freezing yogurt

[badger]

this may sound silly, but can/do you freeze yogurt? I know there's the frozen yogurt dessert, but they're processed to not be lumpy or anything.

I know you can freeze milk, but when you freeze yogurt, does the culture stay alive? I've googled a bit and the consensus is you can freeze, but I don't know if the culture survives. And supposedly the consistency changes, and taste might as well.

I'm sure someone on this thread would know!!

[Red Rock]

I do not know about the cultures, however, I used to work with someone who put the small yogurt containers into the freezer and then took them out to eat like ice cream when he wanted them.

Also, I just made two batches of frozen yogurt "ice cream" over the weekend. For that I had to drain all of the liquid off before continuing with the recipie. The yogurt is more creamy but it is just as good.

Red Rock

[ny biker]

Last year we bought one of the brands of yogurt marketed to kids for my niece -- it came with a stick that you could use to pierce the foil top before putting the container in the freezer, so later you could have a frozen yogurt pop on a stick.

I didn't taste it so I don't know how it came out, but my niece liked it.

[bambu101]

I buy packets of powdered yogurt culture to use in my yogurt maker, and they specifically tell you to store it in the freezer.

[sgtiger]

I was curious too so I googled it and found a site for the National Yogurt Association. Here's what they say:

Q: Does frozen yogurt contain live and active cultures?

Frozen yogurt is a non-standardized food and, therefore, is not subject to Federal composition standards, as is the case for “yogurt.” In order to qualify for NYA’s Live & Active Cultures seal, frozen yogurt must be a product made by fermenting pasteurized milk (can include skim milk and powdered skim milk, plus other ingredients), using traditional yogurt cultures, until the proper acidity is reached. Many manufacturers, according to their unique recipes, will then mix this (the "yogurt" component) with a pasteurized ice cream mix of milk, cream, and sugar, plus stabilizers or other ingredients needed for desired consistency. This frozen yogurt base mix can then be blended with fruit or other ingredients and then frozen. The freezing process does not kill any significant amount of the cultures—in fact, during the freezing process the cultures go into a dormant state, but when eaten and returned to a warm temperature within the body, they again become active and are capable of providing all the benefits of cultures in a refrigerated yogurt product.

Not all products termed "frozen yogurt" actually contain live and active cultures. Some so-called "frozen yogurts" use heat-treated yogurt, which kills the live and active cultures, or they may simply add in cultures to the mix along with acidifiers, and skip the fermentation step all together. To make sure that a frozen yogurt contains yogurt produced by traditional fermentation and has a significant amount of live and active cultures, look for the NYA Live & Active Cultures seal.

Link:
http://aboutyogurt.com/index.asp?bid=28

[abejita]

I emailed Fage (greek yogurt) about this last year and they told me that all the cultures remained active after freezing.

[malkin]

Cuisinart ice cream makers come with recipes for frozen yogurt.

[badger]

I just tossed out about a litre of yogurt I made because I hadn't been up to eating it much and I didn't want to chance it. Shame I didn't think about freezing it before.

And here's the next question: when you ferment milk into yogurt, does that prolong the life of the milk, i.e. if milk was to expire say May 20, could I extend the life of the milk as yogurt because it's been fermented?

[GLC1968]

And here's the next question: when you ferment milk into yogurt, does that prolong the life of the milk, i.e. if milk was to expire say May 20, could I extend the life of the milk as yogurt because it's been fermented?

Yes. Plus, expiration dates on milk are pretty arbitrary, so don't go by that. If the milk tastes fine, drink it. If it's off, toss it. I've had milk go bad long before the expiration date (probably due to improper handling) and I've had it last well past the date (particularly if it's skim) as well.

But yes, turning milk into yogurt will make it last longer than if you left it as milk.

[badger]

Yes. Plus, expiration dates on milk are pretty arbitrary, so don't go by that. If the milk tastes fine, drink it. If it's off, toss it. I've had milk go bad long before the expiration date (probably due to improper handling) and I've had it last well past the date (particularly if it's skim) as well.

But yes, turning milk into yogurt will make it last longer than if you left it as milk.

thanks! and aside from the obvious mould that grows around the rim of the containers, how do you tell if yogurt's gone bad or should be thrown out?

[nscrbug]

I've been having some issues with my refrigerator lately, and sometimes my yogurts become frozen if they are kept on a certain side of the fridge. I actually thought it was pretty tasty that way...almost like ice cream. However, if you do let it thaw completely...the consistency does tend to "thin out" a little. Best to eat it while it's still slightly frozen, IMO.

[GLC1968]

thanks! and aside from the obvious mould that grows around the rim of the containers, how do you tell if yogurt's gone bad or should be thrown out?

I have no idea. If our yogurt gets mold, I scrape it off and feed the yogurt to the chickens (which they go crazy for!). Though really, the only time I see mold is if a container gets hidden and forgotten...it rarely lasts long enough to go bad in our house.