My yoghurt recipe

I have come to share with you my home-made yoghurt recipe. I hope that it helps you. I don't have access to a health food store, so my ingredients might not be the ultimate--but it helps me anyway.

Need:
milk--I use 3 liters (12 cups) at a time
small cooler--the kind that holds a 6 pack
cooking thermometer--mine clips to the side of the pot
large pot
starter--buy yoghurt, plain--no sugar.

Directions:
1. heat yoghurt to 80 degrees C. (175 F.), allow to cool to 50 C. (120 F.)

2. Wash the cooler with hot, soapy water. We don't want to be culturing anything unwanted.

3. Add the cooled milk (50 C.) to cooler. For every 4 cups (1 liter) of milk, add a heaped tablespoon on yoghurt.

4. Mix well, close lid, and set aside. I put it on top of the frig.--nice and warm. I read instructions once that said to leave it culture from 4 to 10 hours. I have left it for more than that --usually for something like 15 hours. I think that the longer the better for us.

5. Cool. I put the whole cooler in the frig.



Flavoring:
not much I am afraid. To be added to ready yoghurt.

I add a little bit of stevia. The trick with stevia is to not try to make it "sweet"--you will never get creamy vanilla yoghurt like you used to have. The idea is to take the sourness off and add a little bit of sweet. The more your taste buds stop having sugar, the better stevia will taste. Take what you can get.

I also add vanilla and spices (nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves...) to taste.

Lastly, I blend it with a hand blender (one of the greatest creations for the kitchen). This takes out the lumps and blends all the flavors. Blending makes the yoghurt liquid, perfect for drinking. I prefer it myself. I pour myself atleast 2 cups everyday for breakfast.


I hope that this will help some of you. It atleast gives me something normal to eat for breakfast--instead of chicken.

Tip: I store the unused portion of the starter in the freezer for the next time. You can take starter from your current batch for the next. This will work for a couple of months, then you need to start with a new starter.