Many people think that making yoghurt or Kefir at home must be some complicated recipe.
It isn't!
I am reminded up the KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid!) theory whenever I read complicated recipes involving the creation of home made yoghurt. I just read another one and I felt that I just had to write how to make it, for real, in your own kitchen. It is just soooo simple (and a lot less expensive!) you will be kicking yourself in the ars for ever thinking otherwise! Honestly!
Yoghurt is one of the easiest - healthiest changes you can do for yourself and your family. It takes NO special talent or tools! Try it for yourself!
What to gather in your kitchen -
milk, plain regular yoghurt from the store (I use an organic yogurt, yoplait or Brown Cow regular NOT low-fat - you can also get a culture from the health food store), a thermometer, pot (not aluminum or teflon - use stainless steel or porcelain coated), wooden spoon, stainless steel ladle, quart size glass jar with rim/seal, bath towel, and an ordinary cooler. Optional: heating pad (in the winter months when it is harder to keep things warm I use the heating pad for over night incubation).
1) If using store bought pastuerized milk gently bring it up to 180 degrees. Stir as you go with your wooden or stainless steel spoon. Cool down to about 110.
If using raw milk - bring it slowly up to 110 degrees so as to not destroy any of the vital nutrients and other beneficial things in the milk. Note: you can make yoghurt using as little as 1 quart or as much as you want... I have typically made batches of up to 2 gallons at a time... we eat a lot of yoghurt and kefir : )!
2) Place 1/4 cup of store or previous batch yoghurt into a quart jar. (to be completely honest... I NEVER measure! I just use a large standard tablespoon out of the drawer and put a heaping dollop into the new jar) Add a ladle full of warmed milk. Stir to break up and distribute the yogurt then fill the jar the rest of the way. Stir. (another honest note: I don't always do this... last night for instance I made a HUGE 2 gallon batch and didn't stir or otherwise break up the dollop. I just filled the jars and put on their seals. This am they are BEAUTIFUL!)
3) Wipe edge of jar clean with warm damp dishcloth. Place seal and rim on jar. Tighten.
4) Have a cooler prepared lined with a towel. You can also lay a heating pad on lo in there, but I have only found it necessary a few times in the winter.
5) Place your jar of warm milk with yoghurt culture in the cooler and wrap the towel around it to help keep it warm.
6) Leave it sit over night. Some time in the morning open your cooler, unwrap your treasure and examine it in amazement as you slowly tilt the jar from side to side and the milk has turned into a jelled mass of Yoghurt!
See any semi clear liquid... maybe a little yellow/greenish hint to it???
WAIT! Don't dump that out!!!! That is Whey! You WANT that! It is nutrient dense - the same stuff that is in all those 'whey protein shake mixes' - it will help you digest your milk, loose weight, build muscle mass, and so much more. NEVER throw that out! Just stir it back in.
You can eat it now... warm... or refrigerate and eat it cooled in a little bit. Just add your own fruit, nuts, granola, honey, agave, stevia... whatever you like!
We make smoothies by using about 1/2 of a quart jar of yoghurt or kefir, 2 bananas, 8 - 10 frozen strawberries, and about 1/4 cup of honey or agave. Top off the blender container with milk. Blend until smooth. You can add your favorite protein powder as well.
Enjoy!
You will find that home made yoghurt may be less solid than store bought. To alleviate this minor issue you can choose to add a couple of tablespoons of powdered milk to your warm milk at the same time you add the culture.
Note: If you would like to add a smooth vanilla flavor to your yoghurt just add a tsp of real vanilla extract to the warm milk in the quart jar and stir it in. You can also sweeten your yoghurt by adding a bit of raw sugar (xylitol, honey, maple syrup or stevia), to your taste, and stirring it in while still warm on the stove top... making sure to dissolve it all before putting the sweetened cultured milk into jars.
Kefir is even easier than yoghurt! AND has 10 (yes TEN) beneficial bacteria!
1) pour milk into a quart container
2) let it come to room temperature (you can help it along if you like by using the stove top and slowly bringing it up to about 80 degrees... just warm to the touch). Raw milk straight from the cow that has never been cooled is absolutely wonderful for this!
3) add 1/4 cup of store bought kefir (I have found Lifeway Kefir locally and have used plain as well as strawberry and blueberry with equal results) to the bottom of a quart jar. Pour room temp milk over it and stir in. Wipe rim. place the lid on... but do not tighten... the culture needs to breath! Place next to the fridge or in similarly warm area of the kitchen.
4) let it sit for 24 hours. Tighten the seal. Tilt the jar from side to side. If not solid and pulling away from the jar at this point just gently turn the jar over a couple of times to help the culture disburse throughout the jar again. Loosen the seal and place back in the warm place. Check again in another 24 hours. Repeat.
It can take 5-7 days to achieve, however in the warmth of summer or next to a cook stove in winter it will culture up in about 36 hours more or less.
5) enjoy it the same as you would yoghurt. Remember the whey is the really good part!
Well, the secret is out! Now, what ya going to do about it???
Yes, that's it... Get OFF the computer and go to the kitchen and start up your first batch of home made yogurt or kefir!
Let me know how it goes!
~Wendy
