest temp it got, after three attempts was 172. I then put it on Slow Cook, low, for 30 minutes, and proceeded to yogurt for 6 hours. It worked. This yogurt turned out thicker than any I have ever made. I use whole milk, 10 cups, whipping cream, 2 cups, and 1/4 cup Fage 2% greek yogurt, plain. I LOVE THIS TOY.
Rereading over the posts on this thread, I wanted to add a followup to my comment from October 2014. I have been making yogurt once a week since then and have learned a couple of things. I now rinse my pot with cold water after steam sanitizing it. This help to prevent my milk from sticking to the bottom of the pot when I proceed to “boil” it. I use the glass lid to boil and incubate, which I like best. I have stopped giving the milk a 30 minute slow cooker (mode) on low to bring the temp up higher. Now I just repeat the boil button a second time after the first, and it seems to work okay. I cool the milk to about 110-112, inoculate, and yogurt for 8 hours. I am also now using 12 cups of whole milk and 1 cup of cream, along with 1/4 cup of the Fage 2% plain yogurt.
Thanks for sharing your updated technique!
Ciao,
L
If the inner pot is 6 quarts (U.S.), how full can you make it for yogurt since it doesn’t come to a boil? I make large batches (6 quarts) in my slow cooker, which is full to the very top.
Rita, well the first step to making yogurt, does involve bringing the milk to a boil – so just to make sure it doesn’t spill out and over the sides of the Instant Pot onto the electric elements I would not go over the max line line inside the pot – which I believe is at 4.5 quarts.
Ciao,
L
Laura, regarding bringing milk to a “boil” for making yogurt and overflowing the inner pot of the Instant Pot:
Have you seen the University of Georgia’s National Center for Home Food Preservation’s article on Fermenting Yogurt at Home ( http://nchfp.uga.edu/publications/nchfp/factsheets/yogurt.html )? They are recognized as one of the leading authorities on home preservation in the U.S. It’s a very informative article and other yogurt-makers might enjoy reading it too.
If you’ll scroll down to the section on “PROCESSING,” step #2, you’ll read:
· “Heat milk to 200°F, stirring gently and (a) hold for 10 minutes for thinner yogurt or (b) hold 20 minutes for thicker yogurt. Do not boil.”
Step #1 explains how to pasteurize raw milk before making yogurt for those who are lucky enough to get it straight from the source (the cow).
In the TROUBLESHOOTING section:
· Overheating or boiling of the milk causes an off-flavor–Use a thermometer to carefully control temperature.
——————————————————-
In 40 years of yogurt-making, their method is pretty much the way I’ve successfully made good yogurt..
It’s too bad we can’t temp the milk in the sealed Instant Pot to check the actual temperature that the milk reaches (the website specifications suggest 180°F if I’m reading them right). Hmmm….I see that you were demonstrating the use of jars. Did you also try making the yogurt in the inner pot? If so, did you by any chance notice any signs on the sides of the inner pot that the milk had actually boiled, such as milk foam stuck to the sides _over_ the level of the yogurt?
Anyway, that’s the reason I was asking about the actual capacity of the stainless steel bowl, since I do not boil the milk and therefore it shouldn’t boil over. (I might not have phrased my question as well as I should have.) You are absolutely right about avoiding spills that might damage the electronics, so I might think about filling it to within 1 inch or so of the top.
Your review was so good and so thorough that I am thinking about buying one. The slow cooker method I’m currently using is easy and works well, but the new Instant Pot would save a step or two and would save me from having to monitor the milk’s temperature.
To make about 6 quarts of yogurt, three 2-quart yogurt makers would cost about $150 (and I believe I’d have to heat the milk separately) and the Instant Pot (with your nice coupon) would be $145 and would have a choice of functions. A no-brainer, as they say.
Rita
Rita!
I have “boiled” the milk directly in the pot using the program- and it does tend to foam, bubble and increase a bit in volume. I do that mainly when I want to evaporate and thicken the milk before-hand. For regular yogurt batches I’ve found a large and low (to fit in the refrigerator) 4-cup capacity jar and just boil the milk during the sanitation step- there’s a lot less to clean-up that way, too!
That’s a great calculation about the cost of yogurt makers vs. Instant Pot.
So… how long do 6 quarts of yogurt last you?!?! : )
Ciao,
L
:) Laura, there are 5 in the family; 3 adults and two 5- and 6-year old starving boys who are yogurt-eating machines. By the time I drain the yogurt to about 3 1/2 quarts and add fruit or bulky flavorings I usually get about 25 or so (6-oz) servings, which last about a week, occasionally 1 1/2 weeks.
I used to use a 6-quart double boiler to heat 6 quarts of milk to 200°F and hold it there for 20 minutes, cooled it, mixed in the starter, and poured it into three 8-cup/2-quart canning jars. I then placed the jars in the bottom pot of the double boiler, filled it partially with warm (110°F) water, and set the pot on a towel-covered heating pad (the kind used for sore backs) on low heat. I put the lid on the pot and wrapped the whole works with a large towel and incubated it for about 6 to 7 hours overnight, resulting in a very good yogurt in the morning, when I drained it, added fruit or whatever, and refrigerated it. Needless to say I did a couple of test runs using water instead of milk and an instant-read thermometer to monitor temperatures and determine a timing schedule for each step so I would know when to start heating the milk in order to finish incubating the yogurt by 7 a.m.
Then about 5 years ago I discovered that a slow cooker could do the job easier. I heat, cool, and incubate the yogurt to the same temperatures as above in a 6-quart slow cooker, wrap it with a towel overnight, and have great regular yogurt in the morning. MUCH easier! If I use the new Instant Pot, it would probably save me some more time. I can’t say I’ve ever sanitized the crock of my slow cooker or double boiler though, but of course I do wash it well with soap and hot water.
Hello! I just had a light bulb moment!!! All is now clear about “boiling” the milk as I questioned in my first post.
From the manual: “Instant Pot will then _BOIL_ the milk to _180° F/83°C_. When it’s done, it beeps and displays “yogt.” Well, milk does not boil at 180°F.
In this instance, the manual does mention the temperature; in others it does not when the word “boil” is used. The Instant Pot is made in China by a Canadian company. It seems that in translation, the Chinese (Canadian????) word in the manual, which says to “boil” the milk does not really mean what we here in the States would understand as a true boil (about 212°F), especially when the Instant Pot brings the milk temperature up to only 180°F.
The manual’s word to “boil” the milk should have been translated as _“heat”_ the milk. How simple. It took me a long time to figure that out! It might be a small point to some, but it answers a lot of questions regarding proper yogurt-making temperatures, especially when comparing them with the University of Georgia article I linked to above. And I will be less worried about my milk boiling over. My apologies for boring you folks, but I’m a detail-oriented person and just had to solve the puzzle.
Rita
I should have said “scald” instead of boil!
Whether you get the yogurt-making Instant Pot or not, you should look into reducing the milk before yogurt-making. I got a thicker and sweeter yogurt from doing that than straining and I don’t have to wash the muslin cloth by hand or have a bowl/strainer stack to take-up space in the refrigerator. : )
Ciao,
L
Laura, I hear you about not liking to clean the draining cloth and fussing with the colander and pot when draining yogurt. I agree. I drain mine at room temperature, not in the refrigerator — it only takes about an hour or so for 6 quarts of yogurt to drain sufficiently to make Greek-style yogurt. I’ve found that the yogurt drains faster when it is warm. I’ll send you a photo of my setup (I don’t know if I can upload it here).
I believe that the 20-minute hold (uncovered) at 200°F that UGA suggests is to reduce the milk a bit, similar to boiling the milk as you do, but keeping it just below the 212°F boil. The UGA’S higher recommended temperature than that which the Instant Pot uses (180°F) should allow for more evaporation too. Since you say your yogurt turns out a little sweeter by boiling it, I’ll have to try it your way. We prefer less-tart yogurt. You might also be starting with naturally sweeter milk than I can buy — a lot depends on the feed.
It looks as if we are doing the same thing with slightly different approaches. I can only imagine how many different ways yogurt is being made around the world, and without fancy appliances too! All to the same end. But aren’t appliances fun !
Rita
How do you make yogurt in electric pressure cooker that is not the Instant Pot DUO? Mine does not have a button for yogurt. It has High, Low pressure, browning, saute, keep warm settings. I have a Cuisinart. Could I have the settings, time and release method.
Thanks Cheryl
Cheryl,
You cannot make yogurt in a pressure cooker – unless it has a special low-temperature setting. I don’t believe your Cusinart’s keep warm setting is low enough – they are usually set to a temperature to keep bacteria from developing and when you make yogurt you want bacteria to develop.
However, you could probably do the pre-boiling step in your pressure cooker, as detailed above, and then use your turned-off pressure cooker in place of a thermos.
Here are three ways to make yogurt without a yogurt-maker:
http://www.thekitchn.com/crafty-solutions-3-ways-to-mak-125216
Ciao,
L
Laura,
During the pasteurization process (1 minute steaming of milk in glass jars) 3 of my jars have broken! 2 of the jars were Euro Cuisine yogurt jars that I got at Amazon. One was a Bormioli Rocco glass jar like the one in your video. Has this ever happened to you? Any ideas why this is happening?
Tampis, but are you putting the jars directly on the bottom of the inner pot? If so, there might be too much direct heat on the bottom of the jars. You might try putting several layers of folded paper towels under the jars, or a small, folded terrycloth towel. A silicone mat might also work. Laura will probably have better ideas.
Rita
Rita, I have been putting the jars on the steaming rack with 1 cup of water on the bottom, just like in Laura’s video. I followed the instructions exactly as in the IP manual. Steam, 1 minute, natural release. None broke the first few times I made yogurt. Then 1 broke the next time, and another after that.
Tampis, that is curious! I have not had any jars or bowls break on me in the pressure cooker, ever! I have two guesses on what could be the cause. It might be that the milk or jar are really, really cold and they got shocked OT, with time and use, small cracks or chips developed in the glass and the extra pressure exasperated the damage.
Ciao,
L
I’ve been making 4 liters of yogurt exactly as you describe though directly in the stainless steel liner. I steam clean the liner. I heat the milk (2% organic) to 180 degrees, use my Thermapen thermometer to check the temperature for 115 degrees and add the culture (from wonderful 2% Liberté yogurt – no gelatin or pectin). I have tried adding nonfat dried milk (both before heating and stirred in with the culture) and without the milk powder. I culture it for 8 hours and then strain the yogurt for several hours. No matter when I add the nonfat milk powder or whether I leave it out, I seem to get lumpy yogurt. When I pour it in the strainer it actually looks more like cottage cheese than yogurt. Mixing it with a whisk or spoon doesn’t seem to get it smooth. The last batch, I beat with my stick blender but that seems to thin it out. It’s fine if it is strained a lot, but I’m not sure why it’s lumpy at all especially because I have the same problem even if I just use milk and no milk powder. I haven’t been able to figure it out though I’ve searched on the Internet. I’ve now made full 4 liter batches at least eight times with the same issue. I thought perhaps you might have some suggestions.
Kkarin, I couldn’t find the info on your Liberte’ yogurt – the plain 2% keeps taking me to the rasberry 0% description. But, I suspect it’s not the yogurt.
When I first started making yogurt I was getting that too… you know what it was?!? Was cleaning the pressure cooker lid and insert with a water & vinegar mixture – even rinsed and wiped off the acid from the vinegar remained!! Can you try a batch in a container (even a breakfast bowl) preferably not washed with even vinegar “flavored” detergent and see how that goes?
Anyone else have guesses of what it could be to share with kkarin?
Ciao,
L
kkarin I had this problem too, and finally went back to my old way of making yogurt which always results in thick creamy yogurt (heat slowly on the stove to 180 then cool slowly to 115, add to jars, keep at 95 degrees for 8 hours). I think the problem is that the instant pot both heats too fast ( and too hot if you use the 1 minute method), and cultures too hot. If you search lumpy yogurt the reasons listed often include temperature being too hot. I have made yogurt with great success for a couple years, so I know the problem wasn’t my starter. I honestly don’t think the Instant Pot is a good yogurt maker (at least it wasn’t for me after trying it a couple times).
Erica,
I’ve never tried making yogurt with Instant Pot’s Ju Niang (fermented glutinous rice) setting but it does work at a much lower temperature- 30-34°C (86-93.2°F)- than the Yogurt setting- 36- 43°C (96.8 -109.4°F) according to specs. To get to it, click on the yogurt button, and then adjust to “less”. The screen will display “24:00” for 24 hours.
You could try that if you feel the yogurt setting is running too hot for the yogurt culture you’re using.
Ciao,
L