What Yogurt Maker to Buy? Australian Yogurts are Loaded with Sugar & Salt

LRSwert on 11/07/2016 - 15:25
Last edited 11/07/2016 - 15:26

What Yogurt Maker to Buy? Australian Yogurts are Loaded with Sugar & Salt

Hi, I was at the supermarket yesterday looking at all the yogurt brands. I was surprised to see how much sugar and salt goes into each yogurt container. Even the best ones that I thought were very natural and had little sugar or salt had some in them like the Coles Natural Yogurt brand. I still think that is the best from what I can see and it tastes the most natural to me but I still would prefer to make my own now after seeing even that contains salt and sugar. I notice that in Australia there is a lot of horrible tasting GREEK yogurt that is very sweet and more like custard than yogurt.

So I would like to consider buying a yogurt maker. What products could I look at that are affordable?

Food & Grocery

Comments

  • Brouw3r on 11/07/2016 - 16:02
    +9

    Don't know anything about makers but Jalna's yogurt range is great; and low in sugar and sodium.

    • StewBalls on 11/07/2016 - 21:12
      +2

      This.

      I threw out a couple of old EasyYo makers a few months back, it just wasn't worth the hassle when you can buy really nice pot-set stuff like Jalna in the supermarket.

      The stuff the OP is referring to is the "Greek Style" dessert yoghurts…they're a bit of a fad ATM, and don't get me wrong I like them too, but they're not Greek (or real) yoghurt by any stretch.

  • supnigs super skids on 11/07/2016 - 16:03

    Big w yoghurt maker. Just add hot water in flask. From memory it was $22.need to buy cultures too for around $6

  • Saturday on 11/07/2016 - 16:09
    +1

    You don't really need a yoghurt maker. I have been making yoghurt at home with two layers of containers, with milk & yoghurt mix in the inside container sitting in a hot water bath, plus some tea towels wrapped on the outside. I usually set it up before go to bed and wake up to perfect yoghurt in the morning. You can eat it with honey, or homemade strawberry /blueberry sauce with controlled sugar level.

  • mskeggs on 11/07/2016 - 16:11
    +3

    You don't need a yoghurt maker, a thermos or even a jar wrapped to keep it warm will do. I have one of the Easiyo makers, but it does no better job than a thermos.
    I have found it impossible to make 'thick' yoghurt like in the shops, and my kids reject it.
    I have contemplated trying to strain out the thinner whey/liquid but what they are really rejecting is the lack of sugar!
    The easiyo packets make a thicker yoghurt, but they are costly, and the sugary ones are no better than store bought.
    I do make pretty good plain yoghurt for recipes like tandoori, hmmmm. Might go make some now!

    • Saturday on 11/07/2016 - 16:13
      +2

      Try Paul's long life milk, which gives me perfect thick yoghurt. The supermarket brand milk gives runny kind of yoghurt.

    • RSwert on 11/07/2016 - 16:21

      I totally agree and I would do this but unfortunately my apartment has no hot water cupboard.

      • mskeggs on 11/07/2016 - 17:31
        +1

        You just need to keep it warmish for 24 hours. Literally wrapping towels around to insulate will probably produce enough insulation to encourage the culture to grow. It isn't the case that it needs to keep in a safe temperature or something. The warming is just to encourage the Acidopholous you add to reproduce more quickly than any wild bacteria in the milk. Close enough is good enough (just don't go too hot as it will kill the culture!).
        So a thermos or an esky or any other insulated container will do.

      • MrMcHairyHead on 12/07/2016 - 14:31

        Hot water bottle?

    • tomorrows_angel on 12/07/2016 - 12:05
      +2

      I used to make yoghurt at home and managed to get it super thick, depends on how long you cure it.

      I used full cream milk plus added some powdered milk, a spoon of live culture (just bought a pot of plain chobani, it has live cultures but any plain yoghurt with live cultures will do). Heat it on the stove to the right temp, pour in jars and put them in the oven on the lowest heat wrapped in towels with the door cracked. Great yoghurt overnight. I've tried sweetening with sugar and vanilla bean paste too which works and makes it abundantly obvious quite how much sugar is in the sweet store bought stuff. Note also that the are natural sugars in milk so you're always going to have sugar.

  • RSwert on 11/07/2016 - 16:18
    +2

    there is some frightening facts on this good article from choice https://www.choice.com.au/food-and-drink/dairy/yoghurt-and-i… I just found. Especially with what I noted about GREEK yogurts. They take out the whey which is the healthiest part of yogurt and replace it with gelatin and thickeners.

    I will look at the Big W one cheers….

    • RSwert on 11/07/2016 - 16:25

      I don't think Big W sell a Yogurt Maker anymore and I could not find any for places like Kmart, Target etc.

  • RSwert on 11/07/2016 - 16:19

    I'm just reading all the other posts too now thanks…

  • pernunz on 11/07/2016 - 16:27
    +3

    If you have an Indian supermarket nearby, check out their yoghurt. I get a 2kg tub for $5.99 and it's by far the lowest sugar content yoghurt I've been able to find. Tastes really nice, and not sweet. Use it for breakfast in the morning with oats, and also used with curries.

    • RSwert on 11/07/2016 - 16:49
      +1

      that's a good idea thanks

  • 1aimeelou1 on 12/07/2016 - 08:25

    I bought an esi yo maker half price from woolies a few months ago. Coles are now stocking them again too. You can use any sachet in them. Hansells are better for sugar content than esi yo (and conveniently coles have just been clearing these to make way for esi yo so I picked up heaps for $1)

  • mrtempeh on 12/07/2016 - 08:30
    +1

    hi all, I have been using the easyyo yogurt maker for a few years now, I wait at coles for the specials on the natural one and stock up.
    I only buy the natural one and the secret to make perfect thick style yogurt it to add two heaped table spoons of milk powder to the mix, shake well ad the result is perfect and save you heaps of money,
    enjot :(

    • HN Professional on 17/07/2016 - 21:04

      Relevant username :). Fermentation Forever!

  • lainey13 on 12/07/2016 - 09:32

    I thought it was really easy to get no added salt/sugar yoghurts? Although the best tasting ones have cream added which does up the fat content. I only buy plain or Greek then add my own stuff. It must only have milk products and bacteria in it for me to buy it. Stuff like Farmer's Union, Jalna, Mindella, Aldi home brand, Tamar's Valley all have a full fat (sometimes added cream) and low fat (low fat milk used) product line with no added salt and sugar. No Fat Jalna tastes gross. Sugar occurs naturally in milk as lactose.
    Granted, these kind of yoghurts makes up 20% max of the yoghurt shelving, the rest is the horribly sweet stuff.

  • Sensiekatie on 12/07/2016 - 12:38
    +1

    I used to have an electric yoghurt maker but it stopped working after not very long.
    I use an oven which is turned doff and then lead to incubate.
    Need
    2 bath towels
    Oven pre warmed to 50-100 degrees
    Container for the yoghurt
    Thermometer
    Milk - long life is easier
    Milk powder
    Live cultured yoghurt

    Heat milk in saucepan to 40 degrees Celsius. If not long life then you need to hope at to 100 and then cool to 40 degrees.

    Add you milk powder and yoghurt and stir in.

    Pour into your container.

    Wrap container in one towel and then again with the other,

    Place into the oven and turn the oven totally off.

    I have found that in summer I can make it any time, but in winter I need to make it during the day, the longer you leave it, the different types emerge. So there may be a point where you need to warm the oven up again and turn off if you are planning to sit it there for 12-24 hours. I also find that my kitchen door open can be an issue if it's not a warm day or there is a wind (my oven is in the flow of the wind).

    For 750-800 mls of milk I would add 1/3 cup milk powder and the same quantity Yoghurt. I can successfully make up to 1.5 in one container, but beyond that size, it does not set well I have also tried to do 2 lots in the oven side by side and that leads to a setting failure as well. Too much yoghurt gives the same result. It does not help it set - just the opposite. So if you are a little short of the yoghurt, then just make it anyway.

    Next batches just use your own yoghurt as your culture.

    If I've run out of yoghurt, I will make an easy yo Greek unsweetened yoghurt (sachet from supermarket) - make using their directions - I add the half cold water and sachet. Shakes, then add boiling water until temp is 40 degrees. Then pour into container and wrap with the towels and set in the oven. Then you have yoghurt to eat and use as culture. Thus was how i started and is my go to when I run out of want a quick batch.

  • Sensiekatie on 12/07/2016 - 12:38

    Friends sit theirs on their dehydrator when using.

  • Ozsheila on 12/07/2016 - 21:33

    I have a yogurt maker that I picked from Aldi many years ago. It's not unlike the Easiyo one. Perhaps look on ebay or gumtree for one.

    I make yogurt at least once weekly. No need to purchase the sachets. I use 1.5 cups of full cream milk powder, tepid water and 3 heaped tablespoons of "starter" ie previous batch of yogurt in the 1 litre pot. (If I've been on holidays I just purchase a small pot of plain Greek yogurt as a new "starter".)

    It takes all of 5 mins. After leaving overnight I wake to thick, creamy yogurt. I then prefer to chill in refrigerator prior to consuming. If I want a sweetened serve, I add my own fruit or a teaspoon of jam or syrup (eg coconut) for flavouring.

    HTH

  • brizzy on 11/09/2017 - 12:02

    heat sauce pan with milk. cool to 45 degrees
    add yoghurt
    chuck it in an eski overnight and you are done.
    y complicate things.

  • goosegog on 11/09/2017 - 14:10

    Been using my EasiYo for about 15 years. Buy the powder mixes from Coles & find them to be very tasty & creamy. Also full of good bacteria - far better than the ready to eat brands available. Costs apx. $3.50 for 1 kg. ( just bought some on special in Coles - 2 for $7.00)
    We have it with fresh fruit for brekkie most mornings - yum!

    • John Doh on 22/04/2024 - 22:33

      Can you please name the powder mixes you are speaking about? Thanks.

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