Fermenting Yogurt

I’ve been in a flurry all day getting ready to leave for a week’s visit to South Portland, Maine, tomorrow morning. My focus was on packing the right things – as few as possible, but distractions pulled me off course.

For one thing, I had a smoothie for lunch and used most of the yogurt. I’ll be gone a week and this yogurt is getting on in age, so I felt obligated to make a fresh batch to insure that the culture remains strong and viable.

Yogurt-making isn’t much of a task because I have a wonderful little appliance made by West Bend. I found it several years ago on Walgreen’s clearance rack for five bucks while I was waiting for a prescription. It’s a humdinger. It makes one quart, just the right size for me.

West Bend doesn’t make them any more. Now all the yogurt makers produce either too much or are cumbersome with six little cups to fill and wash. I know because I tried to buy Todd one for his birthday and found nothing as simple, easy or straightforward as mine. Too bad, because yogurt is so very easy to make if you have the right incubator.

First, I put a tablespoonful of yogurt from the last batch in the bottom of the container. Then I pour milk into a quart measuring cup and microwave it for three minutes. Using a candy thermometer I make sure the milk’s temperature is between 110º and 115º. I pour a little of the milk into the container and stir to mix it with the yogurt. Then I pour in the remaining milk, give it a stir and put the container into the yogurt maker. I plug in the West Bend and walk away. Before I go to bed tonight the yogurt will be set.

Instructions for making yogurt always call for heating the milk to 170º, then letting it cool to 115º before proceeding. That is unnecessary if one uses pasteurized milk. The purpose of 170º is to kill bacteria, but pasteurization does that. High heat is needed only for raw milk.

If you want to make your own yogurt, buy a good brand of yogurt, eat most of it and save a little bit to make the next quart. The culture will keep going for as long as you renew it by making more yogurt. It's a good way to save money (think of the difference in cost between a quart of milk and a quart of yogurt) and cut down on plastic container waste. 

If you don't have a yogurt maker you can mix it in a glass quart jar and set the jar in a cooler with hot water up to the neck of the jar. Close the cooler and drape a towel over it. Check back in a few hours.

So, that’s all I have to say about yogurt. It's time to hang out with Dennis, put my clothes in the suitcase, eat supper, and remember to check the yogurt before I go to bed.