Yogurt-making at home, Part I: Introduction

(Part II) (Part III) (Part IV)

Why would you make your own yogurt?

Well, for one thing, it’s cheaper — at least, if you start with regular supermarket milk. (Not everyone does — but I’m getting ahead of myself.) The sequence of events that led to me writing this series of blog posts started with a friend of mine who realized how much she was spending each week on yogurt and asked me for advice on making her own.

Yogurt is not only delicious, it’s nutritious — and some people report benefits from consuming “probiotic” foods like yogurt which contain live, beneficial cultures. When you make your own yogurt, you control the cultures that go into it. There are a surprisingly wide range of bacterial cultures used in yogurt. When you make your own yogurt, you always know that the cultures are live and robust.

And when you make your own yogurt, you can portion and flavor it as you see fit. A couple of spoonfuls of blueberry preserves? Oh, yes. Granola and honey? Well, ancient Indian writings refer to yogurt plus honey as the food of the gods, and the addition of granola gives a great texture and flavor contrast. Fresh fruit is great, of course. Dried fruits can be added the night before, allowing them to rehydrate in the yogurt overnight.