The flavor and consistency of the yogurt you make depends on the characteristics of the starter you use. Whether you choose villi, piima, or fil mjolk (see Room-Temperature Yogurts from Northern Europe for more information about these types of yogurt), the instructions remain the same: mix your starter into the milk and then let it sit on your counter, undisturbed, for 24 to 48 hours, or until the yogurt thickens enough to separate cleanly from the walls of the jar when you tilt it. If you make your yogurt using raw milk as a base, refer to Preparing Raw Milk Yogurt.
MAKES ABOUT 1 QUART
INGREDIENTS
Ingredients:
- 4 cups whole milk
- ¼ cup viili, piima, fil mjolk, or mesophilic yogurt starter
INSTRUCTIONS
- Pour the milk into a saucepan and bring it to a boil over medium heat.
- When bubbles first appear, immediately turn off the heat and allow the milk to cool to room temperature.
- Thoroughly whisk the starter into the milk, taking care not to leave any clumpy bits of yogurt lingering in the milk.
- Pour the milk and starter culture into a quart-size jar, cover it loosely with a lid, and transfer it to a warm spot in your kitchen.
- Allow the milk to culture at room temperature for 24 to 48 hours, or until the milk becomes semisolid and pulls away from the sides of the jar when you tilt it (the exception is a piima-cultured yogurt, which thickens only slightly and remains liquid after successful culturing).
- Cover and refrigerate the yogurt and use it within a month.
- Remember to reserve ¼ cup of the yogurt to start future batches; store it in a small jar in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
