Healthy HomeMadeYogurt(Curd/Perugu/Dahi/Thayir)

We all love YOGHURT so much.We also know that yogurt has lot of health benefits too--------that is the reason that many companies are surviving in the market selling all these varieties of yogurts claiming to be healthy, good for digestion and many more.These yogurts are all very tasty but also high in sugars.

I always feel that it is good to know what is there in what we eat.Well, we cannot really know what is there in any food that is not home-made.I am not against eating outside or buying ready-to-eat foods.I too enjoy eating out and buy ready-to eat food.It is fun to eat outside but it is healthy to eat home-made food at least when it comes to making simple things like yogurt. 

Making yogurt is very simple and easy.We can make a big batch of yogurt at once and refrigerate it.We can save lot of money and also help ourselves and the environment .For making yogurt there are different kinds of gadgets available and different methods to make it.Still I would prefer the method people have been using since generations.All we need is a stove,a pan to boil milk and some existing yogurt culture.Some containers to refrigerate.

Let' get ready to make it.......................

Main Ingredients :
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Milk..............................1Gallon
PlainYogurt...................1cup(for culture)

Storage/Refrigeration :
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1 quart bottles/plastic containers nice and clean.

Preparation :
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First pour the milk into a vessel and place it on the stove on medium heat.I used a steel vessel. To make sure that the bottom of the vessel does not burn the milk solids pour some cold water into the steel vessel and then add milk to it and boil on medium heat till the milk rises well.Boiling the milk on medium or less heat for 40 minutes to 1hr gives a nice flavor to the yogurt.

While the milk is boiling you don't have to be near the stove,you can do some other work.Once the milk is boiled switch off the stove and let it cool down for 1/2 hour.If you want it to cool down immediately place milk vessel in cold water or a bowl of ice.When the temperature comes down to warm(105 deg F) take it out of the cold environnment.

Now divide the milk into the bottles/plastic containers that you have kept ready.Now take the exisitng yogurt culture you have and place 1 full tablespoon of yogurt in each quart size container and mix it well.

Place the lid on the containers and keep them in the oven and switch on the oven-light.In 8 hours the yogurt is ready.

Yummy ,healthy home-made yogurt is ready to eat.

Notes:
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1)In summer you don't have to switch on the oven-light as it is already hot weather the yogurt will be done even quicker.If you leave the yogurt for longer period in warm temperature it will become sour.

2)I use 2% milk.You can use organic/non-organic or any % of fat milk.

3)Yogurt is a staple food in many parts of the world.In India, yogurt is a part of everyday meal,it's also used in cooking too.Use it in smoothies or parfaits or for cooking and baking .Use your imagination.

4)If you don't have time to boil milk on the stove,you can microwave the milk to a nice boil,let the milk cool down a bit and when it is still warm add the yogurt culture and cover with lid and leave it in the microwave(power off) or a warm place for 6 hours and the yogurt is ready.
5) Here I have the picture of the empty steel vessel to show that even after boiling the milk for an hour it didn't burn the milk solids in the bottom.

Tip :
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 Pour a cup of cold water in the steel vessel first and then pour the milk and heat in medium temperature.This surely works.

Try it and let me know.