Dr Yoghurt or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb

I have a confession to make, I am not a ‘germaphobe’. In fact you could even say that I am a ‘germafan’. Give me your used spoon and your double-dipped dips, I know that you have germs and I’m not afraid.

But these days I am a member of an increasingly small fan base.

I once knew a girl so germaphobic that she couldn’t eat in other people’s homes. She just couldn’t stand the thought of using ‘foreign’ plates or cutlery. Even if she cleaned them again herself, just knowing that other people had used them gave her the heebie-jeebies. The only word for people of this kind is InSanitised. When the need to be clean overrides the need to be sane.

Bacteria is the Osama bin Laden of single-celled organisms. Even if we look really hard, we still can’t quite see where it is. But we know it’s bad. So we arm ourselves against an invasion. Are they hiding in our clothes? Pour Dettol in the wash. Are they the reason for our sneezin’? Take some antibiotics. Are they masked within our mouths? Listerine those cowboys! Are they... everywhere? Handy pocket-sized Antibacterial Gel ought to show them.

But we forget that two billion years ago, an antibacterial wipe may have just wiped us all out. For even us human beings started off as humble little germs. And now we’re looking at some serious consequences for our anti-bacterial behaviour. Scientists warn us that resistance to antibiotics is increasing because we use them too often, even when we don’t need them. The Government Health Department tell us that the overuse of antibacterial products in the home “may be producing strains of multi-antibiotic-resistant bacteria”.

So we must remember most bacteria are actually beneficial! Which brings us to the Good-Will Ambassador of Bacteria. Yoghurt.

Someone sure did a good PR job on Yoghurt. Full of bacteria but fighting on the good side to make us stronger. Lactobacillus and Acidophilus may sound like characters from Sesame Street, but they are the UN Peace Keeping Force of microbes, aiding our digestion and overall wellbeing. So why not embrace bacteria for once by making your own Yoghurt at home? It’s super easy and cheap too. Just remember to wash your hands first!


Home Made Yoghurt

1 Litre Milk
3 Tbsp Plain Yoghurt

In a medium pot or saucepan, heat the milk until it begins to froth. Make sure to keep stirring so as to keep the milk from curdling. Once the milk reaches the boil and begins frothing, remove from heat. Set aside to let the milk cool down to a warm rather than hot temperature. The best way to check is with your finger.
Once at the right temperature, spoon in yoghurt and stir until combined with the milk. Then take a clean kitchen cloth, lay it over the top of the pot and place the lid on top of it. This helps to keep the mixture warm.
Keep the pot in a warm spot in the house and leave overnight. The next day the yoghurt should have set!

Tip: For thicker creamier yoghurt, spoon the yoghurt into a cheesecloth, tie up and squeeze to drain, then hang over a bowl or sink for 2-3 hours.

Photo:Flickr

By Lena Hattom