Common Mistakes When Making Yoghurt in the Thermomix

One of my (many) favourite things to make in the Thermomix is yoghurt - $3 for a litre of healthy, real organic yoghurt is incredible! If you haven't tried making it yourself, you really should experience this magic first-hand. Thermomix yoghurt is one of the topics I get asked most commonly about by customers, often because they haven’t had great success. Here are my trouble-shooting tips (which applies to both cows milk and coconut milk yoghurt!):

Keep your yoghurt warm. The most important consideration when you aren’t getting great yoghurt (especially in the colder months) is the vessel you are using to incubate in. We find that if you aren’t using a quality Thermos that keeps the yoghurt warm for at least 12 hours, it simply doesn't incubate long enough and therefore isn't thick and creamy. In summer things are a bit more forgiving as the room temperature is a lot warmer, but in winter it can be a real problem. Give it a little help by wrapping in a blanket and placing in a warm spot (like the laundry). We use our food warmers to make yoghurt without a problem, even in Melbourne’s winter! Just remember to preheat them with boiling water first.
But keep your milk cool. Make sure your milk has come down below 37 degrees (if you have a TM31 make sure the 37 degree light is off) before adding the yoghurt starter, otherwise you may inadvertently kill the good bacteria you want to cultivate! Anyone who has been to our Kombucha class knows this is rule number 1 when fermenting – don’t let your culture come in contact with anything hot. If the live cultures are killed, no transformation occurs and you will be left with milk, just as you started.
Start with the best. A good quality yoghurt starter is important! We usually keep yoghurt from our last batch so we don't ever need to buy a starter, however we have had great success in the past using a purchased high quality, unsweetened, unflavoured yoghurt.
Patience. Once your yoghurt has completed fermenting, refrigerate for at least 24 hours before judging your yoghurt. It will continue to thicken during this time!
Hold the add-ins. If you want to flavour your yoghurt, stir though sweeteners and fruit purees once the yoghurt-making process has completely finished, not a minute before.
Use my recipe! There are many versions and variations of yoghurt in the Thermomix, however we personally find our recipe (in Thermo Cooker Fresh Favourites) the most reliable. It’s also one of the most natural versions as we don’t add any milk powder. If you’re still having trouble with your yoghurt, perhaps switch your recipe.