Homemade natural yoghurt is delicious throughout the day, as a light addition to breakfast, or as a healthy dessert mixed with fruit and honey later in the day. When you chose live yogurt then you also benefit from the friendly bacteria which boost your digestion.
Homemade yogurt is much cheaper than ready-made bought yogurt, yet it is easy and satisfying to make. All you need is milk and a yoghurt starter; either a bought yoghurt culture or a small tub of live yogurt to provide the bacteria that ferment the milk to produce delicious, healthy, live yogurt.
The recipe below describes how to make yogurt without a yogurt maker using a small tub of store bought live yoghurt. Check for the words “live” or “probiotic” on the yoghurt you buy. A yogurt maker simplifies the process and assures more consistent results, but it is quite possible to make excellent yogurt in small quantities at home without a yoghurt maker.
Choose whole fat milk for a rich, creamy yoghurt. Half fat or skimmed milk will give thinner, though still delicious, yoghurt.
Homemade live yoghurt is just one example of a simple way to save money on food while eating well.
Live Yogurt Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 liter, or two pints, of fresh milk
- A tablespoon of live yoghurt
Equipment Required
- A cooking thermometer
- A heat resistant plastic or stainless steel container in which you can keep your fermenting yogurt warm overnight – a food vacuum flask is ideal, or a container placed in the airing or boiler cupboard at around 105°F (40°C). It is wise to clean this container carefully, and then rinse with boiling water, before use.
Method
- Heat the milk to 180°F (82°C) then remove from the heat and allow to cool to approximately 105°F (40°C). Stir in the tablespoon of live yogurt, mixing well, and then transfer the mix to the container which is to maintain the mix at around this temperature.
- Leave the mixture overnight, and transfer to the refrigerator in the morning. It is ready to eat once it has cooled, and will keep well in the refrigerator for a few days. If you would like a thicker yoghurt, then you can place it into a coffee filter with an ordinary coffee filter paper. The clear, slightly yellow liquid which drips from the filter is whey, which can be used in the production of lacto fermented vegetables such as sauerkraut. If you prefer not to thicken you yoghurt in this way then simply stir any whey that separates from your yoghurt back in, it has a the crisp refreshing flavor characteristic of good yoghurt.
- Although in theory you can use some of your homemade yoghurt to as a starter to make your next batch, I find that in practice it is not possible to do this for very long as each subsequent yoghurt culture becomes less tasty. I recommend using a fresh pot of store bought yoghurt to start each batch, or you can buy special yoghurt starter cultures if you chose to make your own yoghurt regularly.
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