Homemade Yogurt

It's the simple things in life that are the most extraordinary. ~Paulo Coelho

 Little did I know that a very simple ingredient commonly found in every Pinoy's fridge is the key for the success of my yogurt-making experiment. Thank you YAKULT for making it possible. :) I always thought that you need yogurt starter culture (the dried one) for you to enjoy the goodness of a homemade yogurt. Then I discovered recently that you can make yogurt using a store-bought yogurt as long as it has LIVE microorganisms. The first thing that popped in my mind was to try YAKULT since it's available in the fridge, it also has live microorganisms in it.
I'm not sure if my experiment will be a success at that moment but I trust my instincts so I proceed. And hooray to myself, it was a success! The result is thick, creamy, and super yummy yogurt. I will do this again next time, but maybe I won't be using the oven.

For this recipe, I made two variants of yogurt. One is made of yakult and the other one is made of yogurt drink (Acti-V). If you'll ask if there's a difference in taste, my answer is YES, there is. Yakult yogurt tastes more profound while the Acti-V yogurt has a hint of sweet-scent after taking a spoonful, maybe because it's flavored. 

So here it is, my homemade yogurt recipe:

INGREDIENTS:
1L full cream milk 
1/2 cup full cream powdered milk
1 bottle Yakult*
1 bottle Nestle yogurt drink*
2 tbsp honey

*If you prefer to make one flavor, just use 2 bottles of yakult or yogurt drink.

EQUIPMENTS:
clean stainless steel pot
clean stainless mixing spoon or laddle
2 oven proof bowls
candy thermometer
sterilized container for storage
Pre-heated oven (lowest setting)

INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Pour the full cream milk, powdered milk and honey in a pot.  Simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally to prevent a skin from forming.
2. Heat the milk to 48C or 120F. Once it reaches this temperature, pour the milk in an oven-proof bowl (I divided the milk in half and used 2 bowls). Reserve 1/2 cup of milk for each bowl. 
3. Whisk in the yakult to your reserved half cup of milk. Do the same for the yogurt drink. 
4. Pour the yakult-milk mixture into your milk. Do the same for the yogurt drink-milk mixture. Slowly stir.
5. Place the bowls in the oven leaving the oven door ajar (I know what you're thinking... you are wasting your gas or electricity... but it's worth it when you see the result). Let it ferment for 2-3 hours then turn off and close the door of your oven. Leave it UNDISTURBED overnight or for at least 5 hours.
6. Place the bowl in the refrigerator until completely chilled. Store it in sterilized container.

QUICK NOTES:
- I consumed my yogurt for less than a week. But according to some blogs I read, it can be stored up to 2 weeks as long as it is properly stored. Trust your nose and taste bud!
- I noticed that the yogurt becomes more tart the longer it is stored.
- You may add honey, fresh fruits or mashed fruit, jams, melted chocolate, raisins or dried fruits to your yogurt. This is a healthier and a more natural option to sweeten or flavor your yogurt. 


Happy tummy!

Rhea