Description
I’ve already mentioned the health benefits of eating natural yoghurts in the Fruit & Yoghurt breakfast recipe. Depending on where you live, it might be difficult to find a yoghurt brand that is suitably nutritious, that is, a yoghurt that:
- Contains the culture ‘lactobacillus delbrueckii bulgaricus’ and ‘streptococcus thermopiles’.
- Does not contain artificial colours, flavours or preservatives (like citric acid).
- Does not contain sugar or sugar substitutes.
- Does not contain oils or thickeners.
You always have the choice of making your own fresh natural yoghurt and there are two methods, one does not requires a yoghurt maker, and the other does (which can be purchased for anything between $20 and $100 online).
I like to keep things simple with as few gadgets as possible, so I’ll explain the simple method without the need for a yoghurt maker, although I tend to use mine for simplicity more often than not!
How to Make Yoghurt
Preparation Time
8-12 hours minimum in incubation. I usually prepare mine in the early evening to be ready for the following day although sometimes it requires a much longer.
Ingredients
Your favourite natural yoghurt brand, 2-3 tbsp
Favourite fresh milk brand (semi-skimmed or skimmed is fine too), 1/2 gallon
A tightly-sealed lunch box container or a sturdy and reliable thermos
- You can use a yogurt culture instead, if you don’t have the mother yoghurt.
Preparation
1. Sterilise the tightly-sealed container or thermos and all other utensils before beginning with boiling water.
2. Pour the yoghurt mother (or yoghurt culture) into the tightly-sealed container or thermos and add the milk (leave plenty of space because it will grow considerably).
3. Leave the mixture in the microwave or oven (turned off of course!) for at least 2 days. Alternatively, you could wrap it in a towel and set aside somewhere warmish.
4. Watch it multiply in volume after 1-2 days and enjoy.
Optional
Refrigerate and consume within 1 week. To add sweetness to your yoghurt you could run through dollops of raw local honey, maple syrup or agave syrup. You could also try my Stevia Syrup recipe or raw local honey for natural sweetness.
