Plain Yogurt/Plain Curd

Yogurt is known for its many nutritional benefits. Yogurt is full of good bacteria, also known as probiotics. Store-bought yogurt has many different additives and preservatives that kill off a lot of the good bacteria yogurt naturally has. There are many benefits to homemade yogurt. Eating one cup of yogurt per day can contribute to preventing osteoporosis due to the calcium content and added vitamin D found in yogurt.

Yogurt is a natural fermentation of pasteurization of milk. It is, very simple to make your own homemade yogurt, even without a yogurt maker. Not only does it actually save us money, but the yogurt is really good and healthy also. Want to save a few bucks every month on plain yogurt? Here you go

What you Need

Milk milk (ideally whole milk, )                    ½ gallon( Here , I used 2% milk)

Existing plain yogurt culture                          3-4 tbsp.

Plain Large thick sauce pan                            1 no.

Method:

• Heat the milk in a large sauce pan until it just starts to boil. Lower the stove heat, and boil the milk for few more minutes.
• Remove the pan from the stove and leave the milk to cool down. Do not expedite the cooling process by refrigerator.
• Once the milk cools down to lukewarm temperature transfer it to the container, you are going to make yogurt. Which has a tightly fixing lid?
• Now add existing plain yogurt in the warm milk and mix it well. Secure the lid on the container and place it gently in a warm corner of the room. Leave it undisturbed for 6- 8 hours or until yougurt cultured.

For winter season: 

•     Surround the container with a woolen blanket to keep milk warm. Leave it undisturbed for 8 hours.
• Turn on the oven to lowest at setting (Preheat, your oven to 180 degrees Fahrenheit.), and turn it off and open the oven door for 3 minutes, because you do not want very hot oven. It should be just warm. Place the milk container in the oven and turn on the oven light and close the oven door.

Congratulations! You have 'home-made' yogurt ready to serve. Refrigerate the yogurt. It will continue to firm up as it gets cold. Yogurt will stay fresh for almost a week then it becomes savor.

Tips:

• Always use plain yogurt for culture.
•  If you use low fat milk, the consisting of yogurt will be thinner.  
• Save some of your yogurt for your next homemade batch. (My method is: Pour the yogurt to the ice cube tray, and freeze it, and transfer into zip lock bags ) ,when you make fresh yogurt put 4 cubes of yogurt cubes to the warm milk

To make thachi (curd) in a cup:

• Pour the milk in cups of the desired shape and size and add a few drops of curd to it. This will make curd in a cup which can be had by the kids directly.