Why Make Yogurt at Home?

Yes, you can easily just go out and buy yogurt from the store right? So many varieties and brands out there for you to choose from. I am sure that within walking distance, there is a convenient store or some local supermarket which stocks them. Who in their right mind would want to waste time and effort to make their own? For about 1 to 2 bucks at most, you get to eat the store bought yogurt and then forget about it. The effort is just not worth it, you might say. Well, not completely true as I will get to a little later.

The main point of this post is to tell you guys the advantage of making your own yogurt. However, I would like to note that it is important to think of them as a food supplemental instead of food itself. Think of it as the butter on your toast. You should not eat yogurt as your main source of nutrients but as a supplement to your daily food intake. And you should eat all kinds of food moderately.

If you have problems drinking milk due to lactose intolerance, you should try yogurt as the lactose have been partially digested by the lactic cultures and you will find that it is easily absorbed by your body while providing nearly all the nutrients found in milk. I would advice you to try a small amount first. Or you can just make Soy-yogurt which is just as tasty (or so I heard)!

1. For homemade yogurt, you get to choose what you put into it. Hey, that is why it is homemade. And most homemade yogurt are free from preservatives, artificial colourings and flavourings. If you don't like the taste of commercial stuff, you can always make one that suits your own taste.

2. Homemade is much fresher than those you find in the stores. A lot of the yogurts in the stores are from overseas, which means that it could be days before they reach the shelf. Even locally made ones, you will never know how long they have been in the shelves. If you make it yourself, you can be sure that the yogurt is the freshest you can ever find, probably less than a few days old before you consume them all.

3. Fresh yogurt means that the live cultures are plentiful. One of the most important health benefits of eating yogurt comes from the live cultures which helps to maintain a good gut flora. The "in word" nowadays seems to be "probiotic" which means good bacteria. However, the longer they are left on the shelf, the less good bacteria remains. So if you have the freshest, you have the most good bacteria.

4. Cheaper. Buy 1 litre of milk and make yogurt from that. All you need is a little of the previous batch to act as a starter. 1 litre of them delicious probiotic food cost about two to three times in the stores.

5. Eating yogurt makes you good and healthy. They provide you with vitamins, proteins and minerals to make your body strong. Isn't that the most important?

6. Easy. It is very easy to make. You just need milk and a small amount of the previous batch (with live lactic cultures). And you will need a warm enough place to store the milk for it to ferment. There are even varieties of lactic cultures which do not require a warm environment to ferment, they ferment at room temperatures. And if you face problems, just get a yogurt-maker. Can't go wrong there. It needn't be expensive either. You will get back the amount just after a few batches.

7. Yogurt is very tasty. Why not make it often in your kitchen and enjoy them everyday? If you enjoy yogurt, so will your kids, your spouse, your parents....

8. Girls will love ya. I mean real men make their own instead of buying it from the stores. Hmmm....well, not exactly true but it is kind of nice if it were true.

Boon Leong is the owner of Authority Sites Blog and he blogs about life in general. He is also very keen on Yogurt Making. He is also a vivid home brewer (beer).