In the past few decades, the popularity of healthy food and the number of its fans has steadily increased. Of course, dairy products also belong to such dishes. As you know, butter milk, yogurt, airan perfectly satisfy easy hunger, improve digestion, maintain an optimal balance of the microflora of the body, etc. Therefore, today the daily diet of many people includes yogurt and other similar desserts.
Of course, manufacturers respond adequately to demand and offer a wide range of these products. Undoubtedly, food preservatives, dyes, flavors and various flavorings improve their taste, aroma and storage conditions. But their usefulness for health causes well-founded doubts in many people. Therefore, the possibility of self-preparation of these desserts attracts many people. Yogurt maker perfectly solves this problem. It provides the preparation of natural, tasty and healthy desserts, including opportunities culinary experiments.
Of course, some multicookers, bread machines, pressure cookers, etc. that support long cooking at relatively low temperatures up to 45 ° C also have a yogurt cooking mode. For example, a video at the end demonstrates cooking yogurt using a GoWISE USA pressure cooker. But, usually freestanding devices provide maximum efficiency and quality. Stylish design and relatively low price of modern models are the additional arguments in their favor.
Design
Yogurt maker uses a very simple operation principle. Milk containers with a mixture of milk and leaven of the useful lactobacilli are placed on the device tray for heating to a temperature of about 40 ° C. Then, the yogurt maker maintains this temperature until ready yogurt. Unfortunately, this is not a quick process. Milk fermentation lasts from 6 to 12 hours.
Additionally, the exact observance of the cooking time directly affects the quality of the finished dessert. For example, the device will prepare not very tasty butter milk with lumps in case of exceeding the required time. But automatic shutdown function at the end of a work cycle ensures accurate adherence to the recipe. Of course, almost all modern models support this feature.
In fact, the yogurt maker warms the milk, ensuring its stable temperature for a long time. Therefore, it contains a container with a heating element, controls and glasses for yogurt. But some models, for example, Ariete 621 use only one capacious container for yogurt.
Today, manufacturers make jars of glass or heat-resistant plastic. Of course, the material affects their price. Glass jars are more expensive, but have some advantages. For example, they easily withstand sterilization at high temperature, without breaking down and without entering into chemical reactions. But, of course, fragile glass can break.
Today, companies offer models with round or square jars. Of course, the square shape provides the most efficient use of the working area and uniform heating their contents.
But the replacement of such a molded jar with a complex surface is usually possible only through a service center.
Key features
Usually, the jar volume reaches 150-200 ml. Accordingly, the capacity of the modern yogurt maker is about 1 liter of fermented milk product. But the market also offers models up to 2 liters in one cycle.
Of course, a yogurt maker with a large number of small jars is convenient for large families, providing the separation into portions during the cooking process. In addition, they allow the chef to experiment with the recipe due to different additives in various cups, including nuts, chocolate, berries, etc.
Modern models use simple and reliable mechanical controls, or electronics, that support advanced functionality.
Of course, the timer greatly simplifies the cooking process. It provides the choice of the optimal time for making thick or liquid yogurt, butter milk, baked yogurt and other desserts and forms a beep at the end of the cycle.
Usually, models with electronic control have a higher price, but they provide automation of cooking through preset modes and programming.
Modern yogurt maker usually has low power in the range of 10-30 W that fully ensures device operation.
Additional options and cooking yogurt
– automatic shutdown and beep after the completion of a work cycle;
– some models provide automatic dating of the finished yogurt for convenient control of its shelf life. Usually, it does not exceed three to five days;
– timer and delayed start;
– some models have extended functionality. For example, Cuisinart YM400E maintains a cooking temperature of 33 ° C for live yogurt and 43 ° C for home-made curd.
In fact, this 2 in 1 model provides a mode of cheese cooker.
Cooking with the help of a yogurt maker contains the following steps.
1. Homemade or pasteurized milk requires pre-boiling. But the milk temperature should not exceed 42 degrees Celsius after cooling. Ultra-pasteurized milk can be used without boiling.
2. Milk is poured into a container with cooked fermented milk sourdough for about half the volume. After thorough mixing, the container is completely filled.
3. Milk with sourdough is poured into jars and placed in a yogurt maker. Usually, the operating temperature varies in the range of 33-45 ° C. As a rule, the duration of fermentation of yogurt from ordinary milk does not exceed 6-8 hours. But almond or soy milk requires an increase in cooking time.
4. The yogurt consistency is the main criterion for its readiness. It should not be too liquid. Of course, ready-made yogurt is stored in the refrigerator, and fruit and other ingredients are added before consumption.
