Some housewives prefer not to buy yoghurts in the store, but to cook them themselves in a yogurt maker. With proper observance of the cooking technology, the products will taste good and no less useful than those that are obtained under production conditions. The cooking process itself is quite simple, and following some rules will help improve the result.
To make yogurt at home, you need a yogurt maker, milk, and sourdough. You can use special starters ("Acidophilus", "Narine"), they are sold in pharmacies and large stores in dry form. It is necessary to dilute such a powder in strict accordance with the instructions on the package. Containers for preparing yoghurt must be perfectly clean to prevent unwanted bacteria from entering the product.
If the milk is pasteurized, boil it and cool it down. If not, just heat it up. Its temperature should be 30 degrees. Making homemade yogurt will take some time, depending on the fat content of the milk. The fatter it is, the thicker the yogurt will be. Also, store-bought yogurt or sour cream can be chosen as a starter - then the cooking time will be 7-10 hours. If dry sourdough is used, the cooking cycle is up to 15 hours. You should not keep it longer than this time - overstocking yogurt acquires a not very pleasant aftertaste.
Prepared milk is mixed with sourdough, poured into containers, after which they must be placed in a yogurt maker. The proportions will be approximately as follows: for 1 liter of milk - 2 tablespoons of store-bought yogurt or 3 tablespoons of sour cream, add dry starter in accordance with the instructions. Carefully study the instructions for the device - in some devices, jars should be installed without lids, in some with lids. Additives to improve the taste, honey, fruits should be put only after the yoghurt itself has already been prepared.
After cooking, yoghurt should be kept at room temperature until completely cooled, after which the containers should be closed with lids and placed in the refrigerator. You can eat the resulting product one and a half hours after the yogurt maker is turned off. During the preparation of the product, a sharp change in temperature, movement of dishes, drafts should not be allowed - this has a bad effect on bacteria, due to which fermentation occurs. You can store ready-made yogurt in the refrigerator for up to three days.
