I usually make my own yogurt at home. Some times I do buy it from the store and my favorite brands are Mountain High whole milk and the yogurt available in Indian stores. But, if you try to use these store brand yogurt as a live culture to start your yogurt, you end up in a slimy stringy mess. I always keep some my own home made yogurt as a starter.
The traditional method includes boiling or scalding milk, let it coll a little and then add the live cultures and wait for the yogurt to set. Many Indian house holds do not use any thermometer to measure temperature of the liquid. Most of his feel the vessel with hand and know by experience when to add the cultures.
Almost a year ago i learned about the cold start yogurt in Instant pot. I have made it several times, especially if I am making yogurt for a large party. It comes out so well all the time. I have wanted to share this recipe with all of you and now is the time.
The cold start method does not need boiling milk. One can use the ultra filtered milk which has been boiled before. The brand that is readily available in the US markets is called Fairlife milk. Since it is ultra filtered, it has less sugar and provides almost 13 gms of protein per serving and did I say, so yummy too. They have a whole milk and 2% version available in most super markets here.
I tried 2 methods of making yogurt in the instant pot with fairlife milk. I am sharing both results with you. The end product is a thick creamy yogurt with no sliminess in it , not one bit.
Method one :
- 250 ml Fairlife 2% milk ( right from the container, no boiling)
- 1 tbsp homemade yogurt starter
How I did it
- In the instant pot insert, add the milk, started yogurt
- Mix well
- Turn on your instant pot, press Yogurt and set to 9 hrs
- Cover the IP with the sealing ring, and the weight towards sealing
- The timer will start counting up
- Open IP after 9 hrs, your yogurt is ready.
- If you want a little sourness to the yogurt, increase the time to 10 hrs.
- You can see the yogurt is set well as the spoon inserted in it stays upright.
Method 2
250 ml Fairlife 2% milk
1 tbsp Fage 2% plain greek yogurt
- In the instant pot insert add 1 cup of water
- In another container, either mason jar, stainless steel or pyrex container add 250 ml milk
- Add the Fage yogurt to the milk, mix well
- Place the milk contained inside the water filled IP insert
- Turn on your instant pot, press Yogurt and set to 9 hrs
- Cover the IP with the sealing ring, and the weight towards sealing
- The timer will start counting up
- Open IP after 9 hrs, your yogurt is ready.
- If you want a little sourness to the yogurt, increase the time to 10 hrs.
Both methods gave me a very thick creamy yogurt.
If your IP is larger, you can keep several small containers inside the IP insert. I have a 3 qt and I used that.
Enjoy this fresh home made yogurt any time as is plain or with rice, rotis or in smoothies.
Try this and you will be pleasantly surprised with the results.
