Making yogurt

Yogurt is a culture of thermophilic microorganisms (commonly Streptococcus thermophilus and Lactobacillus bulgaricus) in milk. The lactose in the milk is coagulated by the lactic acid produced by the bacteria's digestive processes Because it is only encouraging bacteria to grow in something they really like, making your own yogurt at home is fairly simple. You have probably encouraged all kinds of microorganisms to grow in your refrigerator without even trying

Ingredients:

• one or more glass jars or bottles with lids in which you will culture and store the yogurt
• A large saucepan that can hold all of the jars for a batch
• enough milk to fill the jars mostly full - I've seen recipes using powdered milk, but ick!
• 1 Tbsp of sugar per quart of milk (optional, but makes the yougurt slightly thicker)
• 1/4 tsp of salt per quart of milk
• a live culture or container of yogurt which contains live cultures and isn't way past the expiration date like the ones I get when I shop because I just grab the closest ones to the front.
• a cooking thermometer or talent for telling temperature accurately simply by touch
• 4-6 hours of free time, access to some water, and a stove

Instructions:

1. mix the indicated amounts of sugar and salt per quart of milk you plan to use, and fill each jar not quite full but full enough, just so it looks about right
2. place the jars into the saucepan, then fill the saucepan nearly full of water around the bases of the jars
3. bring the water temperature up to 180^oF or more (not boiling). Keep the temperature above 180^oF until the milk has reached 180^o and remains there for at least five minutes. do not stir. Especially do not stir with your hand.
4. turn off the heat until the milk temperature drops below 140^o (I add ice to the water, but that's because I'm impatient!)
5. stir about a tablespoon of active culture or live culture-containing yogurt into each jar and mix well - if the milk's still too hot, you'll kill the nice little bacteria - so be careful!
6. bring the water temperature up to somewhere between 130^oF and 140^oF, and maintain it there for 4-6 hours. For a milder yogurt, lean toward four hours, six hours will make a sharper-tasting yogurt.

If you keep out a portion of the batch for the next time you plan to make yogurt, keep in mind that you will have to refresh your base culture with the storebought yogurt every three to five times. The cultures drift, and the taste becomes less pleasant - kind of like that expired stuff my wife makes me eat.

I like to stir in more sugar or sweetener and a bit of vanilla while the yogurt is still warm. When refrigerated, you can drink this stuff for breakfast and it is smoothly stupendous.