I have had the great fortune of living close enough to a Bulgarian friend, Anna Pavlova, to get a container of yogurt every so often from her as a starter. If you don’t have a Bulgarian friend, a company in California sells a Bulgarian-style Yogurt Starter®. (See http://www.natren.com/ and look in their specialty items.) This wonderful product is a combination of 50 percent Streptococcus thermophilus and 50 percent Lactobacillus bulgaricus. Each bottle is decorated with the picture of a Bulgarian woman. 8 cups milk (I prefer whole raw milk)1/4 cup yogurt from a previous batch or 4 teaspoons of Natren yogurt starter as directed on the bottle2 glass quart jars with lids, sterilized
Over low heat, slowly bring the milk to at least 180°F, or until a ring of bubbles forms around the edge of the pan, but don’t boil.
Let cool until you can keep your finger in the milk while you count to 10.
Divide yogurt starter or reserved yogurt between two wide-mouth quart-size sterilized glass jars. Pour in about 1/4 cup milk and stir to incorporate the starter.
Fill the jars with the rest of the milk and screw on the lids.
Wrap the jars in a warm blanket and let sit overnight in a warm place or for at least eight hours.
Unwrap and place in the refrigerator. I know you will enjoy this creamy, healthy yogurt.
1 comment:
When I make yogurt using raw milk, I don't like to superheat it, since that kills the nice friendly enzymes. I follow the instructions from Nourishing Traditions, and heat the milk only to 110 degrees. I use a Salton yogurt maker, which keeps the culture at a consistent 90 degrees. The result isn't as firm as "store" yogurt, but it thickens in the refrigerator, and it's pretty good. The longer it incubates, the more tart it is.
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