Yogurt is nature’s probiotic that soothes your stomach, helps you to digest, keeps your gut flora healthy and floods your intestines with friendly bacteria when you need them the most. Most people buy yogurt from store which may not offer you all the nutrients that a yogurt supposed to contain. When you prepare yogurt at your home, you will get a pure form of yogurt that will have all the goodness for which it is known for. So, why not give it a try and make yogurt on your own. The following guide will help you in the process of preparing yogurt.
Complexity Level: Basic
Time Required: 30 minutes (and 5-7 hours setting time)
Resources Required:
- A liter of milk
- Two tablespoons of fresh yogurt starter (freeze-dried will also do)
- Container to set the yogurt in
Instructions:
1. Boil the milk
Bring the milk to a boil. Stir so that it does not froth over or burn at the bottom of the pan. Let it boil for a minute or two before taking it off the boil.
2. Let the milk cool
Allow the milk to cool down to about 100 F or lukewarm. If you do not have a kitchen thermometer to measure this, wait till it cools down to where it is still warm to touch but not cool.
3. Add the starter
Take about half a cup of warm milk and add the starter to it, and stir it so that it is mixed thoroughly. Pour this milk back into the rest of the milk and stir again. Pour the milk into the container in which you want it to set.
4. Let the yogurt set
Place the container in a 90-100 F warm place where it can sit undisturbed for 5-7 hours. This time will vary depending on factors like temperature, altitude and your personal preferences. Look for a trace of whey on the surface of the setting yogurt. This is an indicator that the yogurt has set. If you like a more sour taste to your yogurt, let it sit for some more time.
5. Cool the Yogurt
Place the yogurt container in the refrigerator and let it chill. Serve chilled, plain or with fruits.
Frequently Asked Questions:
1. How do I ensure that the container stays warm while I am setting the yogurt?
You can use commercial yogurt makers that come with a variety of features, like temperature control and timers. If you don’t have one that you can use, there are still various ways you can keep the container warm. You can wrap the container up in warm blankets or towels or use an oven heated to about 110 F or use the “keep warm” setting of your rice cooker, etc. During the warmer months and for people living in warmer climate, this is not a problem, since even a temperature of 90-100 F will set your yogurt in 5-7 hours. Keep in mind that the bacteria in the inoculated milk will keep it from going bad, so you don’t need to worry about letting it stand for a couple of hours more in order to set it firm.
2. How to make raw milk yogurt?
Raw milk yogurt can be made in the same way as with pasteurized milk. Do not boil the milk as you did in step 1. Instead warm it up to about 100-110 F and then follow the rest of the steps. You will want to ensure that your milk is coming from a hygienic and trustworthy source.
Quick Tips:
1. Make sure that the starter is evenly mixed into the milk. One way of ensuring this is to whisk the starter and smear it evenly on the inside surface of the container you want to set the yogurt in and then pour the warm milk into it.
2. Use the yogurt you have set to take your starter from for the next time.
3. Experiment with fruits and flavors, jellies, syrups and honey that you can add to the yogurt while serving. You may even try spices like cinnamon, chili, or paprika.
4. Don’t expect the consistency of store-bought yogurt. Homemade yogurt will be of a thinner and more watery consistency than packaged yogurt.
Things to Watch Out For:
Microwaving milk to pasteurize is a bad idea. The uneven heating that results might keep some bugs alive in the milk.
