Recipe: Homemade Yogurt

Yogurt is one of the easiest fermented foods there is. You can make it at home, yourself, with no special equipment and no fancy ingredients - all you need is good old milk (whole milk works best), and a cup of storebought yogurt (be sure to get the kind that says "Active Live Cultures" were added after pasteurization).

Homemade yogurt is not only simple to make, but it won't contain any of the sugars or thickeners that are added to store-bought yogurts, so it's much healthier for you. If you want a sweeter yogurt, you can add berries, or other fruit, honey, maple syrup, or granola to the finished product when it's ready to eat. Homemade yogurt is also great in smoothies!

There are lots of things you can do with homemade yogurt, and it's generally easier on the stomach than non-fermented dairy products, plus it's full of healthy probiotics that many say can aid digestion and improve your overall health.

Here is a simple recipe to get you started:

Homemade Yogurt
(Makes 1 quart (4 cups) yogurt.)

Photo courtesy of Mister GC at FreeDigitalPhotos.net.

Ingredients:

• 4 cups (1 quart) milk
• 3 tablespoons plain yogurt (purchased or homemade)* or powdered yogurt starter (amount specified on package)**
• Flavorings such as jam, honey, dulce de leche, molasses, fresh or dried fruit, garlic, herbs, etc (optional)

Notes: *If using store-bought yogurt, choose a yogurt that tastes good to you. It's important to select an unsweetened version that contains live cultures, but the fat content doesn't matter. 

**Powdered starters can be found at some grocery and health food stores and from online sources such as the New England Cheesemaking Supply Company. Read the package instructions to determine how much starter to use for a batch of yogurt—many come in small envelopes or packets perfectly sized to make a single batch.

Equipment Needed: Candy thermometer; yogurt maker (optional) or other incubator, such as a thermos; cheesecloth for straining (optional); Mason jars or other container for storage.

Visit Epicurious.com for full instructions...