Home-made Yoghurt Recipe

I've been making home-made yoghurt for about a year now, really because I got fed up with the supersweet variety most groceries carry these days. Plus they can charge about a hundred for a proper cup in some shops. So I looked up a simple yoghurt recipe online and after a few trials and errors I've managed to perfect the recipe and adapt it to the local weather. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1 Liter fresh milk (I use Alaska Fresh)
1/3 cup of powdered milk (Bear Brand)
125 ml Nestle Creamy yogurt (this will be your starter)

Materials:

Small glass jars with screw on tops (I bought mine at SM Dept Store... 50 each)

Candy thermometer (Landmark, 89 pesos)

Sauce pot

Dish for bathing the jars (I just use a regular Pyrex dish)

Procedure:

Slowly heat the milk on the stove over low-medium heat.

At this point you can choose to add powdered milk. Powdered milk creates thicker yoghurt that takes less time to ferment.

For your first batch we are going to go with Alaska Fresh milk plus 1/3 cup of powdered milk. This combination of milk with the powder will produce a delicious, basic yoghurt.

The most tedious thing about making yoghurt is watching the milk get hot. You need it to hit 170 degrees F, but not have it boil. So you want to pay attention to the pot and have a thermometer at hand. Once you've hit the target temperature, remove from heat and then wait for the milk to cool. Unless you put the pot in the refrigerator it will take some time to cool to 108-112 degrees.

If you are using existing yoghurt as a starter, have it handy in a cup. When the milk is cooled to the proper temperature, mix a small amount it in with the yoghurt. This will break up the yoghurt and makes blending it with the rest of the milk easier.

Once you add the starter, the milk can be placed in the jars and those in the Pyrex dish with about a couple of inches or so of warm water. Cover with a wet cloth and leave in a dry, warm place (inside an oven or anywhere where it won't be disturbed) for 6 to 8 hours, better if overnight.

Most yoghurt recipes would recommend using a Thermos jug or even an expensive yoghurt maker. These are quite unnecessary. Remember they are being made in temperate regions, and it's hot enough here on a regular day so ok na ang jars!

Chill, serve plain or with honey, jam or muesli. You can even use this for Indian cooking. Make sure you save one small pot to serve as your starter, though!