Yogurt has been around for centuries in various forms across cultures and civilizations. As such, over the natural progression of time, many kinds of yogurt and different methods of yogurt-making evolved.
Until the advent of the manufacturing industry around a century ago, most things, including yogurt, used to be made at home. However, with the rapid growth and expansion of the manufacturing sector, yogurt is now readily available in a variety of flavors and characteristics in stores.
Despite its many easy advantages, people quite righteously, slowly and steadily have shifted towards making yogurts at home. That does not mean ready-made yogurts available at stores are in any danger. However, there are obvious benefits of choosing homemade yogurt over store-bought ones.
With the right yogurt starter and any milk you prefer, whether it is vegan or animal-based, whole-fat, skimmed, or no-fat, etc., you can make your yogurt at home. Plus, it has a lot of other benefits. You can save a lot of money.
But how much?
Well, if you are a regular yogurt consumer, you can save anywhere around sixty to eighty percent of the money you would normally spend to buy yogurts from stores.
Furthermore, it is healthier, and you can control what ingredients go into your homemade yogurt.
This article aims to highlight the healthy, economical, and sensible reasons in fair detail why homemade yogurt is a better option than a store-bought one. In doing so, if you haven’t already, maybe you will be convinced to try making your yogurt at home. After all, there is always a first time!
Why Should You Make Your Yogurt At Home?
From being an economical, health-friendly probiotic to letting you have the freedom and liberty to make your yogurt the way you want it, there are some obvious good reasons you should consider making it at home. Let us find out the details here.
1. It is Healthier
The first obvious and more personal reason is that homemade yogurt can be healthier than store-bought yogurt. You can make a wholesome yogurt with the best and most natural ingredients without adding the artificial preservatives used in manufacturing store-bought yogurts.
Depending on the yogurt starter culture and the kind of milk used, you can also control and preserve the live bacterial count in the yogurt.
Sometimes, you can choose which type of bacteria shall prevail in the probiotic yogurt you are making at home. It depends on many other factors, like the method of fermentation, the utensils used in the process of fermentation, the correct timing of introducing the yogurt culture, and the time allowed to ferment the milk.
2. It Gives You More Control Over the Ingredients Used
Whether you want to make a simple dairy-based yogurt or a plant-based organic vegan yogurt, the control to add or subtract an ingredient while making your yogurt lies in your hands.
Whether you want to add natural flavors to your yogurt or you want some eclectic-tasting ones, you have the liberty to do so. If you prefer natural sweeteners or you want it bland, you get all the options to make it and try making different yogurts from a single batch of vegan yogurt starter.
Why are we saying to use a vegan yogurt culture? Because with vegan culture starter, you can make dairy-based and plant-based organic vegan yogurts depending on other ingredients.
3. It Can Be Customized According to Your Taste and Preferences
We have covered in the above point the freedom to choose your ingredients while making your yogurt at home. However, making your yogurt also allows you to customize your yogurt according to your taste and preferences.
If you want a thicker and tangier yogurt, you may use whole-fat milk and increase the fermentation time. On the other hand, you can also prepare your yogurt in the Greek or Turkish style or a more continental style. There is no limit to the way you prefer or would perhaps want to experiment with while making your yogurt at home vis-a-vis the store-bought yogurt.
4. It is Economical
The next and perhaps the most tangible reason is the monetary benefit of preparing yogurt at home. If you compare the manufacturing costs as well as costs associated with advertising, packaging, storage, and transportation, these all add to the cost of the yogurt you buy from a store.
On the other hand, you may pocket the money you save or even go for a better quality of milk and other ingredients with the money you save by making yogurt at home.
In general, depending on the yogurt you want to make and the ingredients you want to add (including milk and yogurt starter), it is, on average, sixty to eighty percent cheaper to make your yogurt at home.
Make Your Yogurt The Way You Want!
There you have them! The reasons you may want to make your next batch of yogurt at home. While you may need some piqued interest in yogurt-making techniques, once you get a hang of it, you may want to delve deeper and more often into making yogurts at home.
From Greek yogurt to all-natural vegan yogurts, or the ones filled with honey, almonds, pistachios, and nuts, yogurts can be mouth-wateringly delicious and nutritious with each kind. You may begin with a simple yogurt starter and milk and soon find your way to becoming a yogurt-making aficionado.