I made my first batch of yogurt yesterday and I strained it today. I used Fage brand and I think the taste and consistency are good. But I have a question that I was hoping I could get some insight into. It's about something I read when I was trying to read this whole 99 page thread, but I only managed to read up to maybe page 50, so I apologize if it's already been answered.
My question is about reserving some of every batch of yogurt to make new yogurt. All the Mediterranean people I know (my mom included) know that in other countries, when you save a bit of your yogurt, you can keep strains alive for very long periods of time. Generations even. A Persian woman who helped me at Whole Foods told me her grandmother had a strain that she had kept going for 20 years. But, it seems that this just doesn't work in America. And this was echoed somewhere in this thread earlier, by someone saying that if you keep reserving a bit of your yogurt, the culture will get weak or your yogurt will start turning out weak. My mom verified this, but she had no idea why and she said she's been wondering why this happens for the 45 years that she's lived in America. So, does someone know the reason for this? Is America some kind of yogurt vortex where you simply can't keep yogurt bacteria strains going for years? Or is it something in the milk we use or the cultures we use?
