On Making Yoghurt

I love yoghurt, and, yes, I enjoy spelling it with the "h."

When my mother was here a few weeks ago, we picked up a container of Greek-style yoghurt at Trader Joe's and I was smitten. The stuff is amazing! A facebook status to that effect generated a good bit of conversation, and a former classmate ended up directing me to this website for making yoghurt in your crockpot. She even strains a portion of it to make it Greek-style, confirming what I'd read on Wikipedia. "Greek" yoghurt simply has been strained of much of its whey, giving it its rich, delightful creaminess.

I knew that it was possible to make yoghurt because my mom has done it before. She used a yoghurt maker, but I also knew it was possible to do so without a special machine. Several of the recipes I'd examined before sounded kind of complicated, and when I was pregnant I was afraid of messing with bacteria, so I put that thought aside for a while. This crockpot recipe, however, is extremely simple and works beautifully! For my first batch, I used 2% organic milk, and while the result is a bit thinner than the yoghurt you buy in the store, it is nonetheless delicious.

As the recipe suggests toward the end, I also put a portion of it in a coffee filter-lined colander for 12-18 hrs (don't remember exactly how long!) and made my own "Greek" yoghurt as well. My second batch is in the crock pot right now and I can't wait for it to be done!!!