How to Make Yogurt at Home

Image Courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net/Danilo Rizzuti

Most of us know about the benefits of consuming yogurt on a regular basis. Yogurts are rich in probiotics which are the “active good bacteria” that we need for the proper functioning of our digestive tracts. Rich in Calcium, Yogurt can help prevent Osteoporosis and keep our bones strong and healthy. As per Web MD, Yogurt may even reduce the risk of developing high blood pressure.

Yogurt soothes the stomach and helps in preventing constipation, diarrhoea, colon cancer, and inflammatory bowel disease. Surprisingly, it is even suitable for people who are lactose intolerant.

Yogurt is even said to aid weight loss as it keeps you full for a longer period thereby preventing hunger pangs. 

In the Modern Industrialised World, we generally buy yogurt off the shelf.

But did you know that you can make yogurt at home without any hassles; the way, yogurt has traditionally been prepared in households in India, Greece, Turkey and in many other parts of world?

Today I am going to share with you a technique that you can easily implement to prepare yogurt at home. This technique will not only save you money but also protect you from the ill-effects of preservatives, sugars, colours, flavours, emulsifiers, and many other chemicals that factory-made yogurts may contain.

However, to start the whole process, you will need to buy some yogurt first time. Subsequently about two tablespoons from the yogurt you next make can suffice to make the next home-made batch of yogurt.

Ingredients

Milk-1 litre (4 cups)

Plain Unsweetened Yogurt (as starter)-2 tablespoon

Method

Boil the milk well.

Tip: If you don’t boil well, your yogurt will set but will be a little sticky as factory-made yogurts generally are.

Let the milk cool down to a level where it feels warm but not hot.

You should be able to use your finger for touching the milk without any fear of scalding it.

Beat the yogurt well and gently add the warm milk.

Mix well.

Now pour this mixture into a bowl and place it in an insulated casserole.

I use an insulated lunch box which has a small heating element built-in. I need to “switch on” this lunch-box for about 30 minutes in really cold weather (where indoor temperatures be below 15 degree C or 59 degree F)

The basic idea is that the milk should remain warm for at least the next three hours.

After that the yogurt sets on its own.

It is generally advisable to set the yogurt at night so that you can have fresh yogurt in the morning. This also ensures that the vessel is not moved during the entire period that the yogurt is setting because movement spoils the setting.

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Setting Time: 5 hours (minimum three hours)

If you want to read a post about Indian cooking with yogurt, you may go here.

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