Salton Yogurt Maker

Salton Yogurt Maker

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Description
Electric yogurt makers have been used in the United States since the early 1970’s, having come into production and use as a result of the increased yogurt consumption in the late 1960’s and early 1970’s. Increased American visitation to Europe and exposure to yogurt’s widespread consumption there, combined with the period’s alternative food movements, the rejection, by many, of mainstream, industrial food, and the new back-to-the-land/do-it-yourself movements resulted in a new interest in yogurt, among other once “exotic” foods.
The 1960’s saw the introduction of many foods. Before many of the ingredients common to the new and “healthier” foods became mass produced and common in grocery stores, as many did in the 1980’s, aficionados would make their own yogurt and bean sprouts. While many made their yogurt, using milk and yogurt cultures, in glass or ceramic containers, many took to the new small appliances that produced enough yogurt for a week’s worth of consumption. This Salton Corporation machine, c. 1974, was among the most ubiquitous in households through the 1990’s. The machine’s popularity declined, however, as commercial brands of yogurt became more widely available, though several brands of electric yogurt makers are available in 2012 and some still prefer to make their own.
Object Name
Maker, Yogurt
maker, yogurt
Physical Description
plastic (base; cover material)
glass (containers material)
ID Number
1982.3005.01
nonaccession number
1982.3005
catalog number
1982.3005.01
subject
Household Tools and Equipment
Food Processing
Household Tools and Equipment
kitchen
See more items in
Home and Community Life: Domestic Life
FOOD: Transforming the American Table 1950-2000
Exhibition
Food: Transforming the American Table
Exhibition Location
National Museum of American History
Data Source
National Museum of American History
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Comments

This particular model holds a very special place in my heart, as it was what I and my fellow young "Earth Mothers" used in the 1980's to make yogurt for our little ones...and ourselves. With an active probiotic starter obtained from our local health food store, we successfully made our first batches, resulting in a tart, smooth, and creamy yogurt made with whole milk and NO sweeteners of any kind. It was almost too easy and introduced us to the world of real yogurt, not the sugary sweet versions then found in grocery stores. The only sweet stuff we ever added to our jars of yogurt after the fact were pieces of real crushed or pureed fruit and/or a touch of real vanilla or maple extract. Subsequent batches simply used dollops of our first batch, producing consistent results every time until it was time to get fresh starter from our health food store or someone else's fresh batch. Those were idyllic days for all of us and this yogurt maker made daily batches of my little daughter's favorite food in the world (once she was weaned, of course!) The best part of making my own was being able to use certified whole raw milk which gave the finished yogurt a lovely layer of heavier cream at the top of the jar.

Ann Watkins

Sun, 2020-01-26 15:08

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