Homemade Yogurt for the Kids

Yogurt is a dairy product created by fermenting milk with a Lactobacillus culture. It is also good for your colon health and rich for calcium. My children love it as much as I do, especially when its mixed up with fruit. Yogurt is great because it is one of only a few dairy products that can be consumed as a healthful snack. Here is my recipe to make a homemade yogurt:

Ingredients:

- 8 cups fresh milk

- 1/3 cup powdered milk (this is optional but you’ll need it to make the yogurt thicker)

- 1/4 cup pure maple syrup, optional for sweetened yogurt
- 1/2 cup starter yogurt (yogurt that has been made with active live cultures; this is the friendly bacteria that will turn your milk into yogurt. You can buy it at the grocery and remember, you’ll only need asmall amount and it is in plain flavor.)

Other supplies:

• Sterile quart jars with lids, warmed
• Small cooler (lunch-box size would be good)
• Candy thermometer

Directions:

1.       Heat the milk to 180 degrees in a thick-bottomed, stainless steel pot. This is called pasteurization process that kills any unwanted bacteria in the milk. It also changes the structure of the proteins so that they will be set and not shaped like curds.

2.       Remove from heat and cool it down to 110 degrees. You can make the process faster by filling your sink with cold water and putting the hot milk pot in the water and keep stirring the milk. The temperature will drop quickly, so make sure you check it with the candy thermometer.

3.       Add remaining ingredients and stir well.

4.       Put the mixed milk in a jar to incubate and culture them. Set the lids to the jars and place them in the cooler. Leave the cooler in a warm place where it can remain undisturbed overnight. Fill the cooler with hot water up to the shoulder of the jars. Wait for 10 to 12 hours.

5.       When the yogurt is firm, put it in the refrigerator and let it cool for at least 12-24 hours to get the best texture and the yogurt is ready to be served.

I’d like to add some fresh cut up fruit or jam. But remember one thing, the longer it incubates, the more sour it will be. Check this video out on youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tTM_tafz3Bg