Bamboo Wise

One of the practices used in traditional cooking includes serving fermented foods, nature’s probiotics. This stretches the gamut from sauerkraut and dill pickles to miso and kim chi. One of the easiest “probiotics” to make is yogurt. It is so simple and takes such little time you will wonder why you haven’t tried it sooner. I found a culture which is self-renewing so after your initial investment of $12 plus shipping, your costs will only be for milk. Just remember to keep some of the latest batch of yogurt to use as a starter for the next batch. Here are the directions:

1. Put 4 teaspons of starter into a glass canning jar (1 pt), and mix around covering the bottom and sides of the jar.

2. Take milk out of the fridge.

3. Pour 2 cups of milk into the jar.

4. Cover with waxed paper, coffee filter, or sauce plate.

5. Leave on the counter top for 24-30 hours.

6. After it has fermented, place in the refrigerator.

I told you it was easy! I usually make a batch in the morning, and leave it on the counter-top until the following morning. No mess and no fuss. Now, you can add agave, honey, fruit, or just eat it plain. This will save you money, and you can avoid all the additives of the store-bought varieties. Just remember to renew the culture weekly to keep it viable.

You can get your Viili culture at Gem Cultures. It is a rich creamy culture that doesn’t turn out runny like some of the store bought cultures used in yogurt machines.