The
thought of making yogurt at home might seem strange to some. A very complicated
process which can surely only be done in a factory. But how do you think yogurt
was made before it was mass-produced and sold to grocery stores? At home on the
stove!
The
pros to making yogurt at home greatly out way the cons. It is a lot cheaper to
DIY, it is healthier and there is no packaging waste. Yogurt (sometimes spelled
yoghurt) is the bacterial
fermentation of milk. Sounds gross, maybe, but this kind of bacteria is
healthy.
This dairy product contains calcium, protein,
riboflavin and vitamins B12 and B6. Eating yogurt can improve gastrointestinal
conditions, and can prevent yeast infections.
You will need:
·
Large,
Heavy-bottomed pot
·
Candy
thermometer
·
Jars.
Mason Jars or something with a tight-closing lid.
·
Something
to stir with. A spoon is fine, but some prefer a whisk
·
Milk
– 1 gallon
·
1
tbsp of plain, unsweetened yogurt with ”active bacterial cultures”
·
Wire
sieve
Get
yogurt-making!
1.
Preheat
oven to 110F (this is where you will incubate the yogurt later)
2.
Heat
milk (on stovetop!) to 180F (keep a good eye on thermometer)
3.
Remove
immediately from heat and cool to 110-115F
4.
Skim
the skin off the top
5.
Add
the tbsp of yogurt
6.
Stir
7.
Pour
through sieve into storage containers
8.
Place
containers in warm oven, turn oven off
9.
Leave
jars in oven for 4 – 8 hours. Milk should be firm when you tilt the container.
10. Put yogurt in the fridge
Combined
with some muesilli and or fruit, this plain yogurt makes a really nice
breakfast. You can also eat it on the side of your favourite Indian dish.
These
instructions were adapted from The Real Food Revolution
where you can find more yogurt making tips, and recipes for all kinds of
natural food.
