Fresh Raw Milk Yogurt

Making homemade yogurt, kefir and other fresh, cultured foods from raw goat or cows milk is both fun and easy. With just a little bit of time and effort, you can make perfect, delicious yogurt. By doing so, you get to enjoy a premium cultured, raw dairy product that is loaded with beneficial bacteria also known as probiotics, and that includes life enhancing enzymes, and contains quality, easy to digest protein.

Raw dairy is so much easier to digest than cooked, pasteurized dairy; they are like night and day. Please note: if you have been allergic to dairy products, you may be able to enjoy homemade raw milk yogurt, even though you cannot digest ordinary dairy products. Homemade yogurt is a superior option to commercially produced organic yogurt, because commercial yogurt is made from pasteurized, and homogenized milk.

It is especially important to find new foods to enjoy when you are candida cleansing, since your food selections are restricted while your requirements for high quality, nutrient-dense foods remain high.

Cleanliness is especially important when culturing foods; when culturing we want to be growing beneficial culture, rather than some spooky unknown bacteria! Clean your kitchen or workspace from top to bottom before you make yogurt, kefir, or any of the cultured or fermented foods offered here.

Yogurt Making Supplies:

* 2 or more quarts of fresh organic, organic, or locally produced, raw cow or goat milk
* 2 or wide-mouth quart glass jars, sterilized, with tight-fitting lids
* 3 T per quart jar of organic, whole or goat milk, plain, unsweetened yogurt to use as your yogurt starter, or if you know a yogurt maker who can give you some of their starter, get some from them!
* 1 heating pad, find at garage sales, thrift or drug store
* Clean enamel, glass or stainless steel pot
* Ladle
* Thermometer
* Clean spoon
* Clean dishtowels

Directions for 1 quart of goat or cow milk:
Pour milk into pan, turn heat to medium, and testing every couple of minutes with the thermometer, heat to 115 degrees F. While milk is heating, lay out the heating pad, cover with a clean towel, and line up your jars. Place 3 T of plain yogurt into each clean, empty quart jar. When milk reaches 115 degrees F, slowly pour ½ C of milk into each jar. Stir each jar until the milk and yogurt are smooth. Once combined, pour milk into each jar until full, stir well, and cover with a clean lid. Place the jars on the heating pad set to low, cover all the jars with a clean towel, wrapping with 2-3 extra towels if you have a cold, drafty kitchen, and leave to culture for the next 15-18 hours. In the warm summer months, yogurt can culture in 12-15 hours. Times are approximate.

Freshly made yogurt has a shelf life of 3 weeks when stored in clean jars in a clean refrigerator. Make as much as you think you can eat during this time frame. I usually make gallons worth, 4 quarts at a time. If you have extra yogurt use it in fruit or green vegetable smoothies, salad dressings, or blended into a quick energy drink with Greener Grasses or any of the green powders found in the Superfood section.

Signs of over- or under-culturing:
Over-culturing: Streaks or lines in the yogurt will start to appear along the sides of the jar. Immediately refrigerate, which will stop the culture from continuing to grow. Next time, remove from heating pad sooner.