I've been making yogurt with a Donvier yogurt maker for about six months. Yes, I learned about this yogurt maker from "French Women Don't Get Fat." I am unashamed -- it is the first "diet book" I have ever read, and I consider it far better than its category. In any case I love the yogurt maker. The yogurt is so much tastier than anything I can buy at the store. Sometimes I strain it to make Greek yogurt and eat it with honey. Lately I leave it unstrained and eat it with just a smidge of preserves on top.
I've used the machine (if it can be called that: It does nothing but keep the yogurt at the right temperature for a set period of time) dozens and dozens of times. I have goofed up a few times. Once I forgot to press start. Once I forgot to add the yogurt starter. And once I forgot to put it into the fridge when it was finished (but my neighbor came to the rescue and did it for me).
In two instances I have been unable to identify any goof-up on my part but I have nonetheless gotten bad product. In both instances I have used 100% local milk from glass bottles rather than the usual Garrelick farm milk. See the results from today's batch.
What a mess! The yogurt separated and it never got properly thick in the first place. In this case I had used milk from McNamara dairy in Plainsfield, NH. I get it at the Upper Valley Food Coop. My neighbor used to live near the dairy and she says that it is a wonderful facility, so I love buying this milk. It's also very tasty -- though apparently not in yogurt. I have also used milk from Crescent Ridge Dairy, with similar results.
What is it about local milk that prevents my yogurt from turning out right? You would think it would turn out better. Kerry Bodine, who writes about local food in her Wicked Flavory blog, had the same response. I can't believe they are ultrapasteurizing their milk... I need to get to the bottom of this. Any suggestions welcome!
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