The benefit of natural yogurt is difficult to overestimate - this is a real storehouse of vitamins, minerals and nutrients. Like any dairy product, yogurt is primarily a source of easily digestible calcium and protein, but in essence it is a “vitamin bomb”, containing such mineral substances as iodine, fluorine, phosphorus, zinc, vitamins A, C, PP, B1, B6 and B12.
In addition, yogurt is widely used in home and salon cosmetology. Scrubs, conditioners, yogurt masks for hair and body - all this can be done right at home, and the effect will be like after visiting the cosmetology cabinet. Excellent alternative to expensive cosmetics.
By the way, in more detail how to use homemade yogurt as a beauty-tool (and not only), you can find in the previously published material 6 ways of unusual use of yogurt .
When we talk about the benefits of yogurt, it means only a natural product without various additives, and especially sugar. Therefore, in order to get all the charms that the "right" yogurt can offer, you need to cook it yourself.
Prepare homemade yogurt is easiest, of course, in yogurt , but with the same success it can be done in multivarka or even in a normal thermos . We will tell you what we need and how to make super-healthy yogurt at home in our article.
Products for making homemade yogurt
Yogurt in its classic sense has only three components: whole milk, Bulgarian wand and thermoplastic streptococcus. It is these microorganisms that ferment milk and endow it with all extremely beneficial properties.
The basis of homemade yogurt, of course, is milk and the taste and texture of the finished dairy product will depend on its quality and fat content. Immediately it is worth noting that the higher the fat content of milk, the less protein it will have for the figure, so if you stick to a diet, use milk with 1.5-2.5% fat or less.
In addition to our usual cow's milk, you can use sheep, goat, soybean and even almond milk for yogurt. The only "but" - vegetable milk (almond and soy milk) will take a little more time for ripening, up to 8-10 hours.
And where to get this "thermophilic" streptococcus with a Bulgarian wand? The answer is simple - in a special yogurt sourdough, which can be purchased at a regular store, supermarket or pharmacy. The starter itself is an inconspicuous white powder and can be sold in the form of a paper sachet or a small plastic or glass vial.
One portion of such "living creatures" is enough for 2-3 liters of a home product. But there is a small life hacking, how to increase the amount of ready-made yogurt from one leaven. To do this, you need a new portion of milk and 3-4 tablespoons of previously prepared natural yogurt (the so-called "primary"). Yogurt will turn out the same tasty, and its only possible disadvantage is perhaps a slightly more liquid consistency. You can repeat this procedure 2-3 times, then the number of beneficial microorganisms may not be enough for a new portion of yogurt.
Many housewives are interested in, is store yogurt or ferment in large bottles suitable for fermentation? Technically, yes. But our advice is that it is better not to, even if there is no sugar and various additives in yogurt.
The reason is simple: in any product that is on stream (and even more so a capricious product like yogurt), it is very easy to break the manufacturing technology, which will certainly affect the quality of homemade yogurt. Moreover, to be sure that there is nothing superfluous in the composition and it was stored correctly until the purchase - also none. To get rid of any risks, it is better to use dry yogurt starter.
What is the temperature of milk needed for sourdough
Preparation and temperature of milk in the preparation of yogurt at home plays almost the primary role. For fermentation of milk with yogurt bacteria, a temperature of 37-42 ° C is needed, not higher and not lower. If the temperature is lower, the fermentation process is not activated, and if it exceeds 45-50 ° C, the beneficial microorganisms will simply die.
Much depends on the quality of the milk itself. If UHT milk is used as a base, then simply bring it up to 37-42⁰С, and if you have chosen home-made milk or conventional pasteurization milk, be sure to boil (better, boil for 3-5 minutes) and cool it to the same indicator. To control the temperature, you can use a special cooking thermometer or make a simple “temperature test” on the wrist (milk should be slightly higher than body temperature, but it should not be hot).
