When should I add fresh fruits in homemade yogurt?

When should I add fresh fruits in homemade yogurt? - Assorted Fruit Shake with Fresh Fruits on Clear Glasses

I just bought an Instant Pot and want to use it to make yogurt. I found a recipe online for fresh fruit yoghurt that I want to try (https://recipes.instantpot.com/recipe/fresh-fruit-yogurt-in-the-instant-pot/). After scalding the milk, the recipe calls for the addition of fresh fruit, sugar, and skim milk powder to the milk BEFORE allowing the soon-to-be-yogurt to incubate.

Is this safe? Wouldn't the introduction of the ingredients before incubation (especially the fruit) potentially add unsafe bacteria to the yogurt? Or am I being overly cautious?

food-safetyfruityogurt


Best Answer

The Codex Alimentarius standard 243-2003 on fermented milk products, states in section 2.3 that:

The non-dairy ingredients can be mixed in prior to/or after fermentation.

So, yes the recipe is correct and you can even sell the product if you follow all the other WHO standards as well.

However, as you introduce additional microbial agents when using fresh fruit, the rule of thumb (to be analytically tested) is half of the minimum of both products separately:

  • As you're probably doing this for home use, this means in plain English:
    Eat the yoghurt in half the time you would eat the fresh fruit.
  • If this would be for professional use:
    You should not be asking random strangers on the Internet what to do and have your commercial product tested analytically. ;-)


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Quick Answer about "When should I add fresh fruits in homemade yogurt?"

Once the yogurt is chilled, stir a few spoonfuls of the fruit puree and a bit of maple syrup (taste as you go) into each pot of yogurt.

How long does fresh fruit last in yogurt?

Yogurt With Fruit \u2013 The presence of fruit pieces in yogurt can destroy the preserving qualities of the lactic acid bacteria, so fruit yogurt doesn't last quite as long. Stored correctly, it can last seven to ten days.

How do you mix fruit with yogurt?

How to Make Fruit Yogurt
  • Mash the berries in a large bowl.
  • Add the yogurt and stir to combine.
  • Taste test for sweetness, and add honey or maple syrup if needed. Stir once more.
  • Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 1 week.


    • What happens to the fruit before it is added to the yoghurt?

    I would still recommend cooking the fruit down before adding it to the yogurt, or at least washing it. I agree- 1- The bacteria on fruit are not likely to enjoy eating lactose. 2- Cooking down the fruit will reduce some of the water which will improve the yogurt's texture.

    Should you put fruit in yogurt?

    Yogurt and fruits can be eaten together and may exert combined health benefits through potential prebiotic and probiotic effects. Furthermore, substituting high-energy, nutrient-deficient snacks with fruit and yogurt could reduce the intake of high-calorie obesogenic foods.


    When to add Flavoring to Homemade Yogurt



    More answers regarding when should I add fresh fruits in homemade yogurt?

    Answer 2

    While fruit are in fact covered in bacteria, they usually aren't pathogenic.(This is entirely dependant on farming practices used when growing that fruit) In addition, yogurt has antibacterial properties . I would still recommend cooking the fruit down before adding it to the yogurt, or at least washing it.

    Answer 3

    fruit has water, adding fruit to yogurt will make it harder for the proteins to create the gel structure, some whey might form around the fruit pieces.

    The easiest way is to just add fruit after the incubation period, when you cool it, or just mix it in when you eat it.

    If you want to add fruit prior to incubation so that the flavor is more prominent fruit should be washed of course (and cut if the type of fruit allows it without making a mess...) and then dried in the oven, you can try different temperatures (50C-90C) and periods of time (>10m). A full drying process can take from 6-12hours but it is not really needed in this case, usually 30m should be enough; drying the fruit will:

    • help killing some unwanted bacteria
    • sweeten the fruit so that more flavor is added to the yogurt
    • possibly absorb part of the milk water content helping the gelification
    • help stabilize the milk temperature (assuming you have finished drying right before starting jarring the milk for the incubation so that the fruit is still warm) which again will help the gelification

    Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

    Images: Nicola Barts, Tim Douglas, Jenna Hamra, Cats Coming

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