Tea Info
Type: Herbal/Tisane
Producer: Kyoto Sanjo Kaneido
Origin: Japan
Brewing Parameters: 5g, 100°C, 3-4 minutes – loose leaf/beans
Appearance: Whole, light tan beans (maybe up to 1/3rd inch in length) with a cracked black shell; the beans without the shells actually look a bit like peanuts
Rating: B+ | 89/100
# of Brews: 3
Tasting Notes and Thoughts
Oh no, I'm almost done with all of my Japan teas! The only ones I have left are this one and a powdered mushroom tea with gold (and to be honest, I feel like that'd taste more like a broth/soup instead of a tea).
Anyway, this tea seems much more high quality than the first one I drank. The packaging is a nice paper envelope with gold tape, with the tea in a plastic bag. As for the actual tea, it's the full bean in its shell instead of chopped up pieces with mostly shells. The smell is very similar to peanuts instead of the roasty smell of the other tea.
Watching the tea was one of the coolest things ever, actually. You know when you put grape skittles or something with food coloring in water, and the food coloring kind of emanates from it? Well, that's exactly what happened here. For some reason, the tea was a reddish, black color– like diluted red wine– which was interesting. If you remember the last black bean tea I had, it was a dark, yellowish color. I hope they didn't actually add any food coloring or anything.
The flavor was much more light and nuanced compared to the other one I had. Despite the confusing color, the main taste was the roasted, savory, and slightly sweet flavor of the soybeans. There was also a peanut butter flavor, with a creamy/smooth texture. I didn't really notice an aftertaste other than a very light roasty taste, but I did notice a bit of a waxy texture on my tongue after. The tea didn't really last very long; the first brew was very dark and somewhat strong (3 min.), but in the subsequent brews, the liquid was very light with not that much taste (4-6 minute brews). Overall, I actually enjoyed this one very much (much more than the other tea I had); the only issue I really have with it is the lack of durability/small number of brews.
Other Notes
Well, this has been a very busy two weeks, and March is going to be a very busy month. In the past two weeks, I've done a ton: applied for next year's Competition Civics, turned in most of my applications for summer internships (got 1 more, gonna write it today), won 3rd place in the Ohlone College Biotechnology Quiz Bowl, won 1st or 2nd (not announced yet) place in the county for Journalist in Mock Trial, and finally had the Science Alliance (that one club with that guy that's a huge pain to work with) approved.
First off, let's talk about the quiz bowl. Our school has 2 teams, and I was put into the team that is admittedly less smart than the other (my friends were in the group, so I didn't mind). We ended up losing our first round, but made it to Round 3, meaning that we were the wildcard team in the semi-finals. We lost there too (since we went against the team that beat us at the start), but we got enough points to win third place. It was super fun since our team did not practice at all– the other teams looked like they have been prepping for weeks– and we just made jokes and played with our teacher's kids.
Next, mock trial! I competed a while ago, but I got the results at semi-finals (Tuesday this week). All of our team's artists and journalists (including me) are advancing to the state competition, which means that we are all in first or second place. I'm pretty hyped about that, but I'll have to be practicing my journalism-ing now– the competition is on March 18 at Sacramento. The main team, however, isn't advancing. We won semis and had the highest win percentage with no losses, but we ended up losing to the current champions at finals. Oh well, there's next year and we have a lot of potential– it's just that a few of our members don't put in the effort.
Finally, March! Busy month. I got my last internship application due on the 4th (unless I find another internship, which means I'll be applying to five in total), an English speech arguing against child support on the 11th, the science fair on the 12th (set up is on the 11th), and Mock Trial state on the 18th. If I feel confident enough about my project, there's a second fair I should sign up for; applications close on the 11th (I might just sign up though for the hell of it, but my project is honestly way too simple/basic to compete). Gonna be a fun month.
Oh, and also, it turns out my girlfriend (and best friend) is going to be moving in six months. It sucks.
Sunday, February 28, 2016
Recipe: Homemade C2 Green Tea (Apple)
Two posts today since I missed last weeks' review. This is kind of a very simple drink recipe, but hell, it tastes like the actual drink so I thought I'd post it.
If you're Filipino, or have been in a Filipino supermarket, you've probably seen or tasted this drink. Essentially, it's a fruit flavored drink with tea with flavors like apple or peach; however, it's deathly sweet and has a metric butt-ton of sugar (probably because it'd be hard to sell in the Philippines if it wasn't; when I was over there, soda is very popular– even moreso than here in America). Anyway, since I love apple, I used to drink a ton of it, but now it tastes way too sweet. I actually figured out this recipe by accident though, and was surprised at how similar it tastes.
It's very simple: all you need is apple juice, green tea (I've been using the Ta Jin Xuan green tea), sugar, and salt.
1. Brew your green tea to a relatively strong strength without making it bitter. I found that brewing 5 grams with 80°C water for 30 seconds to a minute works pretty well, but try experimenting since all tea differs.
2. Add your apple juice to the tea in a 3:1 or 4:1 ratio (more apple juice than tea, to get a similar sweetness and apple flavor to actual C2).
3. Add sugar to taste, and (if you prefer) a very small pinch of salt.
4. Chill the drink, and serve when cold.
It's pretty good, and the only issue I've found is that it can be a bit sour if there's not enough apple juice, so adding sugar would fix that.
If you're Filipino, or have been in a Filipino supermarket, you've probably seen or tasted this drink. Essentially, it's a fruit flavored drink with tea with flavors like apple or peach; however, it's deathly sweet and has a metric butt-ton of sugar (probably because it'd be hard to sell in the Philippines if it wasn't; when I was over there, soda is very popular– even moreso than here in America). Anyway, since I love apple, I used to drink a ton of it, but now it tastes way too sweet. I actually figured out this recipe by accident though, and was surprised at how similar it tastes.
It's very simple: all you need is apple juice, green tea (I've been using the Ta Jin Xuan green tea), sugar, and salt.
1. Brew your green tea to a relatively strong strength without making it bitter. I found that brewing 5 grams with 80°C water for 30 seconds to a minute works pretty well, but try experimenting since all tea differs.
2. Add your apple juice to the tea in a 3:1 or 4:1 ratio (more apple juice than tea, to get a similar sweetness and apple flavor to actual C2).
3. Add sugar to taste, and (if you prefer) a very small pinch of salt.
4. Chill the drink, and serve when cold.
It's pretty good, and the only issue I've found is that it can be a bit sour if there's not enough apple juice, so adding sugar would fix that.
Monday, February 15, 2016
Tea Review: Caramel Apple Dream - Celestial Seasonings
Tea Info
Type: Herbal/Tisane
Producer: Celestial Seasonings
Origin: Unknown (United States?)
Brewing Parameters: ~2 g, 100°C, 4-6 minutes – teabag
Appearance: Cloth/paper teabag with cinnamon, hibiscus, orange peel, chamomile, chicory, ginger, and sea salt
Rating: B | 85/100
# of Brews: 1
Tasting Notes and Thoughts
Quick review today. I actually picked this tea up a while ago at a Whole Foods just because I thought drinking a caramel apple would be interesting (it was pretty expensive though; $6+ for 20 tea bags). Even before brewing, it's very pungent, smelling like cinnamon and spice. When brewed, however, it smells exactly like chewy caramel candy and the liquid is a brownish red color.
To be honest, I don't know if it's just me today or the water or something, but the tea just tastes off; I've had it before, and it usually doesn't taste like it is today. I do brew it much longer, however, and today I'm brewing it according to the box, so keep that in mind. The main flavor of the tea is, well, caramel apple (not as sweet as a real one, however). The caramel is more prevalent than the apple, and there is actually a bit of spiciness from the cinnamon or ginger. It's sweet enough that you don't need to add any honey or sugar or anything. The flavor is essentially this: sweet and salty caramel, a bit of a spicy kick, and then a sour apple. The aftertaste is exactly how it smells, and it lingers for a while in your mouth. It's an interesting novelty, but for the price, it's probably one of those teas you drink a full pack of once, and then never again (I like it though).
Other Notes
No school today, since it's President's Day! I have nothing really planned other than more internship applications (I finally finished and submitted two; I want to do just one more for Stanford's Genecamp), studying for an APUSH essay on Wednesday, the competition civics application, and catching up on this week's homework. This week is going to be a busy one: Tuesday, I have work, Wednesday, I have Mock Trial, Thursday, I have the Ohlone college Biotechnology Quiz Bowl, and Friday, I have fencing club (did I mention? A few of my coworkers opened the club back up and since I'm one of the only people there that has actually fenced before, I have to teach everyone). I spent the whole weekend playing Total War: Shogun 2, so I actually want to get something done today (beat my first campaign as Shimazu, though!).
Oh, and it's my girlfriend's birthday today, so happy birthentines!!! Thanks for everything and I love you.
Type: Herbal/Tisane
Producer: Celestial Seasonings
Origin: Unknown (United States?)
Brewing Parameters: ~2 g, 100°C, 4-6 minutes – teabag
Appearance: Cloth/paper teabag with cinnamon, hibiscus, orange peel, chamomile, chicory, ginger, and sea salt
Rating: B | 85/100
# of Brews: 1
Tasting Notes and Thoughts
Quick review today. I actually picked this tea up a while ago at a Whole Foods just because I thought drinking a caramel apple would be interesting (it was pretty expensive though; $6+ for 20 tea bags). Even before brewing, it's very pungent, smelling like cinnamon and spice. When brewed, however, it smells exactly like chewy caramel candy and the liquid is a brownish red color.
To be honest, I don't know if it's just me today or the water or something, but the tea just tastes off; I've had it before, and it usually doesn't taste like it is today. I do brew it much longer, however, and today I'm brewing it according to the box, so keep that in mind. The main flavor of the tea is, well, caramel apple (not as sweet as a real one, however). The caramel is more prevalent than the apple, and there is actually a bit of spiciness from the cinnamon or ginger. It's sweet enough that you don't need to add any honey or sugar or anything. The flavor is essentially this: sweet and salty caramel, a bit of a spicy kick, and then a sour apple. The aftertaste is exactly how it smells, and it lingers for a while in your mouth. It's an interesting novelty, but for the price, it's probably one of those teas you drink a full pack of once, and then never again (I like it though).
Other Notes
No school today, since it's President's Day! I have nothing really planned other than more internship applications (I finally finished and submitted two; I want to do just one more for Stanford's Genecamp), studying for an APUSH essay on Wednesday, the competition civics application, and catching up on this week's homework. This week is going to be a busy one: Tuesday, I have work, Wednesday, I have Mock Trial, Thursday, I have the Ohlone college Biotechnology Quiz Bowl, and Friday, I have fencing club (did I mention? A few of my coworkers opened the club back up and since I'm one of the only people there that has actually fenced before, I have to teach everyone). I spent the whole weekend playing Total War: Shogun 2, so I actually want to get something done today (beat my first campaign as Shimazu, though!).
Oh, and it's my girlfriend's birthday today, so happy birthentines!!! Thanks for everything and I love you.
Monday, February 8, 2016
Tea Review: Mystery Tea (Genmaicha?) - Unknown
Tea Info
Type: Green
Producer: Unknown
Origin: Japan
Brewing Parameters: 5 g, ~80°C, 30s – Cupping
Appearance: Large, flat brown leaves with popped rice, stems, and I think roasted soybean shells
Rating: C- | 72/100
# of Brews: 3
Tasting Notes and Thoughts
I'm a bit sick today, so this is going to be a quick and probably not that in depth review. To be completely honest, though, I have no idea what this tea is. Because it has popped rice, I'm assuming it's genmaicha, but the leaves and presence of stems makes me question that. There were no labels on the container it came in, too; the only sticker on the container just stated in Japanese that it's a tea caddy made of ABS plastic.
The smell is interesting, to say the least. When the leaves are dry, it smells of soy sauce, but when they're wet, it smells like marijuana smoke. The liquid, on the other hand, was still smokey, but more indistinct and less like marijuana. The color of the tea was a dark amber color, and there was very little sediment even without using a strainer. It tasted how it smelled, with roasty and savory notes of smoke, nuts (cashews?), and wood. It was a bit sour, too, with complimented the smoke taste, which lingered in the mouth long after drinking. The texture was generally smooth, but dried the throat very slightly for a few seconds. Overall, I don't know how I feel about it; the taste is alright (it's unique, in a word), but I can't stand the smoky smell and strength.
Other Notes
No school today! Since I'm sick (sore throat, nasal drip, runny nose, the works), all I'll be doing is homework and catching up on stuff– mainly just homework, studying, applications, and the science fair. I kind of spent the whole weekend playing Total War Shogun 2, which I'm a bit obsessed with now.
Type: Green
Producer: Unknown
Origin: Japan
Brewing Parameters: 5 g, ~80°C, 30s – Cupping
Appearance: Large, flat brown leaves with popped rice, stems, and I think roasted soybean shells
Rating: C- | 72/100
# of Brews: 3
Tasting Notes and Thoughts
I'm a bit sick today, so this is going to be a quick and probably not that in depth review. To be completely honest, though, I have no idea what this tea is. Because it has popped rice, I'm assuming it's genmaicha, but the leaves and presence of stems makes me question that. There were no labels on the container it came in, too; the only sticker on the container just stated in Japanese that it's a tea caddy made of ABS plastic.
The smell is interesting, to say the least. When the leaves are dry, it smells of soy sauce, but when they're wet, it smells like marijuana smoke. The liquid, on the other hand, was still smokey, but more indistinct and less like marijuana. The color of the tea was a dark amber color, and there was very little sediment even without using a strainer. It tasted how it smelled, with roasty and savory notes of smoke, nuts (cashews?), and wood. It was a bit sour, too, with complimented the smoke taste, which lingered in the mouth long after drinking. The texture was generally smooth, but dried the throat very slightly for a few seconds. Overall, I don't know how I feel about it; the taste is alright (it's unique, in a word), but I can't stand the smoky smell and strength.
Other Notes
No school today! Since I'm sick (sore throat, nasal drip, runny nose, the works), all I'll be doing is homework and catching up on stuff– mainly just homework, studying, applications, and the science fair. I kind of spent the whole weekend playing Total War Shogun 2, which I'm a bit obsessed with now.
As for last week, it was pretty eventful. On Monday, I watched our competition civics team practice in a dress rehearsal (since I'm trying out for the team next year); Tuesday, I did work and a bunch of homework; Wednesday, I had my mock trial competition, and Thursday I submitted my work and studied. Friday I just chilled and I ended up getting sick on Saturday. I'll need to start getting my shit together since the internship applications are due in less than two weeks (I'm applying to three), and the science fair is a month. Wish me luck.
Saturday, January 30, 2016
What's Going On? (Life Update) 1/30/16
Woo, 5/8ths done with high school! Now that first semester is done, it's time to pick my classes for next year and figure out what I'm going to do now.
First off, finals went pretty well. Like I said before, I got an A in all of them except for English, and I finished the semester with all A's. On the FRQ portion of the stat final (that I was waiting for results last time I posted about finals), I got a 98/100. I feel kind of bad about it though, especially since the average was in the F to D range (there were a surprising amount of 50-60%'s).
Next, let's talk about classes for next year! I finalized my selections, and here are my choices:
African American Literature - I'm taking this just for the fact that I'm really interested in the subject and I'm at the point where I don't want to take any more AP classes
AP Government & Macroeconomics - After listening to the teacher talk about it, I like the style of how its run (college styled, focused on lectures) and I'm vaguely interested in the subject
AP Chemistry - I want take chemistry because of my potential college major (biotechnology!), but I'm in that weird spot where regular chemistry is too slow-paced, and I don't have the knowledge for AP chemistry. My solution is to self-study throughout this semester and the summer, but who knows how that'll go
AP Art History - Since I want to go to a UC, I need an art class/credit, and I'd rather not take ceramics or art or anything. I was going to take video production, but apparently there is going to be a new teacher and I'd much rather not have that teacher. I do enjoy appreciating art, history, and culture, however, and this class seems like a good solution to my art credit issue.
Science Research - Kind of self explanatory; it's the career I'd like to go into in the future, and it's just a whole class dedicated to it!
Competition Civics - This class is going to be interesting. A lot of the mock trial people are signing up for it, and some of the stuff it's about– like case law, democracy, and the constitution– are things I love (which is one of the reasons why I love US History).
The schedule next year is going to be a bit hectic, but it's filled with classes I think I'm going to enjoy, so I'm not too worried. Also, my GPA is at that point where getting As are nice bonuses, but I'm fine with settling for Bs.
As for extracurriculars, I have my mock trial competition round as a journalist on wednesday, so once I'm done writing this I'm going to practice writing an article (wish me luck!). I have a good feeling about the team this year. The science fair is in a month and a half, and I still have to do data analysis, so I'll be working on that on the weekends and probably in my free time. I also have those summer application things I have to do, which I have been procrastinating on; in fact, the Japanese essay is due in two days and I might need to rewrite the entire thing. That's probably what I'll be doing tomorrow. I also need to start up that tea class I was planning to host at the library, but I need to find time for it.
Finally, let's talk about stuff that's happened this weekend which was interesting. Yesterday, some friends invited me over for dinner and I ended up having a drink there (only one). Later, they started smoking, but I didn't join them (I did play darts though; it turns out I'm pretty good, since I got 3 bullseyes in a row on my first try). Drinking and smoking aren't really my things, but hanging out was fun; we ended up biking for a while in the rain which was nice. Today, I watched Seven Samurai since I did a presentation on it for Japanese class, and I enjoyed it a lot. A bit long, but Kurosawa is a damn good director (it's probably up there on my rankings near Ikiru).
So, here's to this semester being a good one. See you guys next review!
First off, finals went pretty well. Like I said before, I got an A in all of them except for English, and I finished the semester with all A's. On the FRQ portion of the stat final (that I was waiting for results last time I posted about finals), I got a 98/100. I feel kind of bad about it though, especially since the average was in the F to D range (there were a surprising amount of 50-60%'s).
Next, let's talk about classes for next year! I finalized my selections, and here are my choices:
African American Literature - I'm taking this just for the fact that I'm really interested in the subject and I'm at the point where I don't want to take any more AP classes
AP Government & Macroeconomics - After listening to the teacher talk about it, I like the style of how its run (college styled, focused on lectures) and I'm vaguely interested in the subject
AP Chemistry - I want take chemistry because of my potential college major (biotechnology!), but I'm in that weird spot where regular chemistry is too slow-paced, and I don't have the knowledge for AP chemistry. My solution is to self-study throughout this semester and the summer, but who knows how that'll go
AP Art History - Since I want to go to a UC, I need an art class/credit, and I'd rather not take ceramics or art or anything. I was going to take video production, but apparently there is going to be a new teacher and I'd much rather not have that teacher. I do enjoy appreciating art, history, and culture, however, and this class seems like a good solution to my art credit issue.
Science Research - Kind of self explanatory; it's the career I'd like to go into in the future, and it's just a whole class dedicated to it!
Competition Civics - This class is going to be interesting. A lot of the mock trial people are signing up for it, and some of the stuff it's about– like case law, democracy, and the constitution– are things I love (which is one of the reasons why I love US History).
The schedule next year is going to be a bit hectic, but it's filled with classes I think I'm going to enjoy, so I'm not too worried. Also, my GPA is at that point where getting As are nice bonuses, but I'm fine with settling for Bs.
As for extracurriculars, I have my mock trial competition round as a journalist on wednesday, so once I'm done writing this I'm going to practice writing an article (wish me luck!). I have a good feeling about the team this year. The science fair is in a month and a half, and I still have to do data analysis, so I'll be working on that on the weekends and probably in my free time. I also have those summer application things I have to do, which I have been procrastinating on; in fact, the Japanese essay is due in two days and I might need to rewrite the entire thing. That's probably what I'll be doing tomorrow. I also need to start up that tea class I was planning to host at the library, but I need to find time for it.
Finally, let's talk about stuff that's happened this weekend which was interesting. Yesterday, some friends invited me over for dinner and I ended up having a drink there (only one). Later, they started smoking, but I didn't join them (I did play darts though; it turns out I'm pretty good, since I got 3 bullseyes in a row on my first try). Drinking and smoking aren't really my things, but hanging out was fun; we ended up biking for a while in the rain which was nice. Today, I watched Seven Samurai since I did a presentation on it for Japanese class, and I enjoyed it a lot. A bit long, but Kurosawa is a damn good director (it's probably up there on my rankings near Ikiru).
So, here's to this semester being a good one. See you guys next review!
Tea Review: Bali - Dammann Freres
Tea Info
Type: Flavored green
Producer: Dammann Freres
Origin: Paris, France
Brewing Parameters: 2.5 g, 90°C, 3-4 minutes – Western style
Appearance: Small, broken up flat green leaves with rose petals and white flower buds
Rating: B- | 82/100
# of Brews: 1
Tasting Notes and Thoughts
This is a tea that my mom got from one of her coworkers, which she gave to me. I have to admit, this is the first time I ever heard of this company, but I am really impressed by the packaging. It came in this red and black matte box called a "getaway package" (in French), that closed with a magnetic clasp. Inside, there was foam that held a tea ball strainer (a very nice one to add; much better than the one I currently have) with a large gold and white teapot charm that has the company logo on it. The tea was in the nicest tin I've seen though; a small, red and black rectangular container with the company logo and history in English and French on the sides and tea info on the back. The lid was very tight, and I needed to use a key to actually pop it off like a paint can.
I loved the smell of this tea; even before the tin was open, the box smelled of honey and flowers. The actual tea base, though, could be a bit more high quality. Lower quality leaves are to be expected, though, of flavored tea like this (especially considered how flavored it is– it actually smells like fruity perfume more than tea). When it brewed, the tea was a greenish yellow, with a few leaves at the bottom. It smelled like the dry leaf, but with more honey and tropical fruits (lychee was said to be one of the main flavors, and I can definitely smell it).
Tasting the tea, I'd say it's pretty average. I can't tell if it's because I've moved on from the majority of flavored teas (mainly fruity ones) or if tea is just mediocre. The flavor starts off vaguely sweet– with a tiny bit of unidentifiable fruit– with a slight hint of bitterness, and then finishes with even more fruit. The aftertaste is sour and leaves a dry feeling in the mouth and throat. It's not bad; I'd drink it with friends who'd prefer this stuff, but the brewing parameters might need a bit of tweaking so it isn't so astringent. It's certainly better than a few of the Lupicia teas I had during the 100 Days of Tea, but it's not my cup of tea.
Other Notes
Now that first semester is done, I have quite a bit to talk about. I'll put it on a different post, so look out for that!
Type: Flavored green
Producer: Dammann Freres
Origin: Paris, France
Brewing Parameters: 2.5 g, 90°C, 3-4 minutes – Western style
Appearance: Small, broken up flat green leaves with rose petals and white flower buds
Rating: B- | 82/100
# of Brews: 1
Tasting Notes and Thoughts
This is a tea that my mom got from one of her coworkers, which she gave to me. I have to admit, this is the first time I ever heard of this company, but I am really impressed by the packaging. It came in this red and black matte box called a "getaway package" (in French), that closed with a magnetic clasp. Inside, there was foam that held a tea ball strainer (a very nice one to add; much better than the one I currently have) with a large gold and white teapot charm that has the company logo on it. The tea was in the nicest tin I've seen though; a small, red and black rectangular container with the company logo and history in English and French on the sides and tea info on the back. The lid was very tight, and I needed to use a key to actually pop it off like a paint can.
I loved the smell of this tea; even before the tin was open, the box smelled of honey and flowers. The actual tea base, though, could be a bit more high quality. Lower quality leaves are to be expected, though, of flavored tea like this (especially considered how flavored it is– it actually smells like fruity perfume more than tea). When it brewed, the tea was a greenish yellow, with a few leaves at the bottom. It smelled like the dry leaf, but with more honey and tropical fruits (lychee was said to be one of the main flavors, and I can definitely smell it).
Tasting the tea, I'd say it's pretty average. I can't tell if it's because I've moved on from the majority of flavored teas (mainly fruity ones) or if tea is just mediocre. The flavor starts off vaguely sweet– with a tiny bit of unidentifiable fruit– with a slight hint of bitterness, and then finishes with even more fruit. The aftertaste is sour and leaves a dry feeling in the mouth and throat. It's not bad; I'd drink it with friends who'd prefer this stuff, but the brewing parameters might need a bit of tweaking so it isn't so astringent. It's certainly better than a few of the Lupicia teas I had during the 100 Days of Tea, but it's not my cup of tea.
Other Notes
Now that first semester is done, I have quite a bit to talk about. I'll put it on a different post, so look out for that!
Recipe: Homemade (Tea Flavored) Yogurt; No maker required!
Another recipe! I've been using/doing this technique for a long time now, but only today did I try using flavoring– caramel apple herbal tea. From what I've seen so far during prep, it's worked well, but I won't be able to taste it until tomorrow morning. If you really want to be safe, just skip the flavoring step. This is my own personal recipe, but feel free to change it– it's very forgiving and there are many variations online.
Ingredients/Materials: Flavoring (herbs, tea, etc.), milk (any type; some prefer whole, but I use 2%), yogurt (to use as a starter), container that can be sealed, large pot, strainer, whisk, towel
1. Clean all materials, using soap and hot/boiling water.
2. Obtain yogurt with live cultures, preferably unflavored. I've been using some organic L. Bulgaricus/Bulgarian yogurt as my starter. Measure out your milk using your container; don't be scared, fill that sucker up to the top.
3. Pour the milk into your pot. Turn the heat to medium or medium-high. Add your flavorings; today I used two teabags.
4. Stir constantly to prevent the milk from burning. Heat until the milk boils and bubbles. Quickly remove the pot from the heat the moment the milk bubbles/froths to the top, and place to the side, all the while stirring.
5. Set up an ice bath and place the pot inside. Continue to stir occasionally, until the milk reaches room temperature.
6. Place a few tablespoons (I use anywhere from 2-5, depending on the size of the container) of starter yogurt into your container. Add the milk, straining off whatever you used to flavor (and possibly burnt milk or curds). If you like thicker yogurt, add powdered milk or gelatin. Personally, I don't do this, so I don't know how much to use.
7. Whisk the milk and starter yogurt together and seal the container.
8. Find a warm, dark place to ferment the yogurt. I use an oven that I turn on to 170 degrees, turn off, and then leave on the light to maintain temperature.
9. Cover the yogurt using a towel so that light doesn't reach it. Let sit for 8-10 hours.
10. At this point, the whey and yogurt should have separated. If you'd like, pour off the whey or strain it off using a coffee filter. Your yogurt is ready! Enjoy!
It's a quick recipe that lets a small jar of yogurt last for a really long time, and is fun to experiment with.
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