Glutton Cat

Yoğurt

The medical term for yogurt is Bacillus Bulgaris. It is very popular in Balkans and Anatolia for centuries, and became popular in Europe and America in the last couple of decades.

Majority of people eat it, because they have been told it is good for them. Not many people know that daily use of yogurt ensures regular habits, the blood is purified and skin diseases cleared in a very short time. For feverish conditions it can be given safely when no other food is allowed; it induces sleep and calms the nerves and thus has a remarkable affect on hysterical subjects.

In Turkey, it is consumed daily as a side dish. Unless it is a part of a dessert, it is served without sugar. Sheep’s milk is regarded as the best milk to make yogurt, however it is rather indigestible, so invalids and convalescents are fed on the yogurt made from cow’s milk. Yogurt that is used to feed infants is made daily, in a small cup.

Yogurt should be capable of being cut with a spoon and should never be of near-pourable consistency. It should be thick and smooth, without a trace of lumpliness, and should be color of cream.

In rural areas in Turkey, people make their own yogurt, since it is easier to find milk and it is cheaper. However in big cities, especially in Istanbul, buying yogurt is cheaper than making it at home by yourself.

I love yogurt, and I consume it a lot (almost with every meal). In America, it is not as common as in Turkey, so the price is relatively high. With a graduate assistant budget, it became very difficult to keep this habit, so I decided to make my own.

I knew how to make yogurt, however I did not try making it from pasteurized milk. So I spoiled at least 2-3 gallons of milk before my first successful attempt. It was a little expensive experience for me, but I do not have any regrets.

Ingredients: (per 32 oz container)

• 32 oz milk
• 1 tbsp yogurt culture (starter)

1. Put the milk to a saucepan and bring to boil, stirring occasionally. Let the froth rise to top and boil for one minute. (This step is very important. Do not only heat the milk, boil it!)
2. Remove the milk from heat, put it aside until it cools to ~109F/~42C, or no longer burns your little finger. Frequently stir the milk to prevent skin formation. Skin will increase your cooling time.
3. Transfer the milk to the container. It may be an old yogurt plastic (which I prefer using, since it is easier to measure) or a glass dish (make sure that it has a lid).
4. Place this dish on one layer of blanket.
5. Put the yogurt to a small sauce dish and add 3-4 tbsp of warm milk from the container.
6. Mix them together and add this mixture back to the rest of the milk.
7. Stir well and cover the dish with its lid.
8. Cover the top of the dish with the rest of the blanket.
9. Keep the milk under this cover for 4 hours (summer days, when the temperature of the environment is high) to 8 hours (when the temperature of the environment is low, also add an extra blanket if the place you are making yogurt is below 60F-15C)
10. Take the dish out of the blanket cover, put aside for ten minutes without lid.
11. Store the yogurt at the refrigerator until you need it.