Here is the best solution. Make your own Yogurt! It is cheaper, it is greener, it is tastier, it is healthier!

here is how

Next time you eat out into an Indian Resteraunt, ask them for some Yogurt culture ( Dahi) they will be happy to bring you some in a to go cup! ( You may use greek, turkish or slavik culture if you like that... but I do not know of any ready sources. You can try using the store bought, unflavored yogurt as culture too. It works but does not taste the best in my opinion.)

Now that you are armed with that culture, In the evening after your dinner, heat one quart of milk till it comes to boil. ( You can heat in the microwave for about 6 -11 minutes, depending upon the wattage). Use a ceramic of glass container.

Let the milk cool. When it cools down to warm ( about 38 C or 100 F .. just feel it...no need to be precise)

In that one quart of the milk mix in about 2 to 4 oz of culture. (More in winter, less in the summer). Stir thoroughly.

Cover the container and sit it in a warm place.

(1) Kitchen counter away from drafts ( in the summers or mostly south of mason dixon)

(2) In a oven warmed upto 100 F and turned off ( North of mason dixon..or in the winters)

Forget about it for overnight.. do not disturb the bacteria.. let them do their thing...

Next morning you have nice thick yogurt... put it in the fridge and it will thicken further ....Enjoy yourselves... IT will stay in the fridge for upto 5 -7 days

scoop a couple of oz from the container to make a new batch! Freeze some culture in case you sopil your batch!

no plastic.. no preservatives....pure taste.... use organic milk if you want..

on average, including the heating cost it is atleast 50% cheaper than store bought yogurt!

You can make a different type of Sweet Yogurt by adding sugar to hot milk before fermentation.. it is quite yummy....

but master the plain one before you attempt the sweet kind!

PS:

You can use whole milk or 2% milk. 1% milk will also work but the yogurt will not be as thick! Skim milk requires a bit practice!

Keeping the batch "warm" overnight is the key... it should stay between 30 -39 C

I live in a small community that only recycles #1 &#2, (the grocers recycle plastic bags-but I use cloth) and I could not stomach the fact I was throwing all the #5 & #6 away so I also started making my own yogurt.As for other things like cottage cheese, sour cream,etc-if the container cannot be recycled I do not buy it.Also be careful for corn based plastics.There are very friendly to the earth but most cannot be recycled with other plastics and they must have total optimum conditions to "decompose."

Sour cream..no problem.... you can make your own...

Here is how I make it

I use heavy cream instead of milk. (Try to find heavy cream that does not have additives like pottassium sorbate) I typicaly mix two parts of heavy cream with 1 part of half and half... It makes a thick Yogurt. After fermentation, I take take the thick creamy yogurt and put it in a small mesh cheesecloth. (You can use the regular cheesecloth folded thrice or just use some regular thin cotton handkerchief or bandana.... of course white in color.. you )

Tie a heavy knot and put it under weight.. a couple of unopened cans or a heavy skillet can be used as weight.... let it drain for a few hours. and you have sour cream!

The drained liquid is protein rich and can be used in cooking. Especially in gazpacho.

Warning

This sour cream tastes so good... you will never be able to eat the store bought again once getting used to this one....

and once again it is cheaper.. just a bit of a hassle to make

For even easier, cheaper yogurt (no heating of the milk) just mix warm water with powdered nonfat milk. Then add your yogurt culture , or the last cup or so of your last batch. Meanwhile, heat an oven to 180, or the lowest setting your oven will permit. Then turn the oven off, and put the bowl of milk in, loosely covered with foil. It will turn into yogurt overnight. If it's not thick enough, just give it another shot of heat and wait a few more hours.

This is a good way to use powdered milk, as that awful boiled powdered-milk taste disappears once it becomes yogurt.

Make sure your bowl is very clean.

We make this a gallon at a time.