Ideal Bite

Making your own yogurt is easy, fun and delicious. You grow it, chill it and eat it. Magic. I use organic 1% milk, with a Tbs. of powdered goat milk stirred in, plus starter with all the good bacteria, which you get from the dairy section of your natural foods store. (After you make your first batch, a few spoonsful of your own yogurt become the starter for the next batch.) I've had my yogurt-maker since college, but you can find them online for $20-60, and sometimes at yard sales for a lot less. You can also make it in a wide-mouth thermos, or with a heating pad, though I've never tried that. Advantages to making your own: Yogurt is easy to make. It's inexpensive ~ you get 8-10 servings out of one half-gallon of milk. It's versatile: My current fave is to dip into it with Kettle-brand salt and ground-pepper potato chips; yum. I also mix it with a banana & cinnamon, or a variety of preserves, for breakfast; and I stir a good-sized dollop into homemade lentil soup. I bet it's as nutritious, if not more, as what you buy. Ecology is probably a moot point: You have one wax milk carton instead of all those plastic containers to throw out ~ probably a wash. But then there are the bonus points from friends who didn't know you had it in you to make something as seemingly exotic as yogurt. Talk about gratifying ~ it's like cooking and gardening all in one, with health benefits to boot.

No doubt many communities, such as mine in Central New York, are fortunte to have access to _locally produced_ organic yogurt! If you're in the area, check out: http://www.wakerobinfarm.org/ Add some more green to the bite: buy local!! Thanks for your hard work, Kelly

The "live culture" bite avoids a pressing problem. The plastic containers yogurt comes in. I know a woman who doesn't eat yogurt for this reason Why can't we have wax cartons like some butter or ice cream still comes in.

I have loved Nancy's Yogurt since I first tasted it 30 years ago. Its made in Oregon, and available throughout the Northwest. Nancy's is from local milk without any artificial hormones, etc, and is very slightly tangy, which adds a little extra zing to anything its served with, or great by itself. Yummy stuff!!!

Rather than buying yogurt in individual containers, I always buy it in the larger quart containers. Still plastic, yes... but definitely reusable. I love them for freezing sauces and soups. My kids have used them for corraling crayons and small toys like Legos. And when we have used and reused the containers, they go into the recycling bin.

I < heart > Wallaby yogurt so much. The texture is spot on--creamy and not "slimy" at all. Most yogurts are too smooth for my taste, because I'm a texture girl. I love the Dulce de Leche, the banana vanilla (which I had with organic raspberries this morning-as good as dessert!), and the regular old strawberry. Stonyfield Organic will work in a pinch as well.

I'm a big fan of yogurt - my parents always made it at home when I was growing up - and now I do the same. It's a great way to reduce the number of plastic containers you buy and is a good way to save money! I start out with a pan (heavy bottomed if possible), clean containers to grow your yogurt in - I use the 32oz yogurt containers I already have around, some organic milk and a few spoons yogurt. I warm up the milk (NOT boiling, just mildly warm when I stick my finger in)and then pour it into my clean containers, leaving an inch or two at the top. Stir in a couple spoons of yogurt, put the lid on and keep in a warm place for about 24 hours (I stick it in my gas stove and let the warmth from the pilot light keep it warm) and voila - yogurt! Keep it in the fridge now and I think you'd probably want to use it within about 4-5 days(I've never kept it longer, so don't quote me on the shelf life). This is a more tangy version than you typically buy in stores - it also might have a bit more liquid at the top because there are no emulsifiers added. Before putting it in warm place, you can add sugar or flavorings. For the yogurt I eat with cereal or use for smoothies I stir in a spoon or two of sugar and some vanilla extract. I use the unsweetened, unflavored version for dips, yogurt salads, etc. After a few days in the fridge, if you see colored mold in your yogurt, don't use it. This is also a good way to use milk that's right around the expiration date, though you probably should boil the milk (remember to stir) and then let it cool back down to warm before adding in your "starter" spoons of yogurt. It's important not to have the milk too hot cause you'll kill your starter bacteria. When I take my new yogurt from the oven and put it in the fridge, I tape a piece of paper on top with the date I stick it in the fridge so I remember to use it on time. I've made this with skim, .5%, 1%, 2%, and whole milk.

great tip but be aware that not all states recycle yogurt containers.

Thanks for the tip, but I was surprised you didn't include my very favorite organic yoghurt: Seven Stars Farm yoghurt, made in SE Pennsylvania and widely available (also found it in Sacramento). I never liked yoghurt until I tried their maple yoghurt made with organic maple syrup...heaven on earth! You've got to try it!! And I've met the cows personally: they're definitely happy cows. :-)

Because bug juice is in Activa Yogurt would NOT turn me off of the product. Where do you think all kinds of flavoring comes from? You eat meat and talk about it's so JUICY--what do you think that "juice" is? IF you analyse all the food you eat-it will not bother you. Talk about "organic" what's more natural or "organic" than that? IT tastes good, it's good FOR YOU, and it helps people with digestive disorders (mature ladies) and I'll keep eating it. People eat pate and that comes from geese that are stuck in one place (holes in a board and the heads are above the board) and they're stuffed with food to make liver enlarge and that's where your "pate" comes from! OR VEAL--I've SEEN (along an interstate and near where I live) small calves chained on 3 ft chains not allowed to walk much and feed till they reach a certain age and fatness and then slaughtered for "VEAL"! Bug juice doesn't bother me but THAT does!