Yogurt

(Cultured milk)

Yield: 5 cups

INGREDIENTS	PREP	AMOUNT
Milk, nonfat, lowfat or whole		5 cups
Plain yogurt with active cultures		2 Tbsp

Basic Steps: Scald → Mix → Incubate

Sterilize a heat-proof glass jar by covering with water and bringing water to simmer. Leave jar in water.
Bring milk just below a boil (about 180-190º F) in a saucepan. Remove from heat and cool to precisely 110º F.
Whisk in yogurt well. Pour into sterilized jar.
Incubate in a warm, protected place for 6-8 hours (see notes).
Refrigerate when well thickened.

Whole milk produces a creamier, milder, more full flavored yogurt that works better as an ingredient in recipes requiring heat.
Yogurt can be made out of milk from goats, sheep, buffalo, horses and even camels.

Yogurt is the main dairy product in the diets of peoples stretching in a wide arc from North Africa through the Mediterranean, Middle East, Eastern Europe and Caucasus on into the Indian subcontinent. It is a favored form of milk for many cultures as it is easily digested, is a good source of protein, holds well and has probiotic qualities.
Yogurt cultures best at a temperature of 90-100ºF. Commercial yogurt makers hold the culture at an ideal temperature. The temperature of a gas oven with only the pilot light lit also works well. Another alternative is to wrap the jar with several towels to maintain a warm temperature as long as possible.