The Best Yogurt Homemade

The perfect yogurt should be thick and creamy. There should be a definite tang that works well in both savory and sweet dishes.Where to get this kind?At home. The best kind is the artesenal, straight from your kitchen sort. All it takes is a starter and your favorite brand of milk.

Priya Krishna, grew up with  perfectly made and cultured yogurt and made it the subject of an article for today's New York Times Food section. Yogurt is a big part of the Indian cooking tradition and most immigrants bring over a starter culture when they move to the States.It's used in a variety of different dishes,mostly savory.It is a staple of South Asia because it holds up so well.It's in the cooking of every section of the area, from the vegetable heavy foods of Gujarat to the light gravies and biryanis of Sindhi food in Pakistan. Yogurts are never store bought. They're made at home without all the fancy yogurt makers. The most important part is the culture.It's two bacterias, lactobacillus bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus.Their function is to ferment the lactose or milk sugar to produce lactic acid.The increase in this reduce the milk's pH and causes the milk to clot or form a soft gel. It can be bought at Amazon and Wal-Mart however these won't make for a good tasting yogurt. The starters have to be taken off other starters, whether from family or friends in the community. It does cement bonds in the Indian community.

Is the milk just as important. That can vary. Some swear by certain brands, some don't care, as they just place special emphasis on the culture.Ms Krishna supplies a recipe from her cookbook,Indian-ish (Howard Mifflin Publishers 2019)that she wrote with Ritu Krishna All it takes is four cups of organic whole milk and 1/4 cup of full fat yogurt with live active cultures. She recommends checking the ingredient list  however if you know someone with an active culture then definitely ask them for  some.First add 1/4 inch of water at the bottom of a Dutch oven. This will prevent the milk from sticking when cooked. The milk is almost boiled and then cooled until it goes down to 135 degrees F. As the milk cools, smear the bottom of a one quart lidded glass container with the starter yogurt.Ms.Krishna suggests a dab , not smearing the whole bottom. When the milk has cooled to the proper temperature  whisk in the remaining yogurt. Stir until completely mixed and then pour into the container. Leave the lid on loosely to allow the air to escape.. Place the jar in an unheated oven with the oven light on for one hour. You can tell when it's done when it jiggles like Jello.Some batches can take up to five hours to set. It  will last for four to six weeks.

The best yogurt is the one straight from the kitchen. Make it to day and then experience its' tart , creamy lushness. It's an easy cook

Homemade Yogurt Tasty Goodness

Nowadays we're dazzled by the variety of yogurt in our supermarkets.It' whipped, sprinkled  with candy ,topped with nuts.It's French style Greek style , old school style. It's just too much. A simpler and much better version is the homemade kind - one made in your kitchen,

Melissa Clark knows this and wrote about it in an extensive column in yesterday's New York Times Food section.It's the easiest foods to make yet it does require some thought and good choices. You being with the starter - namely the good bacteria that will ferment the milk,Ms Clark suggests thinking of it like the sourdough starter that results in a crusty, tangy  bread.The two bacteria that are used the most are Lactobacillus delbruecki subspecies bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus. The first turns laciose into lactic acid and  is what gives yogurt its' tangy or sour taste. The second breaks down lactose into a digestible fatty acid. Where can these be had? In any live plain yogurt. Remember to look for the words "live""living" or "alive" in the ingredients ass.It has to be without preservatives but with an enjoyable flavor.  This is what will flavor your finished product.Another option is heirloom yogurt starter usually found online and at some health food stores. For a nondairy yogurt,use a commercial yogurt probiotic powder or capsules . A vegan non dairy starter can be used as well.

What about the milk? There are several options, such as cow's milk.There are two types, one known as creamline or non homogenized milk and homogenized. Creamline will produce a yellow layer that will sit on top of the yogurt. Homogenized is smooth throughout and won't separate. Ms. Clark recommends choosing pasteurized milk for the best results.Don't use sterilized or ultrapasteurized (UHT).The pasteurized kind produces a better flavor and ferments more willingly. Another variable is the fat content. Fat adds creaminess and body. The less milk fat, the thinner the yogurt's  texture. For a really rich one add cream.If you're worried about calories,then just use the 2% kind. Keep in mind you can also use goat's, sheep and even buffalo milk.For the best non-dairy cashew milk works the best. Another one is soy which also produces a rich, creamy mouthfeel. As for making the yogurt itself, it just cooking the milk and cream until the liquid simmers - about 110 to 120 degrees F. Let it cool until ipleasantly warm ( Ms. Clark suggests just stick a pinkie in to test)Transfer half a cup of warm milk to a bowl and whisk in the yogurt starter. Stir this into the pot of remaining milk.Set it someplace warm, such as the top of your fridge;Let it sit for six to twelve hours or until it tastes tangy.

Nothing beats a cup of homemade yogurt. It's just plain and delicious, made in your kitchen. Best of all it's just a simple fermentation without all those commercial bells and whistles.