Yogurt
Instructions:
- Though many excellent-quality yogurts are sold in stores,
there is nothing quite like the slightly sweet flavor of
homemade. And though yogurt is a little trickier to make
than fresh cheese - mostly because the
temperature must be controlled for a long time while it
processes—it’s easy enough to get the hang of. Whole
milk makes the richest yogurt, though you can use any
kind of milk you like.
- 1 quart milk, preferably whole
- 1/2 cup natural yogurt (“with active cultures”), ideally at room temperature
- Put the milk in a small to medium saucepan and bring it just to a boil; turn off the heat and cool to 110–115 F (use an instant-read thermometer). Whisk the milk and yogurt together. Put in a yogurt maker, a prewarmed thermos, or a heated bowl wrapped in a towel or blanket and set in a warm place.
- The idea is to keep the mixture at about 100 F. Do not disturb the mixture at all for at least 6 hours. Then carefully check by tilting the container to see whether the milk has become yogurt. If not, leave it alone for another 6 hours. When the yogurt is done, refrigerate and use within 1 week.
- Yogurt Cheese.
- You can make this with store-bought yogurt too. There are even filters available specifically for this purpose: Instead of refrigerating the yogurt, put it in a jelly bag or several layers of cheesecloth and suspend it over the sink or a large bowl. Let drain for at least 6 hours, preferably longer, until the yogurt has a cream cheese–like consistency. Use exactly as you would cream cheese.