Two questions: 1.Unglazed pot, does this leach lead? 2. Do flavors from cooked foods affect the flavor of the yogur
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I'm not sure if I know the answer to your first question. The second, the answer is no. Your yogur will not smell any flavors of previous cooked food.
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The lead in slow cookers comes from the glaze. Many claim that the glazes they use do not contain lead. I do not think that clay contains significant lead if any at all, but I suppose it is possible that clay may contain some trace amounts of natural substances that have some toxic effect. This might include some lead. But again, the concerns about lead with clay based pots is generally with the glazes. I use my pots to make a wide variety of foods, some with a lot of herbs and spices and I have not noticed any flavor carryover into the yogurt. The unglazed clay pots that Vita Clay use are somewhat fragile. I have used them for years and have found that it is best to have more than one pot for each cooker in use. I am a heavy user in both my home kitchen and for a large family I cook for--more than 4 to 6 uses per day. If you have more than one pot, you might want to reserve a pot just for yogurt until you are convinced that you do not have flavor transfer problems with what you cook. It is my opinion that though Vita Clay pots are some what fragile, the cooking results are stellar. TMmany traditional cuisines like Chinese and Indian use unglazed clay.
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I soak mine in very hot soapy water with a pinch of vinegar to kill any odor that was absorbed into the silicone. I have never experienced trouble w this process. My kids also will run them under hot water to help loosen the frozen yogurt before they eat it and that works well. No chemical taste is transferred to the frozen food in the silicone mold. These are wonderful, I will be ordering more!! Definitely worth every cent invested.
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Yes, you have to inactivate the other micro-organisms than could spoil your yogurt. Then make sure it is only warm when adding the starter. If you use ultra-pasteurized milk the MO have been already inactivated but you have to make sure you do not re-contaminate the milk during the handling of it.
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The water must contact the butter to keep air out and keep the product fresh. I change mine about every 2-3 days, and I double check the temp in the water in the summer to make sure it isn't getting too warm. I have 2 of the butter keepers and haven't noticed any loss of flavor. I'm on a tested well rather than city water which could make a difference. Does your city (if you're in one) use fluoride in the water?
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Hi Andrea, Your question caught my eye because I'm trying to learn to follow the GAPS diet. Do you have any recommendations on making yogurt? I'm trying to decide on the most effective method to make yogurt on a regular basis. Any tips would be most appreciated.
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You are right. I make my yogurt in a yogotherm (12 hours) then transfer to the Euro Cuisine for 18 hours. If I am not going to be home from work at the time it should be out, I just dump some of the liquid and it will be fine until I get home, It is in the refrigerator during this time anyway. I then put it in 1/2 pint jars, leaving room to add some Organic Maple syrup (adding a little unsweetened coconut is also good.) It is well worth the time it takes, and the result is such good nutritious yogurt.
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I only put about two tablespoons in the hibachi well. I did not have any problem with smell and I have used my mini hibachi several times. It is the same as when you have food catered and they use sterno to keep the food hot, you usually don't have a problem with fumes.
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You're right that this butter I'll is cooked, but the owner has a a really good response to that. Check out their website and give them a call if you can't find your answer on their FAQ page. He said pasteurization does not affect outcome. He is a scientist.
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I just received my Yolife yesterday and made my first soy yogurt using the Silk brand of soy milk. It turned out fine! Not as firm as store brands, but not runny either. Next time I'll try adding something like agar or gelatin to firm it up a bit just to see what happens, and then move on to experimenting with coconut and almond milks. I love my Yolife! It's hard to find nondairy yogurt where I live, but now the search is over.
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Potentially not at all. Technically does a bit more than some (yogurt and rice) but less than some others as it has limited settings. The thing that makes it different is the clay pot-- you either buy into the idea that cooking in clay is healthier (no teflon or other chemicals) and gives the food some je ne sais quois and added flavor or you think its ridiculous and save some money. I like that it uses natural materials-- but can totally see the other point of view.
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I do put organic yogurt and couple of ice cubes and bit of salt does taste very good. I love to drink yogurt with water since my childhood. Sometimes I add some fresh mint to change the flavor. I hope this helps you.
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I have the white which is picture here. I have three of the pots all in white, including this one. They do become stained after several months, but does not affect the flavor. I also have two of the smaller soup size which I use quite often. I don't think you will be unhappy with this set. It also comes with a small cook book which was handy in preparing rice.
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I had that but I boiled 3 seperate pots of water, filled to the top. After that it was fine. Love this pot, use almost everyday without tasting anything. Hope that helps!
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Hi! I also don't like "watery yogurt" so I add either a vegetable or animal based gelatin to the 42 oz. of liquid yogurt (that is, just before heating the milk and adding the yogurt culture. The latter steps are done after the product has cooled. Also, I like sweet yogurt so I add a sweetener before cooking. Afterwards, when the culture has cooled, you can add your own home-made preserve or just diced fresh fruit, nuts, chocolate bits, shredded coconut pieces, etc. Remember, you can also substitute cow's milk with goat's milk or soybean powder. Soy makes a nutritious and delicious yogurt as well. You will need to experiment to taste for these personal customized preferences. Hi! I also don't like "watery yogurt" so I add either a vegetable or animal based gelatin to the 42 oz. of liquid yogurt (that is, just before heating the milk and adding the yogurt culture. The latter steps are done after the product has cooled. Also, I like sweet yogurt so I add a sweetener before cooking. Afterwards, when the culture has cooled, you can add your own home-made preserve or just diced fresh fruit, nuts, chocolate bits, shredded coconut pieces, etc. Remember, you can also substitute cow's milk with goat's milk or soybean powder. Soy makes a nutritious and delicious... » Read More Hi! I also don't like "watery yogurt" so I add either a vegetable or animal based gelatin to the 42 oz. of liquid yogurt (that is, just before heating the milk and adding the yogurt culture. The latter steps are done after the product has cooled. Also, I like sweet yogurt so I add a sweetener before cooking. Afterwards, when the culture has cooled, you can add your own home-made preserve or just diced fresh fruit, nuts, chocolate bits, shredded coconut pieces, etc. Remember, you can also substitute cow's milk with goat's milk or soybean powder. Soy makes a nutritious and delicious yogurt as well. You will need to experiment to taste for these personal customized preferences. « Show Less
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This is great. I use Elaine G's recipe too so this info helps. I wanted to know if I could use 2% lactose-free milk since I'm short on regular. I'm also going to add 5% cream- which I didn't realize had other ingredients in it- like "modified milk ingredients. " If you can make yogurt with soy milk- [which I would never use], I don't see why this wouldn't work. I'll try and see. I have also found keeping the temp. at the simmer point for a minute before cooling and the culturing temp. a little cooler than suggested makes a thicker, firmer result.
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I think it will be fine. I mixed mine with some strawberries and yogurt and a little water and it was good. You might have to play with the proportions a bit to get the taste and consistency right. Hope it's good!
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You are absolutely right, I'm having the same problem with the curdling. The instruction manual says to boil until the yogurt "runs up the side of the pot." I think the euro cuisine yogurt maker is baking the yogurt at too high a temperature. My old Salton 5-jar maker kept the yogurt just warm, not hot. The new one, when you remove the jars, the bottom is really very hot. I have no fix for this except to say that I am extremely disappointed with this yogurt maker and I think euro cuisine has a problem with these models.