Homemade Yogurt (Edible Bacteria!)

We've been eating homemade yogurt for a while now, and I think I can safely say that I've got a really good, easy recipe. We invested in a yogurt maker, a contraption that heats to the perfect temperature for incubating the bacteria needed to culture the milk, a year or so ago, but you can also use a food dehydrator on the "yogurt" setting, a heating pad, a thermos, or you can even set it on a warm radiator. The key is to maintain a temperature of 108-112 degrees for 8-12 hours. Personally, I like the flavor and consistency best after it's gone the whole 12 hours. I also add nonfat dry milk (any brand) to help it thicken, and I've noticed that when I add jam to the mixture the pectin gives an even better set. While you can use any type of milk, I have found that skim, or nonfat, creates a texture simliar to...snot. But with a little fat in the mix, it's completely different! We love having the healthier, lower-sugar yogurt. The store-bought brands are just too sweet now that we're so used to this tasty stuff!

Vanilla Lowfat Yogurt

In a large glass bowl, combine:

4 cups lowfat milk (I like 1%), warmed, but not boiling (I usually do about 1 1/2-2 min in the microwave)
1/4 cup honey or sugar (or to taste)
1/2 cup nonfat dry milk
1/4 cup plain yogurt
1 tsp vanilla

Using a hand mixer or blender, mix at high speed until foamy and the dry milk has dissolved. Pour into glass jar(s) and incubate 12 hours. Cover and place in refrigerator until chilled.

Variation: For fruit flavored yogurt that's a bit more gelatinous, warm 1/4-1/2 cup jam in the microwave so it's softened. Omit the vanilla (although it's great with cherry jam) and adjust the sweetener according to your taste. Mix thoroughly and proceed as directed. We like cherry-vanilla, raspberry, huckleberry, apricot-mango, strawberry-rhubarb, etc.