YOGURT MAKING

When I was a small child I remember that almost in every house yogurt making was a regular activity. I still make my own yogurt at home and I taught some of my friends how to make it as well. It is an essential part of Turkish cooking. It is believed to have medicinal and therapeutic qualities by some people and most of the time it is served two three times a day in a regular household in Turkey or at least आईटी वास in my childhood home. It is a base for some soups like yogurt and rice soup (yayla corbasi) and cold barley soup.

Yogurt is a fermented milk product which was introduced to world by Turks long long centuries ago. It is produced by adding a "starter" of active yogurt containing a mixed culture of Lactobacillus bulgaricus (or occasionally L. acidophilus ) and Streptococcus thermophilus. These produce lactic acid during fermentation of lactose. The lactic acid lowers the pH, makes it tart, causes the milk protein to thicken and acts as a preservative since pathogenic bacteria cannot grow in acid conditions. The partial digestion of the milk when these bacteria ferment milk makes yogurt easily digestible. In addition, these bacteria will help settle GI upset including that which follows oral antibiotic therapy by replenishing non-pathogenic flora of the gastrointestinal tract.

MY WAY OF MAKING YOGURT AT HOME

Ingredients for 1 Quart of Yogurt
4 cups (1 quart) whole milk
1/2 cup plain yogurt with live active cultures.

In a sauce pan, heat milk over medium heat, stirring frequently to just below boiling point. Remove milk from heat and allow to cool until lukewarm, (between and 110°F). Cooling of milk to 100°F takes about 20 minutes. Do not add any flavorings or sweeteners before completing the yogurt making process. Add plain yogurt to the warm milk, stirring gently to blend. Do not beat or whip. Cover your pan with kitchen towels and set it aside to allow it incubate undisturbed and away from air drafts for approximately 5 hours. Don't worry if you forget to refrigerate it sooner than this becuase you can keep it on the counter up to 10 hours without getting it savory. Yogurt should be partially set (jiggle in the center) after 5 hours and will thicken further when refrigerated. If not partially set, process another hour until set.
Place your pan in refrigerator. Chill at least 2 hours. Remove 1/2 cup of yogurt for future use as a starter before adding desired fruit, flavoring or sweeteners. Keep yogurt refrigerated until use.

YOGURT MAKING TIPS

• Do not leave yogurt outside too long, the curd and liquid whey will separate and can not be reversed.
• Yogurt made with 2% or 1% milk may have a soft consistency. Whole milk makes the thickest, creamy yogurt because it contains the most solids.
  When using store bought yogurt as a starter, make sure the label indicates "Live Active Cultures" and check the expiration date. Yogurt culture becomes weaker over time. Use only plain yogurt as flavored/sweetened varieties will not work.
• If using raw milk or pasteurized milk that has been refrigerated for some time, boil it for a few minutes before cooling to the desired temperature. Boiling kills any bacteria that can interfere with the incubation of the yogurt cultures.
• Do not heat the milk for too long or at too high a temperature as the result will be poor quality yogurt.
• Make sure all utensils, container and lid are clean. Impurities affect growth of yogurt culture.
• Make sure milk is cooled to the correct temperature before adding the yogurt starter. If the yogurt culture is exposed to temperatures too high, the culture will be destroyed. If the culture is exposed to temperatures too low, processing will take longer. Use your small finger to test its temperature as I always do. If you can stand its heat it means that it is the right temperature. Don't forget that it should be warm enough to have a thick, creamy yogurt.
• Do not touch your yogurt pan until it gets thick enough as this may affect the quality of the yogurt. Keep the yogurt pan covered with kitchen towels to avoid any air.
• Always keep yogurt refrigerated until use. It can keep up to 10 - 14 days, after which it may become tart.
• Add flavoring, sweeteners and fruit after processing and refrigeration if you desire so.