One Plastic Tub at a Time

It's not that we eat that much yogurt. And although the containers are really quite useful, it does add up.

For example, rather than buy plastic food storage containers, I use the spare yogurt, cottage cheese, etc. containers for leftovers. But it still adds up.

Yes, they are recyclable, but these days, it's getting harder and harder to find plastic recyclers, so actually, more than just my containers are adding up. And big time.

So now we're going back to our hippy-dippy roots and, once again, making our own yogurt. Easy to do, lots of recipes and instructions out there, so just hunt around. I do have a few tips, though, to help simplify the process:


If possible, use a stainless steel pot - much easier to clean out.

Don't make giant batches of yogurt unless you use a lot. Somehow mold likes homemade yogurt better than store-bought stuff (even the "no-preservatives added" kind. Funny.) and it really doesn't freeze well, no matter what people say.

A thermometer helps. I didn't buy anything special but simply use my meat thermometer.

Forget the ice bath, sink full of cold water, etc.. Just a waste of water. It takes around a half-hour or so for the hot milk to cool down sufficiently (110 - 115 degrees). So set the timer and go do something else. Something fun. And if it cools down too much, simply re-heat the milk.

Use a glass (not plastic, right?) container just for your yogurt. Also, it's far easier (and cleaner) to transfer milk to the glass jar than it is to leave the yogurt in the pot and do the transfer later. Besides glass holds in the heat better.

Swaddle that baby in a couple of kitchen towels (I very carefully warm up the towels in the microwave for 30 - 60 seconds first) and then place in that warm place. I use my stovetop - it has a pilot light - but spending time in the oven with either the pilot light or light on also works fine.

Swaddled Yogurt Jar

Glass Quart Jar of Yogurt

Each time you make yogurt, you can save some and use it for the next batch. Eventually though, you will probably discover that the newest batch just doesn't thicken quite as well. I guess we all get old and tired.

So ultimately, you will have to go and purchase some new yogurt to start the process again. But in the meanwhile, think of all those plastic containers that are not your responsibility.

There seem to be a number of techniques for making yogurt from non-dairy sources. I have not tried any of them, but I think my tips still apply. Or I could be wrong; it's happened before.

Onward to the cottage cheese containers...