Effect of dandelion extract, sucrose and starter culture on the viscosity, water-holding capacity and pH of plain yogurt

Dandelion extract is a traditional Chinese medicine and contains significant nutritional value. The aim of this study was to research the optimum fermentation conditions for dandelion addition to plain yogurt using a single factor experiments and orthogonal experiment. The results of the present study demonstrated that the addition of dandelion extract affected the viscosity, water-holding capacity and pH of yogurt. Optimized conditions for dandelion addition to plain yogurt based on viscosity, incubation time, pH and sensory score were 10 % sucrose, 0.3 % of the starter cultures, incubation time of 6.5 hours and 3 % dandelion extract. A new kind of dandelion yogurt with high viscosity, good water-holding capacity and good taste was prepared in this study.