Bottle method:
Heat milk in saucepan until required temp for your culture. A tblsp or 2 of milk powder can be added if a thicker consistancy is desired. Stir culture into milk well. Pour the cultured milk into sterilised canning jars and cap tightly. Put the jars into a deep saucepan and fill with water upto the neck of the jars, that is the required temp for setting the yoghurt and leave on the stove. Cover the saucepan with a lid. If the water needs to be heated, just turn on the stove for a couple of minutes to bring back to required temp. Leave for required amount of time, and stand jars for one hour, before putting in the fridge.
Oven method:
Preheat oven to 180 C and turn off. Heat milk to luke warm and stir in 1 tlbsp of quality natural yoghurt for every 1lt of milk, until dispersed. Pour milk into a bowl and wrap with a thick towel and place in oven over night.
I can see no reason why a culture could not be used for the oven method, it's just that is how Mum used to always make yoghurt. You can re-culture more batches of yoghurt from your original cultured yoghurt, using the same idea as the oven method, of adding the yoghurt as the starter culture. This can be done upto 3 times before you would need to start with a fresh culture again.
Greek yoghurt is made by hanging the yoghurt for 4-6 hours and letting drain. Te longer the time, the sharper the falvour. I also sometimes hang my normal yoghurt for an hour, just to thicken it up a little.
Fresh fruit cannot be added to yoghurt and stored, as the acids break down the yoghurt and make it runny. It can be added when served.
Hopefully I haven't forgotten anything. If you hae any questions just ask.
