Yogurt powder is a convenient ingredient for a variety of foods, with a longer shelf life than fresh yogurt and good solubility. It can be used in both hot and cold liquids, improves texture and flavor, and has good binding properties. Yogurt powder is made by removing fat from milk, adding bacterial cultures, dehydrating, and grinding. It is high in protein and calcium, and the probiotic bacteria used in its preparation can aid digestion and boost the immune system. Low-fat versions are recommended for optimal health benefits.
Powdered yogurt is often used in commercial and home preparations of a variety of yogurt-based foods, desserts, snacks, dips, and other yogurt-based products. Cooking with powdered yogurt is convenient as it has a longer shelf life than fresh yogurt, with good solubility. It can be mixed with both hot and cold liquids and, in both cases, improves the texture and flavor of food products. It also has good binding properties making it an appropriate replacement for any starches, stabilizers and gums that would normally have been required. You can buy yogurt powder at most grocery stores and malls; the powders usually come with the designations of non-fat, dehydrated, or cultured.
To make yogurt powder the traditional way, the fat is first removed from the milk and then the bacterial cultures of lactobacilli or bifidobacteria are added to the skim milk; moreover, it is possible to add lactic acid, food flavorings and whey powder to the milk. The bacteria-laden milk is set aside until the required pH is reached; this can vary between four and five. The next step is to dehydrate the milk, and to do this, the milk tray is covered with a waxed paper sheet and placed in a dehydrator or oven for several hours; if an oven is used, the door must be kept ajar to prevent the yoghurt from cooking and to allow the released humidity to escape. The yoghurt powder that forms is usually off-white or pale yellow in color and, depending on the ingredients used, will have a protein content of between 22% and 36%.
In addition to the protein content, yogurt is also high in calcium. This means that, beyond the question of convenience, cooking or baking with powdered yogurt makes for healthy eating; even people who are intolerant of lactose can usually eat yoghurt without problems. One reason yogurt is so easy to digest could be the pro-biotic bacteria that are used in its preparation; pro-biotic means they are beneficial bacteria and help the intestinal tract with the digestion process and also strengthen the immune system.
That said, yogurt-based foods can be found in many cuisines around the world. There are dozens of interesting and tasty recipes that use yogurt, both fresh and powdered. In the case of powdered yogurt, it may be helpful to look for a low-fat version; this generally contains more vitamins than the completely non-greasy powder.
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