As a Salvadorean you don't grow up "loving" yogurt. You just don't.
We have the most either sour or artificially flavored kinds. You learn to eat yogurt because it's "healthy" but that doesn't mean it's enjoyable.
Honestly yogurt here sucks.
I started eating yogurt when I was living abroad and Heinz loves yogurt too so I was able to try what real yogurt tastes like. Believe me it is NOTHING like the yogurt we get here. I love natural yogurt and that is the only kind I used to buy until we moved back. I've tried to enjoy the yogurt I buy at the store but I have to mix it with other stuff so I can mask the sourness.
Apparently I am not the only one dealing with this issue. Cami is the blogger behind Como.Come.Cami an amazing vegetarian and pretty things blog. She currently lives in El Salvador too so that puts her right in runny-yogurt land. When I read Cami's post on home made yogurt -and not any yogurt but greek yogurt- I had to give it a try.
HAD TO.
I followed her instructions and well I am happy to announce that this lady won't be buying any more yogurt from the supermarket.
It was really easy and implies almost no effort at all and if you are desperate like me, trust me, this will feel like you've just won the lottery.
I used:
- I Lt of low fat milk
- 4 table spoons of regular natural yogurt.
I heated up the milk until it was warm enough so I could see some vapor coming out and then let it cool in a separate container. I added four spoons of yogurt and then covered it with a lid. I left mine sitting in the microwave with the light on (my conventional oven automatically turns the light off) just be sure you don't turn the microwave on! what you need is a warm -not hot- place to keep it overnight.
I went to bed and 14 hours later a.k.a -next morning- it was ready. I laid a cheesecloth on a colander and poured the yogurt in. The final step was to let it drain for a couple of hours.
Yogurt doesn't have to taste awful and it doesn't have to be runny either. It can be heavenly if you make your own.
This is the story of how I was saved from my yogurtless life. Give it a try and save yourself too.
