Homemade yogurt saves money, avoids preservatives

Walk by the dairy section of the grocery store and you'll find a variety of yogurts for sale. Television commercials extol the dietary wonders of this popular product, which has a long history. Yogurt has been the diet of peasants and the delicacy of kings for more than 4,000 years.

Yogurt is a part of history. In some countries, cultures of bacteria were passed down from generation to generation. Legend has it that Genghis Khan fed his vast army yogurt to give the men strength during their long marches through the Orient and Persia. Yogurt is nutritionally valuable to the diet, as it is rich in vitamins and minerals.

I link my love of yogurt to the fresh skin you can achieve by eating it and using it as a facial cream. Making yogurt depends on the growth of bacteria to form lactic acid. When milk is inoculated with one or more types of yogurt bacteria, they begin to grow, forming lactic acid which kills any harmful bacteria that may have infected the milk. The milk used in making yogurt differs by region as does the bacteria. Cow's milk is used in the United States, whereas buffalo's or goat's milk is used in Armenia.

You can make yogurt at home, and it is an interesting process. Since yogurt made at home does not contain any preservatives, natural food purists will consider it especially healthful. And by making it at home, the date of freshness can be controlled. Yogurt-making appliances are worth owning. They are easy to use and the savings on yogurt are unbelievable.

Basic yogurt is easy to make and can serve as the base to desserts, salad dressings, soups and cream cheese.

Port Royal resident Ervena Faulkner is a retired educator who has always had an interest in food and nutrition. E-mail her at features@beaufortgazette.com.

Basic Yogurt

1 quart fresh milk

2 tablespoons powdered milk

1 tablespoon plain, unflavored commercial yogurt

Combine fresh milk and powdered milk in a heavy stainless steel or enamel pot. Over low heat and stirring constantly, bring slowly to a boil. Pour mixture into a bowl to cool to about 80 to 85 degrees. Blend ½ cup of the warm milk with the yogurt until mixture is smooth. Add this mixture to the bowl of remaining warm milk. Pour into a canning or freezer jar, cover and keep warm using one of the incubating methods described below. Incubate 3 to 5 hours or overnight. When the mixture is the consistency of thick cream, refrigerate it to chill before serving.

Incubation Method

The milk mixture has to be kept warm enough for the culture to develop, between 105 to 112 degrees for 3 to 5 hours. The incubator can be an electric heating pad whereby the jar with yogurt culture can be nestled at the lowest temperature for 3 to 5 hours.

Fresh Fruit Yogurt

1 quart fresh milk

2 tablespoons powdered milk

½ cup fresh fruit or berries

1 tablespoon plain, unflavored commercial yogurt

Honey, to taste

Scald fresh and powdered milk and cool to 110 degrees. Incubate as for Basic Yogurt (recipe on Page 1C) or in a yogurt-making appliance. Mix in remaining ingredients. Refrigerate to chill before serving.

Yogurt Salad Dressing

1 cup Basic Yogurt (recipe on Page 1C)

½ cup apple cider vinegar

1 medium onion, minced

⅔ cup safflower oil

1 clove garlic, minced

½ cup celery leaves, chopped

¼ cup parsley leaves, chopped

Blend all ingredients in an electric blender until smooth.