Yogurt

By Hklbrries

Yogurt is a cultured milk product with a custardlike consistency and tart flavor. It's a source of protein, fat, carbohydrate, calcium, phosphorous, vitamin A, the B complext vitamins, and vitamin D. Some people believe the bacteria in the yogurt culture acts as an aid to digestion.

To make yogurt, add 1/3 cup nonfat dry milk to 1 quart fresh milk. (Whole, skim, or 2% milk may be used, though the flavor, consistency, and richness will vary with the amount of fat in the milk.) In a stainless steel, glass, or enameled pot, heat the milk to 180 F. Remove the milk from the heat, let it cool to 110 F, and add 1 heaping tablespoon of fresh yogurt with an active culture. Mix well to distributed the starter evenly, but do not beat or whip. Set the mixture aside to incubate at 110 to 115 F.

The easiest way to maintain a constant temperature is in an electric yogurt maker; however, you can also use your oven. Preheat the oven to 250 F, and fill a cake pan with warm water, 110 F. Pour the milk mixture into 4 or 5 small glass or plastic containers. Place these in the pan, put the pan into the oven, and immediately turn off the heat. Leave the containers in the oven or the yogurt maker for 5 to 8 hours. The longer the milk sets, the more tart the flavor of the yogurt. Refrigerate the yogurt for 12 to 24 hours to chill and to continue setting. Frequently, a watery separation will develop. The watery yellowish liquid is whey. It can be poured off before serving for a thicker yogurt, or stirred in for a thinner one.

Though yogurt will keep in the refrigerator for about 10 days, it tastes best when it is fresh. I usually try to use it within a week. Remember to save 1 tablespoon of the yogurt to serve as a starter for your next batch.

There are several reasons why yogurt sometimes fails to become custardlike. The milk may not have been at 110 F when the culture was added; the culture may not have been mixed in thoroughly; either the milk or the starter culture may have been old; the mixture may have been disturbed during incubation; or the incubation temperature may have been too high or too low.

Ingredients

• _ _ _

Preparation

Step 1

_ _ _