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Yogurt, Homemade
Appears in
Published 2000
When you prepare yogurt, make sure all your utensils are scrupulously clean: Dirty or greasy tools will not produce the desired result. This recipe requires 20 minutes’ preparation and 12 hours’ setting; it makes about 2 quarts of yogurt:
- In a clean, non-reactive pot, bring 2 quarts whole milk to a boil over medium heat.
- Immediately remove the milk from the heat and let it stand until cool but not completely cold. The temperature should be 115°F on a kitchen thermometer; the temperature is correct if you can just tolerate the heat on a finger for 20 seconds. (Temperature is important: If the milk is too cool, the culture will not grow; on the other hand, excess heat will kill the bacteria in the culture.)
- Pour the milk into a square or rectangular glass dish. Pull out a rack in the center of the unheated oven and place the dish on it.
- Place ¼ cup plain low-fat or fat-free commercial yogurt in each of the four corners of the dish. Gently push the rack back into the oven, and close the door. Do not turn on the oven but leave the light in the oven on to get just the right amount of warmth: The yogurt must rest undisturbed for at least 24 hours. An alternative is to cover and wrap the dish in a large towel or blanket and let it rest in a non-drafty corner of your kitchen.
- When the yogurt is ready, store it in the refrigerator and use as needed.