Homemade yoghurt

[Guest guest]

I have to add to this thread, because I am the Queen of Homemade Yoghurt:

4 litres of organic whole milk (we can't get raw milk in Canada)- 1 gallon,

approx

1 1/2 cups of plain yoghurt with live culture (I use Astro)

Take 2 large pots: one should fit into the other like a double boiler. I have 2

large stock pots I use. Boil water in the bottom. The top pot will have milk

in it. Heat the milk to 180 degrees - this is the sterilization phase, not

necessary, but part of the original recipe. Then cool the milk to 110 degrees.

I do this by placing my pot of milk in the sink, which is filled with cold

water. When the milk is 110 degrees, stir in the yoghurt. Work quickly as the

incubation temp of the mix is between 110 and 100 degrees. This amount will

fill 6 empty yoghurt containers (750 ml size ). Or glass of course would work

as well. Have a picnic cooler ready. Line it with a thick towel, place the

filled containers in the cooler and stuff and cover with towels. The towels

will insulate and maintain the temperature. Wait 24 hours and leave on the

counter for a couple of hours before refrigeration. After 5-6 batches buy a new

yoghurt to start your batch.

I wash, but don't sterilize, all my equipment: pots, utensils, containers. Get

a good thermometer. I bought a couple of cheap ones before I knew about mercury

and they broke. Twelve hours will actually make the yoghurt, the 24 hour

incubation is SCD- the bacteria cultures are better with the longer incubation.