There is nothing better than creamy, smooth and more satisfying home made yogurt. As I get "more mature", my daughters are exposing me to their world of food.  I LOVE it!  I realize that the apples don't fall far from the tree!  I love it when they detect the nuances in taste and texture in their mouth and truly enjoy the eating experience.  My one daughter introduced me to this very high-end European yogurt.  It was silken smooth and deliciously creamy, but it cost a pretty penny.  I was introduced to making your own instant pot yogurt at a senior center cooking workshop.  The South East Asian workshop was actually making Chinese corn soup...go figure, and they did it in an instant pot.  They were raving about the ease of use using the instant pot and knowing Indian cooking, they pressure cook a lot!  They said that they always keep at least 2 tablespoons of yogurt as the "mother" or starter to make more yogurt in the Instant pot and I realized, I have never used that setting, and I eat so much yogurt that I should start making yogurt.  

I took the opportunity to use the wealth of these Indian housewives and bombarded them with questions and came home and for the next few months, went about experimenting making various yogurts!

Yogurt is very simple to make, especially when using an Instant pot.

Tips for making Instant Pot Yogurt

The instant pot is perfect for making yogurt, because it keeps the milk at a consistent warm temperature while the yogurt cultures ferment the milk.  This prevents the milk from either spoiling because the temperature is too low or from you killing the yogurt cultures when the temperature is too high.

Yogurt is affected by time, temperature and milk fat percentage.  

Milk Fat

The viscosity of the yogurt depends on the milk fat.  The higher the milk fat, the creamier and thicker the yogurt.  If making a thick, Greek yogurt, use whole milk; however, any milk will work.  If you are using non-fat milk, the yogurt will appear very thin and viscous.  Allow the yogurt to ferment longer until it appears coagulated. If you are seeking a high calorie yogurt, you can add cream that will give the yogurt extra fat calories!

Temperature

Initially, the milk should come to 180°F (82°C) to pasteurize the milk, but more importantly, to denature the milk. When heat denatures milk, the whey protein's structure is broken which allows it to bond with the yogurt culture to provide a creamier and smoother consistency. After the initial temperature, the temperature should be lowered to 120°F (49°C) to allow the yogurt culture to ferment the milk.  

Fermenting the yogurt

Fermenting yogurt takes anywhere from 8 to 12 hours.  The longer the time, the thicker and more sour it will get.  Yogurt is ready when you can see that the milk has coagulated and somewhat separated from the liquid whey.  However, if you have used milk with a low or no fat percentage, there is less separation, resulting in a thinner yogurt.

Yogurt culture

You don't have to buy yogurt culture granules on the internet!   Buy a plain yogurt from the supermarket  with live yogurt cultures that contains no pectin so read the ingredient list.  2-3 tablespoons of yogurt culture is all you need to add to the warmed milk.  DO NOT USE FLAVORED YOGURT WITH PECTIN!

Straining the yogurt

Straining the yogurt helps thicken the end product. The easiest way to strain the yoghurt is to sieve it through a double boiler with a cotton tea towel.  The whey liquid that's collected is highly nutritious.  Add this liquid to foods or drink it as a pro-biotic.  It does have a sour taste.

Tools needed for making yogurt

In addition to the instant pot, an insta-read thermometer and a spatula will help.  The milk should not go above 180°F.  Otherwise it scalds (burns) and the bottom of the pot develops a burned layer that tastes nasty!  Regularly stirring the milk with the spatula prevents developing hot or cold spots and prevents the bottom of the milk from scalding.

A container containing water and ice where the ice water level is above the milk level in the instant pot is needed to reduce the milk temperature from 180°F to 120°F (82°C - 49°C) quickly. Stirring the milk helps to quicken the temperature reduction. 

Flavoring the yogurt

Because the yogurt is fresh, it doesn't seem as sour as store bought yogurts. However, if you'd like to sweeten the yogurt, my sister has added half a can of condensed milk to the milk to add some sweetness and creaminess. Because of my pre-diabetes, I prefer to sweeten my yogurt with fresh fruit and in a pinch, some fruit preserves.

Storing the yogurt

Yogurt should be stored in a clean, sealable container.  The fresh yogurt will last in the refrigerator for about 2 weeks and continue to ferment and get more tart.  Remember to save 2-3 tablespoons of yogurt for the next batch!