I am interested in making my own buttermilk and yogurt. I believe in the KISS princible. If anyone knows a simple method please let me know

-- Mike Van Dyn Hoven (mrvdh@dataex.com), September 10, 2000

Answers

Hi Mike,

Heres a recipie for buttermilk out of Carla Emery's Encylopedia of Country Living. Here goes: Mix 2 C's of raw milk with 1/4 C store buttermilk. Coverm set in a warmish place for 24 hrs. You can use a 1/4 C of this she says to make a new batch of buttermilk. Any mmold that forms on the top can be skimmed off.

she says the steps to make the buttermilk are the same as for yogurt, so heres her yogurt recipie use 1 qt of whole milk. Scald and cool til its warm to the touch. Add vanilla, 1 tsp and honey, less than 1 tsp and mix in 2-3 TBLSP of plain cultured yogurt. let set on warm surface for 2-4 hrs and cover with a cookie sheet. Hope this helps.

-- Bernice (geminigoats@yahoo.com), September 10, 2000.

I don't know what KISS is but this is the recipe i have always used for yogurt. I got it from the book Mary Toth wrote.

2 qt. milk, 2tsp. plain cultured yogurt. (I always bought Dannon plain yogurt with acidolphilus to get going)

Warm milk to 115 then add the yogurt. Stir gently and and pour into clean jars. For incubation I always placed the jars in a 6-pack size cooler then added 100 degree water until it came up to the top of the jars. Close lid and let it sit for about 6 hours.

You can then add honey, fruit, whatever after that.

-- Marci (ajourend@libby.org), September 10, 2000.

And here's mine -- (I've got scalded milk cooling right now to make into yogurt). Per quart of whole milk or half and half (half and half makes excellent yogurt!), scalded and cooled to lukewarm, stir in a couple of tablespoons of plain yogurt with live cultures. I've been using Stonyfield for starter, but any good brand that doesn't have too many additives for thickening will do. Put the mixture into clean quart containers, I've been just re-using my old yogurt cartons. I've been making six or eight quarts at a time, as I only have time to make it once a week, so I put the containers in a warm oven -- turn the heat off before you put the containers in -- and leave them for about four hours. Check the oven once in a while if you have time, and if it seems too cool, turn it back on warm for about five minutes -- but set the timer, and make sure you turn it back off!!! With the half and half, my yogurt has been turning out so thick that it's almost like soft cream cheese, and it is absolutely yummy! (By the way, I've lost about twenty pounds in the last three months eating like this -- for those of you who cringe at making yogurt out of half and half!)

-- Kathleen Sanderson (stonycft@worldpath.net), September 10, 2000.