Making your own yogurt so simple that, once you try it, you’ll find it hard to understand why more people do not make their own. The second ingredient in most brands of yogurt is not fruit; it’s sugar. Making your own yogurt can help control how much sugar you add to your diet.
Homemade yogurt has a refreshing tart taste. The only ingredients you need are homogenized milk and a ½ cup of yogurt. The ½ cup of yogurt is your starter, which contains the bacteria which convert liquid milk into yogurt. If you know someone who makes their own yogurt then you can ask them for a cup of starter, or you can do what most people do: buy some yogurt from the store and use that as your initial starter.
The equipment you need: a pot, a food-grade thermometer, a large bowl, a colander, and a clean piece of fabric like an old t-shirt. First, heat the milk to about 185° F (just until it’s steaming and forming a nice froth of bubbles on top, but not yet fully boiling). Check the milk temperature with the thermometer frequently. We heat the milk to prepare it to receive the starter. Bacteria in the starter need fairly warm (almost hot) milk to form the long protein chains which we call “yogurt”. Once the milk has been heated let it cool down to about 120° F, then spoon some into a bowl and mix in your starter. Once combined, pour the starter-milk mixture into the pot of milk and mix again. After this you need to keep the milk warm and still for about four to six hours. I suggest either turn the light bulb on in your oven and place the pot there, or place the pot in a microwave.
After the pot of milk has sat undisturbed for four to six hours, take it out and check it. You will find that it has already turned into very runny yogurt. Place the pot in your refrigerator for a few hours until it solidifies a bit. After this place the clean piece of fabric into the colander, and place the colander into the large bowl so you have a simple filter system. Scoop out the runny yogurt from the pot into the fabric filter lining your colander, then place the bowl, colander and the yogurt back into the refrigerator for a few more hours to drain. The amount of time you allow the yogurt to drain will determine the consistency of the final product. If, like me, you prefer a firmer yogurt (which is difficult to buy in the store), then let the yogurt drain for about three or four hours. If you prefer a softer yogurt then allow it to drain for an hour or two.
One important note: the greenish-yellow liquid left over in the large bowl after you are finished draining is called “whey”. Whey is a high-quality source of protein. While whey can be drunk with a bit of sugar, I personally find it unappetizing, so instead I use it in other recipes in place of plain water, such as for baking bread or bagels. This boosts the protein content of otherwise carbohydrate-intensive foods.
That’s all there is to it. After you have your first batch of yogurt you can keep making new yogurt using the last half cup to start a new batch. This homemade yogurt is healthier and more nutritious than the store-bought versions most people are used to.
