Do it Yourself

So many puddings mean I've been getting through the yoghurt pretty fast. I was going to run out before I'd finished all my kissel and shopping day isn't until tomorrow, maybe Saturday if I can wait that long. There was only one solution, risk the last of my stash on growing some more.

I tried and tried to think of a way to make a bowl of yoghurt look appetising for a photo and failed so here is a pretty picture of clouds.



Making yoghurt at home is so easy I'm not really sure I need to document here but since I often forget just how simple it is perhaps it's worth writing it down as an encouragement to save money on my grocery bills.

For a litre of yoghurt take a litre of soya milk. The soya milk I buy is extremely basic, just non-GMO beans and water, no additives, flavourings, sugar or thickeners. I think that's best.

Put the milk into a big clean pan and bring to a simmer. Let it simmer away for five minutes, stirring from time to time to stop a skin forming. If it does it's fine to stir it back into the milk. The volume will reduce a little. Then turn off the heat and cover the pan while everything cools to blood heat.

I use a Thermos flask to make the yoghurt in. A wide mouthed flask is best but I don't have one like that in France and the ordinary sort works fine. Make sure it's squeaky clean and then sterilise by filling it up with boiling water, closing the lid and letting it sit for a while.

When the milk is cooled down to somewhere between 37C and 40C it's time for the next step. If you don't have a suitable cooking thermometer you can use your extremely clean little finger dipped in the milk. You should feel nothing at all, neither heat nor cold. If it feels at all hot then wait a while. As long as it's not chilly it should still work but may take a bit longer.

Empty the hot water out of the Thermos flask.

Take a little of your warm milk and mix it with your starter. This can be 100ml of a purchased live soya yoghurt or a portion of your previously home made batch. Then mix this all back into the full volume of soya milk, stir well and put into the warm flask.

Close up the flask and leave it for at least 12 hours while the culture turns the milk into yoghurt. If it seems a little thin when you open it, close it up again and leave a while longer. I left mine for 18 hours and it was set in the flask.

Turn the yoghurt out into a pot with a cover. Whisk it up if you want to make it smooth. Cover, allow to cool and then keep in the fridge and use as required. Keeps for about a week.