Hello! I apologize in advance but I have several doubts and questions to ask, please help me.
I don’t drink milk, so I’m going to use plant-based drinks. I’ve read and seen several of your instructions on how to make yogurt with these drinks. But…
1- Initially I will use supermarket plant-based drinks, because I already bought them, but later I will make them myself. Can I use other homemade drinks besides soya, almond and coconut, such as oats, rice cashews or hazelnuts, even if the result is the whey at the bottom?
2 - If I add a date, besides the water and the soy, to make 1 litre of a soy drink, when I am heating the drink to make yoghurt, should I also add half a teaspoon of sugar or maple syrup?
3 - In the case of using the plant based almond drink, I would like to use a thickener to make it thicker.
I realized that I should use it after removing the yogurts from the yogurt maker and before putting them in the fridge.
Should I add the thickener and mix it with the yogurt using a sterilized spoon?
Since I’m going to use 200ml jars, and not one big jar, I’m not sure how much thickener I should put in each one. I have agar-agar, cornstarch, xanthan gum and guar gum.
I know this is a difficult question to answer, but can you give me a rough idea?
4 - I ordered several types of yogurt starter, but I read here that each type of starter has its ideal incubation temperature. Is there a place where I can check the ideal temperature for each type of starter?
I have a cooking thermometer,
so I can control the ideal temperature for each starter.
5 - When using comercial coconut drink (with no additives) I intend to add coconut pieces as you advise. Should I use a blender to make everything liquid before I use the starter?
6 - If I want to mix fruit jam or maple syrup into the yogurts, should I do it only after they are ready (after the hours spent in the fridge)?
7 - I’m going to store the starters in the fridge, as I’ve read that they are very sensitive to temperature changes. Should I take them out of the fridge before using them so they can come to room temperature?
8 - Should I put the jars with or without a lid in the yogurt maker when preparing the yogurts?
Once again, I apologize for asking so many questions. Thank you very much in advance.
Cheers!