Homemade Yogurt

Making your own yogurt is a little bit fiddly to start with but enormously satisfying. It is easily achievable in the home kitchen and will save you a fair amount of money. It also gives you more choice and more control. You can use organic, unhomogenised milk and make a far superior product with no added sugar and still save about 50% on regular store bought yogurt. It is good for your family, your wallet and reduces your reliance on supermarkets, which, if things keep going as they are, will soon rule the world. It is thus well worth the trouble and is actually very exciting because you never quite know if it will set. Apparently, for no reason, sometimes it just doesn't work. This hasn't happened yet but it certainly adds a bit of suspense to the process. If it doesn't set, just turn it into ricotta. I have looked at a lot of recipes online, but the one i found most helpful was from Matthew Evans on the Gourmet Farmer website. I had been using the 'esky' method to incubate the yogurt, but have just received an electric mat (intended for reptiles, i know, weird) that i will use next time. It maintains the required temp meaning you can just leave it for the 12-16 hours it takes to set/breed. I'm really hoping it works as while the 'esky' method works great it is a little annoying having to change the water. I have used homogenised and unhomogenised milk, they both worked great but you seem to get a little skin with unhomogenised, which is fine to eat and kinda acts as a natural lid. Homemade yogurt is a lot creamier and a less astringent than the commercially made stuff. The longer you leave it to incubate, the stronger it will taste. You can use your own yogurt to make subsequent batches but every so often will need to buy a small amount of yogurt to use as it looses its oomph after a while.   

Ingredients:

2 litres organic milk 

2-3 tblsp organic yogurt (unflavoured, must have live cultures)

Equipment:

digital thermometer with a clip

electric heat mat or esky 

heavy based saucepan or double boiler 

Method:

Set the oven to a low temperature, thoroughly wash 3-4 jars and a 500ml ovenproof measuring jug (you will have a little under 2 litres of yogurt to fit), set on an oven tray lined with a tea towel and place in the oven. I use a heavy based 4 litre saucepan, if you have one large enough a double boiler is apparently preferable. Rinse the pot and spike of the thermometer with boiling water to sterilise. Pour the milk into the pot over a medium flame, clip on the thermometer to keep an eye on the temp. Heat, while stirring until 92*C and then remove from the heat and quickly place the pot in a bowl or sink of iced water to col the temp to 38*C. Stir frequently to aid even cooling. While cooling, remove the jars from the oven ready for filling. Once the milk has dropped to 38*C, remove a cup or so using the sterilised measuring jug, add the yogurt starter and stir until thouroghly combined. return to the pot and stir. Pour the mixture into the jug and distribute among the jars, filling to the top if possible. Tightly screw on the lids. If using the esky method, place the jars in an esky and pour in warm water, about 40*C to surround, but no cover the jars. If you leave the yogurt 12 hours you will need to rep;ace the water about 3-4 times to maintain a tempt warm enough for the cultures to grow. Using the electric mat, which i haven't done yet but am about to, you just need to dry the jars, place on the mat - which should maintain a temp of bout 33-37*C - and cover with towels to insulate, leave for 12-16 hours. Eat in about a week.

UPDATE: Electric mat works perfectly!