Yogurt

Posted by judy down under 05-14-98 10:19 PM 

With a little experience you can get good results every time: 

10 cups or 2.31 lites whole milk 
(can use skinny/light milk but it's not as creamy) 

qtr cup or 50ml plain yogurt 




Bring the milk to the boil in a pot and remove from heat. 
Lower the temperature either by letting it cool by itself or by placing in
a pot of cold water.  
The ideal temp for the yogurt bacteria is 110 to 115 degrees F(43-45 degrees C).
If you don't have a thermometer - the milk should be just hot enough for you 
to hold your little finger in it, without burning, for 10 secs.


Mix the yogurt into a cup of the warm milk and stir it back into the pot. 
On cold days you may need more yogurt to start a culture than on warm days. 



The yogurt bacteria needs several hours of warmth and quiet to grow. 
Keep the temp constant by wrapping the pot in a thick cloth (or towel) and 
placing near a source of heat. (I use a just warm (no hotter) hot water
bottle  Avoid any movement. 



It usually takes from six to eight hours for the yogurt to become firm. 
Once the yogurt sets, place in the fridge to retard the growth of the 
bacteria, otherwise it will trun sour within two days. The yogurt should 
stay good for five days or so. Don't forget to save some culture to start
your next batch of yogurt. If the starter culture grow weak, replace with 
newly bought yogurt. 


Tips: When bringing the milk to the boil stir almost constantly to prevent
sticking as this causes a burnt taste to the yogurt