Homemade yogurt, is essential for the nervous system. It is a natural cleanser of the stomach and intestines. It neutralizes acidic conditions and enriches the intestinal flora. When the intestinal flora is depleted, as is often the case after taking antibiotics, a regular diet of homemade yogurt may help restore it again.
I grew up eating homemade yogurt. My mom always kept a big pan of it in the fridge and when there was only a little bit left she would use it to make the next batch. It is incredible how you can just keep the bacteria going and going.
If you are lactose intolerant or have an allergy this may not be for you. I myself am not a big fan of drinking milk, but yogurt for me is different and it has helped me with not only digestive issues but also the flora of my reproductive system.
Why homemade yogurt and not the store-bought kind? The active agents in yogurt from which we derive most benefit are Lactobacillus acidophilus bacteria. They are “friendly” bacteria which aid in digestion and actually destroy various “unfriendly” bacteria. While some commercial yogurts are better than others, most do not allow the bacteria in yogurt to multiply to the extent that you can when you make it at home. The longer you let your yogurt sit at room temperature before refrigerating, the stronger the bacteria cultures will become. A very strong acidophilus yogurt “drink” is very therapeutic for some conditions. Most commercial yogurts, even those made without gum, gelatin, or stabilizers, add milk solids to thicken the yogurt. This makes the yogurt a concentrated food which is more difficult to digest.
How to Make Homemade Yogurt
Ingredients:
- 1 qt milk
- 2-3 Tbsp of organic whole plain yogurt
Directions:
- Place the milk in a saucepan.
- Heat it slowly so as not to scorch it. Just short of boiling, remove it from the heat and let it cool to a lukewarm temperature, about 118 degrees F.
- As it cools, stir it occasionally. Then add 2-3 Tbsp. of already made yogurt as a “starter” and stir gently and thoroughly.
- You can leave the milk in the saucepan, covered, or you can pour it into a sterilized jar with a lid. Wrap tightly in
a towel to hold in the heat, and place in a warm, dark place where the temperature can be maintained for 6-7 hours. A gas oven with only the pilot light on works well. Let it sit undisturbed. If the temperature is too hot or too cold, the yogurt will not form. - After 6-7 hours you can refrigerate it or, to grow a stronger yogurt culture (sour yogurt), allow it to sit out at room temperature for from three hours to three days.
Eat Yogurt
For vitamin B-12 and other vitamins, you must know how to make homemade yogurt. It will be good to add to your diet a cup of homemade yogurt every day, and every three days, sour yogurt. Sour yogurt is a very systematic system in the spiritual world. They take the yogurt and they keep it covered at room temperature so it becomes yellowish and sour. The fermentation in it develops vitamin B-12 which is very essential for the nervous system. The body cannot make B-12, so you need yogurt daily for the complete nutrition of the body.
Recipe from http://www.3ho.org/ The organization foundaded by Yogi Bhajan author of the Golden Temple Vegetarian Cookbook.
More tips and ways to use yogurt coming up soon!