Thick Yogurt | How To Make Yogurt Thicker? - Cultures For Health (2024)

While mastering the art of making yogurt cultures can be a rewarding process, you might be wondering, 'why is my yogurt watery?' You may want to enhance the texture of your homemade yogurt by making it thicker.

We want to help you make delicious and healthy yogurt perfect for your needs. Download our Yogurt Guide and Recipe book, which offers simple fixes for runny yogurt, so you can have the ideal snack every time.

Jump to a Section:

• When to Thicken Yogurt
• Methods for Thickening Yogurt
• What Not to Do

KNOWING WHEN TO THICKEN YOGURT

USING RE-USABLE STARTER CULTURES

If you're making yogurt using anheirloom starter culturethat requires activation, it's not uncommon for theactivation batchto be somewhatliquidy and thin.

This is perfectly normal as the bacteria in the freeze-dried cultures are just waking up and getting active during the first batch. While you may be tempted to grab a thickener, remember that even if the milk is runny, it's still cultured and can be used to culture future batches.

It's during these next few batches that thetexture and consistency should even out. If you'd still prefer a thicker yogurt after a few batches, then consider using one of the methods below to thicken your yogurt.

Keep in mind that thickening agents can sometimesinterfere with re-culturing,so keep some extra starter yogurt on hand if you plan to experiment with different thickeners.

USING A VEGAN YOGURT STARTER CULTURE

On the other hand, if you are making yogurt using aVegan Yogurt Starter Culture, which is a direct-set (or single-use) culture, you'll want to add athickening agentto help it set. Several of the thickening agents belowneed to be added to milk before heating and culturing, so be sure to pick out a thickener before getting started. TheVegan Yogurt Starter Kitcomes with a thickening agent to help you get the perfect texture.

2. BOOSTING THE FAT CONTENT

The fat in yogurt is part of what makes it thick, so usingwhole milkwill result in athicker yogurtthan skim milk.

You can alsoadd creamto the milk or use itin place of milk to increase the fat content.Heavy cream is too low in lactoseto sustain an heirloom culture long-term, so be sure torefreshthe starter inwhole or 2% milk after 2-4 batchesif you decide to use this.

3. HEATING THE MILK LONGER

When preparing the milk, heat it to160º-180°F, and maintain the temperature for20 to 30 minutes.Thencoolto culturing temperature.

(If milk is accidentally heated to over 180°F, simply let it cool back to 180°F before maintaining the temperature.)

Heating the milk denatures the proteins, allowing them to form astronger networkwhen exposed to acid (like lactic acid produced by the bacteria in yogurt cultures). Thus, ahigher temperature, held for alonger time, will give you afirmer yogurt.

It's important toheat the milk slowlyto make a creamy yogurt. Heating the milk too quickly willcreate a grainy texture.

By doing so, you allow the proteins in the milk to denature, which in turn forms a stronger network when exposed to acid. This way, you can master how to make yogurt thicker.

4. STRAINING THE YOGURT

OurGreek Yogurt Maker, acotton bagor tight-weave cloth,or a piece ofbutter muslinare all effective tools to use fordraining whey from yogurt. Doing soremoves some of the water, leaving the fats and proteins behind. Thelongeryou drain whey, thethickeryour yogurt will become. (Don't toss that whey either - there are lots ofways to use whey!)

5. ADDING THICKENERS!

This is a process that is most successful withdirect-set cultures, or whenmaintaining a separate mother culture, since the thickeners may interfere with re-culturing. Yogurt usually will not thicken until cooled,especially non-dairy yogurt. In some cases, thickening cantakeup to 24 hours. Even if the yogurt is thin, it is still a cultured food and may be consumed (it's great for whipping upsmoothies!)

DIFFERENT YOGURT THICKENERS & HOW TO USE THEM

Powdered milk solids generally come in cow,goat, and soy varieties.

When to Add: Add to milk before heating and culturing.

Instructions:For every3-4 cups of fresh cow milkuse½-1 cup powdered milk.If using fresh goat milk or soy milkadd ¼-½ cup powdered milk.

Pros:Does not require additional heating or additives. Does not introduce other ingredients.

Cons:Powdered milk is processed, which you may be choosing toavoid. This thickener is not suitable for raw yogurt.

When to Add: Add to milk before heating and culturing.

Instructions:For every3-4 cups of milk,sprinkle1 tablespoonof gelatininto 1 cup of cold milk.Gelatin must beheated to at least 95⁰F to activate. Mix well to combine.For yogurts cultured at room temperature, be sure to allow the milk tocool to the culturing temperaturebefore adding starter culture.

Pros: Can achieve very thick, commercial-style texture. Neutral taste. Suitable for raw milk yogurt as it doesn’t need to be heated beyond the raw threshold.

Cons: Not suitable for vegetarians or vegans.

When to Add: Prepare thickener inmilk before heating and culturing.

Instructions:When making1 quartof yogurt, pour2 cups of milkinto a blender. Add1-2 teaspoons pectin(depending on the type of pectin), and blend until pectin is incorporated.Addto the rest of the milk andheat to 140⁰F.Coolto culturing temperature andadd culture.

Keep in Mind:The quantity of pectin may need adjusting depending on the milk or pectin used.Sugar-activated pectin may require additional sugar in the milk to be effective.Calcium-activated pectinuses the calcium in the milk to set up. When using non-dairy milks, add the amount of calcium water specified by the recipe.

Pros:Best choice for vegan yogurts. Consistent results. Gives texture similar to gelatin and can be very thick.

Cons:Pomona’s is not available in all grocery stores (but you canfind it hereor in theVegan Yogurt Starter Kit). Not suitable for those with a citrus allergy. Standard (sugar-set) pectin has a large impact on the flavor of the yogurt and requires large amounts of sugar. Not suitable for making raw yogurt.

When to Add: Add to milk before heating and culturing.

Instructions:For every3-4 cups of milk, dissolve½ teaspoon powdered agarinto the milk.Heatto190⁰Fand hold for10 minutes.Coolto culturing temperature andadd culture.

Pros:Low allergen and good vegan option.

Cons:Texture may be inconsistent. Requires longer heating period to work properly. Not suitable for making raw yogurt.

When to Add:Add to milk before culturingor to yogurt after it's cultured.

Instructions:For every3-4 cups of milk, add1 teaspoon guar gumto cold milk before heating and culturing. (You can also add it to milk after heating, but milk should be cooled first.) Or, add1 teaspoon guar gumper3-4 cupsof cultured yogurt.

Pros: Can be added after the yogurt is cultured. Does not require heating to work, so it is suitable for making raw yogurt.

Cons:Texture is not as smoothas other methods. Requires thorough blending to avoid lumps.

When to Add: Add to milk before heating and culturing.

Instructions:For3-4 cups of milk, dissolve2 tablespoons of tapioca starchinto the milk andheatto140⁰F.Coolto culturing temperature andadd culture.

Pros: Easier to find than some products. Good option for vegans.

Cons:Can be very inconsistent. If overheated, it will fail, but it must reach at least 140⁰Fto work.

When to Add: Add to milk before heating and culturing.

Instructions:For3-4 cupsofnon-dairy milk, dissolve1½-2 tablespoons of arrowroot starchinto the milk andheatto140⁰F.Coolto culturing temperature andadd culture.

Pros:Good option for non-dairy milks.

Cons:Not recommended for use with dairy milks.

When to Add: Add to cooled milk afterheating milk and before culturing.

While regular corn starch can be used, it is not particularly stable and can yield an odd consistency.

Instructions:For3-4 cupsmilk, add¼ cup Ultra-gelto the milkafteris has beenheatedandcooled.Mixwell to combine.

Pros:Does not appear to require heat to work. Easy to find. Gives consistent results.

Cons:Highly processed.

HOW NOT TO THICKEN YOGURT

It may be tempting to add more cultures to the yogurt in an attempt to increase the probiotic content, but this israrely successful.

Yogurt cultures arecarefully balancedso that the strains work together to give a particular result in terms of taste and consistency. Adding additional strains can weaken or even kill off the yogurt cultures, and may even produce something that is harmful to eat.

So, when working with yogurt starter cultures, try one of the methods above to thicken your homemade yogurt to your liking.

START MAKING HOMEMADE YOGURT WITH CULTURES FOR HEALTH

Culturing your own yogurt is an amazing way to make amazing yogurt at home without all of the unnatural ingredients so many companies use in pre-made yogurts. Everyone loves yogurt fresh from culturing but sometimes storing it correctly and making sure it keeps its consistency can be a struggle. Luckily - we just went through exactly how to thicken yogurt and how not to thicken the yogurt.

With all that in mind, I think it's time you get back tomaking your own yogurt. If you haven't started, now is a perfect time and Cultures for Health is here to help!

We take all of the guesswork out of fermentation with our amazingall-in-one fermentation kitsthat include everything you need to make your own food at home.

Are you a veteran of the fermentation game? Well, we've got you covered too with ouramazing yogurt starter packsand awide array of toolsfor you to add to your fermentation kitchen.

Click here to check out our Vegan Yogurt Starter kit and get to making your own homemade yogurt now!

Are you looking for a delicious and healthy snack that is easy to make? Download our Yogurt Guide and Recipe Book today to get started!

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