Fo Yo Tummy!

So there is nothing I love more than weeknight food stuff that doesn't LOOK like weeknight food stuff. Case in point, homemade yogurt. The reason why homemade yogurt is perf for the week is because you can start the process before bed, go to sleep, wake up and VOILA Yogurt! Stick it in the fridge before you go to work and nosh on your homemade creamy treat when you get home. I swear its like the grownup version of the tooth fairy coming to visit.

So recently I have been on a shitload of antibiotics. I apparently got Ecoli poisoning and didn't realize it and it went to my digestive tract and moved to my kidneys. No bueno. Not fun. Its been since June that we have been trying to treat it and since June I've been on many rounds of antibiotics that upset my already sensitive tummy. It took us months to diagnose and the whole time I was taking the wrong antibiotics. Needless to say my already sensitive stomach is not happy and I keep living in fear of the yeasterbunny coming to make an appearance. So with my current meds, which will be the last round before I have to get an IV of antibiotics, I am able to tolerate dairy. So what could be better than homemade creamy yogurt with fresh fruit and honey and tons of probiotics?

The very overly complicated explanation of this is making yogurt is essentially growing bacteria. You are heating the milk, then taking the temp down to 100. At 100 it is a good warm temperature for the cultures in your starter to grow and multiply. Your aim is to hold a 100 degree temp for at least 7 hours. This is going allow for the bacteria and lactic acid to grow.

This is the same process for making cheese. Infact, you could turn this very recipe into cheese by straining it for 5 hours over a cheese cloth. You will get a yummy cream cheese by doing this.

For those all freaked out over this, calm the fuck down. Go get a pot, get a thermometer and cup of milk and a container of yogurt and lets get started.

What you need
4 cups of milk
3 tbs plain yogurt (any brand will do as long as it has active cultures- you can use your own next time)
Thermometer
Container

Put a kettle of water on the stove. When its done boiling pour it into the container you will be storing your yogurt in to kill and germs. Let it sit there while you do the following.

Put your milk on a pot on the stove. Heat it to approximately 180. You want almost boiling but not yet boiling. So some people get all crazy about what temperature to heat their milk but I can safely say because I make soap I have a good gage as to what approx 180 is. Its almost boiling but not quite.

Once your milk hits 180, turn off the stove.

Fill your sink with cold water about 1/4 way full. Stick your pot in that. You are trying to now cool down your milk to about 100 which to me is slightly warmer than room temp this time of year. Once your milk has hit around 100 degrees, add three tbs of yogurt and stir to dissolve. Once dissolved cover your container, wrap in a towel and leave in the oven for 8 hours with the light on. The longer you leave the yogurt incubating the more tart it will be some people like tart yogurt and leave it for 12 hours. Its totally a personal choice.

Once your incubation time us up, remove the yogurt. You will find that the milk is thick and custardy. There may be some liquid on top. This is whey and its jam packed with vitamins. You can either strain out the whey with a cheesecloth (creating a thicker Greek yogurt) or you can stir it in for more vitamins and good stuff. I usually stir it in. Place your container in the back of the fridge for 3 hours to get the good probiotics growing.

After a few hours, eat and enjoy.

It has been argued that you don't NEED to heat your milk of your using pasteurized milk, but I'm a bit of a germaphobe and I think this also lends to the thickness of the yogurt.

Note: Your yogurt is not sweetened. It is suggested you sweeten with honey or vanilla or fruit after you make the yogurt. Not before.

Homemade yogurt is a different consistency than store bought yogurt which is often loaded with gelatin or pectin to thicken. It is a creamier fresher taste.

4 cups of milk = 4 cups of yogurt.

And yes that is my new vintage pyrex casserole dish. Isnt it KEYUUUUTE?!?