Yogurt is easy and economical to make at home.
With some natural yogurt brands priced at $5.00 (as of December 2010) or more for a 32-ounce container, you might feel motivated to cut yogurt completely from your diet. Or, you could try making it from scratch. According to Jennifer Reese of Slate.com, homemade yogurt is surprisingly easy and inexpensive to make. Depending upon ingredients -- skim milk versus whole -- the texture and taste is similar to expensive Greek brands. Add this to my Recipe Box.
Instructions
1. Sterilize all utensils including glass jars, the thermometer and the pot. Though you can immerse them in a boiling bath, an easier approach is run the glass jars and pot through the dishwasher.
2. Heat milk in the pot to 180 to 190 degrees Fahrenheit. Though the milk should have small bubbles forming and should be steamy, check the temperature with a thermometer. According to "Curious Cook" writer Harold McGee, heating the milk "alters the milk's whey proteins" and helps the yogurt achieve a denser consistency.
3. Remove milk from the heat source and allow it to cool to 115 degrees Fahrenheit. Then put the milk in a warm jar or container or an insulated bottle, cover it, and keep the milk still and warm until it sets, usually in about four hours. Swaddling the jar in several kitchen towels helps keep it warm; you can also put the container in an oven with the light bulb on.
4. Add a few tablespoons of starter yogurt to the warmed milk. The starter yogurt should be a high-quality yogurt rich in lactobacillus and other desirable live bacteria. Once you get into the routine of making yogurt, you can reserve the starter from the previous batch. Stir the starter into the milk.
5. Pour the milk into sterile glass jars, cover and place in a warm, out-the-way spot. An oven set to 200 degrees and turned off is an ideal place. Let the milk sit undisturbed overnight.
6. Remove the jar(s) from the oven. You should have yogurt, albeit slightly loose. Refrigerate the yogurt and use as desired.
Related posts
Built-in dishwashers don't have finished sides and must be installed in between cabinets or two walls so that only the front of the unit shows. Before installing dishwashers, you must prepare the...
Many Le Creuset items are oven-safe.Le Creuset, a French company founded in 1925, is renowned for its hand-crafted enameled cast iron cookware, as well as its other product lines which include sto...
While wine can be served at almost any room temperature, the flavor is best if the wine is cooled. According to the instructions that accompany the Emerson Wine Cooler, red wine should be served b...
Keep the Danby cooler temperature between 36 and 40 degrees for a proper beer temperature.The Danby DKC645BLS is a portable keg cooler that can be converted to a miniature refrigerator for other e...
A Frigidaire ice maker that is not producing ice cubes is not functioning properly.The ice maker in Frigidaire refrigerators is designed to produce ice that you can dispense in either cubed or cru...
