How to Make Your Own Yogurt

In the US, plain yogurt that has not been laced with sugar and artificial flavors can be expensive even when it's even available. Furthermore, the plain yogurt that's available has been stripped of all fat for the benefit of the dieters who typically buy it. For one who's on a budget, it's not really substantial or cost effective enough to be used as a staple. I found the problem to be easily remedied by making my own yogurt with whole milk. It proved to be startlingly easy:

-Warm up the milk on the stove until it starts to feel hot if you keep you finger in it. OR heat it until it's about 110 degrees. It's not necessary to sterilize the milk. The main thing is to get it to the right temperature for the yogurt bacteria to take over.

If you warm it up quickly, you'll have to constantly stir and watch over it for as much as half an hour. You can reduce maintenance time by simply putting the stove on low. This way, 1-2 gallons of cold milk warms up slowly over an hour or two. One needn't worry about scorching and it's only necessary to check up on it sporadically.

-Once the temperature is right, start dropping clumps of yogurt into the warm milk. I find that the bacteria spreads best if I don't break up the clumps and stir them into the mixture.

-Now that your culture has been inoculated with the appropriate bacteria, put your pot and lid in the oven. Just turning on the pilot light keeps it warm in there and makes the perfect incubator. I also like to turn the oven on warm for a short while, but don't forget to turn it off after awhile.

-It doesn't take all that long for yogurt to develop, but letting it mature for a full texture and flavor is a good idea. I personally like to give it about 10-16 hours.

-Once the yogurt is ready, all you need is some form of cloth to strain it out. Even when I've lacked anything special in the house, I've made do plenty of times with just dumping a couple gallons into the inside of a pillow case, putting an oven rack over the sink and the leaving the case to drain on the rack.

One can also cut the bottom out of a milk jug, tie a cloth over the small opening on top, invert it, and place it over a receiving container.

Unfortunately, I've found storebought cheesecloth to be of very limited use. It's far too porous. The process requires a tightly woven fabric that lets out the whey and keeps in the curd. Depending on how much whey you want in the yogurt, you can end up with anything from a runny liquid to a spreadable cheese.

Once you've used store bought yogurt as a starter culture, you don't have to buy any again. And you might understandably not want to. To put things in perspective, the largest available container of yogurt (12-16 oz) costs between $2.50 and $4. An entire gallon of whole milk costs about $3 or less.

Why regular milk? Well, if you're American, you've probably never had yogurt that didn't have all the substance taken out of it. When the fat is left in, it's richer, creamier, and tastier. It makes homemade yogurt much thicker in consistency. Skim yogurt comes out runny, less substantial, and far more sour because it's almost all whey. Furthermore, whole milk yields much more curd when making your own cheese. You get more for less money, and skim milk is not necessarily healthier. After all, dairy fats figure prominently in most models for ideal diets. If you come to like a richer tasting yogurt, you can make it even richer by adding some heavy cream in the beginning.

Still, one might ask me 'why yogurt?' Quite a few people react with disgust at the mention of plain yogurt. However, it's great for dipping bread into. It pairs well with almost any kind of grain, nut, fruit, sausage, or smoked meat. It's hard to go wrong with any mixture containing yogurt, honey, cinnamon, and raisins. Part of the transition is acquiring a different taste than one is accustomed to.

Better yet, most lactose intolerant people can eat yogurt and I find it to feel much easier on the stomach in general. Not surprising considering the current knowledge seems to suggest that the bacteria in yogurt are actually beneficial for the digestive tract. Not only can yogurt lend its flavor to foods, it is an acidic food that can react with baking soda. The left over whey from yogurt making can be used as a starter for any lactoferment, including pickles. Yogurt has many uses, a unique tart, fresh flavor, and is easily digested. Learning to make your own at home is an excellent way to provide the best food on a budget.