Many people wonder what French-style yogurt is, and Google shows many sponsored articles linked to the company that introduced the product on the USA market some time ago.
In reality, French Style yogurt is a dessert and a marketing category that differentiates it from any other sweet yogurt on the market.
It is made with whole cow’s milk (like the regular yogurt) with the traditional cultures L.Bulgaricus and S.thermophilus (like traditional Bulgarian yogurt) and has added sugar, vanilla, fruits and other ingredients(like most sweet yogurts on the market). However, the most distinctive feature of French-style yogurt is the typical cups/pots in which it is served.
It is claimed that it is a cup/pot set product; however, many of the yogurts on the market are made commercially in the same way or set in pots/cups.
Adding fruits and sugar, packed in a rustic style pot is more appealing for some people preferring sweet/fruity flavour, which reduces the tart yogurt taste in a mount watering combination.
So how to make it at home?
You will need a multi-container yogurt maker that sets the yogurt in cups in case you wish your yogurt to be served in cups. You also can make it in any maker if you do not bother about the cups.
Ingredients:
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1L of whole milk with no additives and preservatives
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Yogurt starter cultures for Bulgarian yogurt, but any type can be used. You also can use ready yogurt as a starter if you wish to shorten the incubation times.
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1 Teaspoon of vanilla extract
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5 tbsp or 50 grams of sugar
You can use fruits, puree, syrup or honey, which is optional
The instructions are as follows:
- Boil the milk and add the sugar. Stir well to dissolve the sugar
- Cool the milk down to lukewarm and add the cultures and vanilla. Stir well and allow 10 min to adapt
If you use ready yogurt, add 1-2 spoons + vanilla and mix well. Then allow 10 min.
- Stir again and transfer the milk mix to the single pots/cups. If you wish to use fruits, puree and syrup, place a spoon or two on the bottom of the cup/pot and cover with the milk mix. Please make sure that there are no preservatives in them(particularly in the jams and syrups)
- Incubate at 40C for: if you use starter cultures most frequently, the incubation time will be 12-16 hours but can be a bit longer. Please keep an eye on the mix after the 12th hour.
If you use ready yogurt as a starter, it might take between 3 and 6 hours or a bit longer, so keep an eye on the mix after the 3rd hour.
- When set(become thicker), refrigerate to stop the fermentation. If you prefer it to be more acidic in taste, allow some more time but do not over-incubate because it can separate.
Serve and enjoy