Yesterday’s blog on saving money on butter sparked a great discussion. In it, I learned that you can make your own butter using a breadmaker. I had never heard of this technique before. This is one of the reasons I really love being a part of Families.com, because the members here are so clever and kind.
That said, I thought it might be interesting to explore another homemade dairy product: yogurt. From the research that I have done, making your own yogurt is easy and very cost effective. Doing it yourself also ensures that there are no artificial preservatives, sweeteners or colors. Did you know that the red color in at least one brand of yogurt comes from a type of ground up beetle? I am not kidding you on this one, it is well documented. That is what is considered a “natural” coloring. To sweeten your homemade yogurt, you can add your own fruit, honey or granola, or use it plain in many recipes.
Here is the most promising way that I found to make your own yogurt. I haven’t yet tried it myself, so if you do, please let me know how it turns out.
Boil 1/2 gallon of milk (I am assuming whole milk for whole fat yogurt, 2 percent for low fat yogurt). Allow it to sit in a cool place to cool off. When the milk is lukewarm, add one tablespoon of plain yogurt. Many people recommend Dannon. It is important that you don’t substitute fruit or flavored yogurts.
Stir your mixture and cover it. Allow it to sit on top of the stove or counter overnight. The next day, you will have your yogurt! Add your fruit, etc. Refrigerate the yogurt and enjoy.
This sounds like a fun thing to do, doesn’t it?
Mary Ann Romans writes about everything related to saving money in the Frugal Blog, technology in the Computing Blog, and creating a home in the Home Blog. You can read more of her articles by clicking here.
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