1 quart milk: $.60 {at about $2.40/gal)
1/3 c. non-fat milk powder: $.28 {box costs $3.36 and has 12 1/3 c. portions}
starter: $.20 {my Yo-Baby costs $.60 each & I used about 1/3 of one}
Splenda: maybe $.50 worth?
Total for 1 quart: $1.58 at the most
W/o milk powder & using current batch to start next batch: $1.10
The non-fat milk powder is optional, but I read it makes a thicker yogurt. My Dannon Light & Fit cost $2.19 for 1 quart @ Woodmans, but it's next to impossible to find it at WM/Meijer/Jewel for that price; more like $2.99 and up. Not sure about Aldi's pricing, although I never liked the taste of their low-fat version anyways. This is all besides the fact that homemade yogurt is superior in quality.
Taste? Hmm. What exactly taste-wise are you looking for? To me the biggest issue is sweetness, which is easily adjusted. My batch tastes richer. I'm guessing it is because of the 2% milk. Next time I will probably use skim, as I'm trying to watch my waistline. I would also say that the tanginess is more pronounced. Unsweetened, I would describe the taste as pretty tart sour cream. Comparatively, to my taste, commercial yogurt, particularly low-fat, has a chalky or slightly funny aftertaste, somewhat reminiscent of some artificial sweetners. My homemade batch tastes cleaner, if that makes any sense. {Phew! You're really putting my palate to the test here!}
**insert break to actually go taste the yogurt again to see if I'm missing anything**
The texture is thicker in my batch as well. My yogurt falls into thick ribbons from a spoon. The actual yogurt remains in the ribbon shape on the surface, instead of being thin enough to just immediately flow back into the jar. Thickness can be controlled by the length of culturing time, ranging anywhere from barely set to flan/custard-like. Even I didn't think yogurt could be described so in-depth. Hope this helps! Any more questions?
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2 comments:
How fun! I've made my own yogurt too. I didn't use a starter, and so I think that is why it was thinner than yours, but it still tasted good. I preferred the taste compared to store-bought yogurt. I sweetened mine with agave nectar and some vanilla.
@Rachel: The starter is what turns it into yogurt, yes? So you must've used something to get the yogurt cultured? From what I've read the longer you culture it, the thicker it'll get, if you'd like it thicker next time :>)
Thanks for stopping by!
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