MAKE YOGURT AT HOME

Yogurt is widely regarded as a health food mainly due to the beneficial bacteria that it contains. There are both local and imported brands available in the refrigerated shelves in grocery stores and supermarkets in the Philippines. The lowest priced yogurt is a local brand priced at about P31.00 while imported brands range from P45.00 to 65.00, all of them in 123 to 150 ml. serving sizes.

Taking probiotic yogurt regularly can now be affordable. One can easily make it at home with basic kitchen equipment, thick wad of newspaper and store-bought unflavored yogurt. This writer had been making yogurt for the last three years using styrofoam ice boxes as heat retainer, but recently, he experimented with newspaper and it also proved successful. This experience enabled him to transfer this low technology to those who can afford milk but find commercial yogurt too expensive.

Here’s how:

Materials:

You will need fresh milk (if you own a dairy cow) or ordinary generic instant powdered whole milk and unflavored yogurt made by the leading local dairy company. Buy the yogurt (about P31.00) which has the longest expiry date, about six months from the time of purchase.

Equipment:

You will need a stove, a small stainless pot that will hold about a liter of milk, a thick wad of newspaper, a string and if available, a thermometer.

Process:

1. Heat 1 liter of water (purified so you will not need to boil) to about 60 degrees Celsius. If you do not have a thermometer, the gauge stick is when the water is about as hot as the direct sunlight at mid day.

1. Dissolve about three-fourths cup of instant milk in the heated water and stir until well blended;

1. If you are using pasteurized fresh milk follow the same procedure of heating to about 60 degrees;

1. Stir in yogurt into the blended milk and immediately transfer the pot in the middle of the thick newspaper and gather all sides of the newspaper and tie at the middle. This is to retain the heat for at least three hours;

1. After four hours, check milk mixture. If it has curdled, then it is successful. If not, the yogurt starter may have expired or that the milk blend may have been too hot and killed the good bacteria that curdle the milk, or the milk is not hot enough to provide a good environment for bacteria to grow;

1. Immediately transfer yogurt into 125 ml cups, cover and refrigerate. One cup is the normal serving portion. The finished product will make about 8 cups.

Costing:

One liter of yogurt using this process will cost about P43.00 in all if you will not factor the initial starter which is P31.00. since you can reserve one cup as starter for the next batch and you can do this for up to 10 times until the microorganism potency has weakened, so the investment cost of the yogurt starter can be as low as P3.10. By making yogurt at home, one can enjoy this probiotic for as low as P5.00 per serving!