Flavored Goat's Milk Yogurt Recipes Please!

[vegaburm]

Hey All!
After year of having goats I am finally having an excess of milk to make some fun products. So far I have made a Queso Fresco that I really like, and I have a batch of Chevre hanging right now that looks like it is turning out perfect. (I made one before that was too runny) Anyway, Yogurt is eluding me. I have children, and they like regular ole vanilla yogurt from the grocery store. They like the crazy stuff too, like Trix and whatnot, but they are happy with vanilla. So, all I am trying to do is make something similar. I am using a YoGourmet yogurt maker and the temps seem to be staying about right. (I've checked it a few times this round to be sure) Batch #1 was just plain yogurt. It looked fairly thick when I took it out, but then I stirred in sugar and vanilla and immediately had soup. Batch # 2 I added the sugar before incubating as well as some PB2 for flavoring. Incubated about 8 hours, and soupy when I took it out. A little set up, but I want it pudding-like. That batch I added 1/3 C nonfat dry milk, 1/4 c sugar, and 1 T PB2. After I took it out I stirred in 2 things of unflavored gelatin. Clearly too much as it because yogurt jello. this is quite the process of trial and error. Batch #3 is in the maker now. 1 Q milk, 1/2 c sugar, 1 T vanilla, and the DVI culture. We shall see how this turns out. I am getting frustrated though. I would love to hear recipes of FLAVORED yogurt that have worked. Particularly those of you that have children and are getting them to eat it. I find tons of references to plain yogurt, but I want some flavoring and sweetening. Appreciate any help!
Beth

 

[Cricket]

I use cow milk, but try putting a couple tablespoons maple syrup in at the beginning and 1 T vanilla and 1 T powdered milk. Mine is too delicate to really stir anything you want to dissolve in after it's made. It also seems to set up quite a lot if left in the jar in the fridge for a day or so. It's also great in the ice cream maker--substitute the yogurt for the whole milk portion.

Maybe once the kids get used to having homemade, they will kind of start to think of the h.m. as the norm!:/

 

[vegaburm]

batch #3 turned out wel and all but one of the children like it! I will post what I did later in case it helps someone else!

 

[WhiteMountainsRanch]

I've made it a couple times, but without a yogurt maker it's tricky. I use 'sweet cultures' so I don't have to add sugar and always stir in the flavor (whether honey, maple syrup, crushed fruit etc.) after it's made and done. I don't mind it a little bit runny.

 

[vegaburm]

OK, here's what I did to make a good vanilla, kid-friendly yogurt.

1 Q of goat's milk brought up to 180, held for 2 minutes, then brought back down to 115. While cooling I added 1/2 cup sugar and 1 T vanilla flavoring, also added about 1/3 a package unflavored gelatin, already dissolved.

Put 1/32 tsp. ABC-2Y culture from the dairy connection in the yogurt maker. Add a few spoonfuls of milk mixture to dissolve. Add rest and stir well. Cover and incubate 12 hours.

 

[ragdollcatlady]

I added a half pkt of flavored jello to the yogurt when hot (a half gallon I think it was)and it turned out nice and pudding like with only a tiny hint of flavor but pretty pink. I know.....chemical colors and sugars , but I was just trying it for fun cause I wanted to see if it would work. I had a little bit of colored flavor chunks at the very top...I think it just didn't dissolve totally. I prefer plain yogurt, but that was OK and way cheaper than the chemical stuff from the store. You could probably add any "flavored" chemically powder like koolaid or something for the same effect...... I do add some non instant powdered milk to my yogurt too because I really like it thick.

P.S. are there any "healthier" versions of the flavor powder jello or koolaid out there? Would so be ALL over that for husbands and kids........OH, just thought about it.....beet powder would give the red color, just add enough sugary flavor to cover it up....I'll try that when I get some in the store ......and let you all know how it works!!!!

 

[mamaperreca]

I don't have as much luck with the flavored. What I do is heat it to 180 like you did and keep it there for about 5-10 minutes. It boils a little of the water out. I also used 1 qt of goats milk. cool to 110 and add a scoop of the previous batch of yogurt. Then I jar it and put in my yogurt maker for 8 hours. It turns out as thick as greek yogurt.

My first batch I used a freeze dried yogurt starter. It was very tart, but since then I just use out of the previous batch of yogurt about 1 heaping tablespoon. By the third batch the tart taste was gone and it is perfect. We add honey and jelly, or honey and vanilla after and it doesn't get soupy but a little thinner when stirred.

So all that to say that i still flavor after and cook it plain.