Homemade Yogurt

One of the things I try to eat every day is yogurt. I just can't say enough about how much better it makes me feel. Some lean protein in the morning really helps stave off hunger, and the bacteria in yogurt help digestion. Of course, none of this applies if you're eating something like strawberry Yoplait out of a plastic carton, since it's packed with sugar, preservatives, and stabilizers.

My yogurt of choice these days is homemade. I have gotten to the point where my yogurt regenerates indefinitely, but when I first started making it I needed to by a new jar of storebought yogurt every few batches because the yogurt stopped thickening. Practice makes perfect; here's a basic recipe:

• 1/4 cup or one storebought container of good plain yogurt with live, active cultures (I love Saint Benoit here in the Bay Area, but I have had luck with Fage and Stonyfield)
• 1 quart milk (you can use soy milk, but the resulting soy yogurt will not be able to produce future batches)

Heat the milk over a medium flame until it is bubbling around the corners. Do not let it come to a full boil or froth over. Set the pot in an ice bath, or on a cold windowsill, and cool until comfortable to touch. Use a clean thermometer or washed hands, please. Stir a little cooled milk into the starter yogurt to thin it out, then pour the yogurt back into the milk and stir well. Pour into containers that have been cleaned with soap and very hot water. I like to use glass containers because it's a little easier to see how thick the yogurt is getting. I also always make one small container of yogurt that isn't opened until I make my next batch, so I always have a clean starter.

Cover loosely with plastic wrap or a cloth, and set in a very warm place. An oven with a pilot light is perfect, or you can preheat your oven to about 100 degrees and then turn it off when you put the yogurt in. Depending on how healthy your yogurt is, it should multiply and thicken the milk in 8-12 hours. Start checking it with a clean knife after 7 hours. Place the yogurt in the fridge when it's a little softer than you want it, because it will thicken slightly as it cools.

See? Cool, creamy, and refreshing. My favorite thing about homemade yogurt is that it is much less sour than storebought. Whereas I usually think plain yogurt needs some honey or jam, I can eat homemade straight of of the jar. But that doesn't mean I don't usually add some granola and homemade raspberry preserves. That, and paying under $2 a quart for organic isn't too shabby!