Precautions When Making Yogurt

The good bacteria in yogurt helps soothe the digestive tract.

Yogurt contains active live cultures, good bacteria that the body needs to function at it highest level. If you eat yogurt daily, you can save money by making it at home. The process is straightforward; Add live cultures to scalded milk, which is then incubated for several hours, which gives yogurt its thick texture and slightly tart flavor. Because you are working with live bacteria, important precautions must be taken when making yogurt. Does this Spark an idea?

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Sterilize Equipment
- All equipment needs to be sterilized in order for the active cultures to grow properly and to keep out other unwanted bacteria. Wash all the equipment that you will be using including pots, jars, and utensils in hot soapy water. Rinse everything thoroughly and allow it to air dry. In addition to washing, pour boiling water into the container that will be holding the yogurt and leave it until you are ready to use it.
Maintain Incubation Temperature
- The most crucial aspect to making yogurt is the proper incubation temperature. According to the National Center for Food Preservation, the newly mixed yogurt needs to be incubated at 110 degrees F for about four to seven hours. There are several ways to incubate the yogurt. The easiest would be to use a yogurt maker, but you can also place the yogurt in a basin of warm water heated to 110 degrees, and place an electric heating pad underneath to maintain the temperature.
Proper Live Cultures
- The starter consists of a commercial yogurt of your choice and will be the base of your homemade yogurt. Select a plain yogurt that contains the active live cultures L. bulgaricus and S. thermophilus. Do not open the starter yogurt until you need it to prevent any possibility of contamination.
Avoid Scorching Milk
- The milk needs to be heated to scalding, about 200 degrees F in order to change the milk protein so that it will not curdle when adding the yogurt, which is acidic, into the milk. Do not let the milk boil, however; stir constantly to prevent scorching.

Photo Credit yogurt image by Renato Francia from Fotolia.com

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