How to Make Goat Milk Yogurt

Yogurt is a healthy breakfast food or snack because it not only contains calcium and a variety of vitamins, but it also has live yogurt cultures which can help to keep your digestive tract colonized with good bacteria. If you're lactose intolerant, you may have a problem digesting yogurt made from cow's milk. Yogurt made from goat's milk tends to be much more digestible. Unfortunately, goat milk yogurt can be difficult to find. The good news is that it's easy to make goat milk yogurt right in your own home. Here are the steps for making goat milk yogurt:

Purchase your goat's milk.

Although some supermarkets carry goat's milk in their dairy department, your yogurt will taste better if prepared from fresh goat's milk. Consider paying a visit to your city market or a local farm to purchase fresh goat's milk directly. Other places to purchase goat's milk include your local natural food co-op. While you're there, pick up some packets of dried bacterial cultures for making yogurt. Most health food stores and co-ops stock them. If these aren't available to you, you can use a plain yogurt that states on the container that it has live cultures. This will be used for your starter culture.

Heat your goat's milk

Prepare a large stainless steel pan for heating your goat's milk. Pour a quart of goat's milk into the pan and heat it until almost boiling. Once your milk has reached a temperature of at least 185 degrees Farenheit, take if off the stove and allow it to cool quickly to 110 degrees Farenheit.

Stir in your starter culture.

Once your container of goat's milk has cooled to 110 degrees Farenheit, stir in two tablespoons of your yogurt starter culture. If you're using the dried bacterial cultures, follow the directions on the package. Stir thoroughly to avoid formation of lumps, but not too vigorously to prevent excessive air from entering the mixture. Keep your pan at a temperature of 110 degrees Farenheit until the yogurt thickens which make take several hours. When your yogurt has thickened sufficiently, it should have the consistency of a soft custard.

Goat milk yogurt won't be as thick as conventional, store bought, cow's milk yogurt. Often commercial yogurts have thickening agents added to give more body to the yogurt. If you like your yogurt thicker, you can add tapioca, powdered gelatin, or xanthum gum to serve as thickening agents. You can also add your choice of flavoring agents or sweeteners after your yogurt has incubated and reached its custard like state.

Making goat milk yogurt can be quite rewarding. The taste is superior to what you can buy at your local supermarket and the goat's milk makes your yogurt healthier and more digestible with less calories and fat than cow's milk yogurt. Why not try making goat milk yogurt in your own kitchen?