Hi Ben,

<<  I was under the impression that all yogurt had to be cooked to _some_
degree.  I assumed that was why a lot of raw-food eaters made raw kefir, which
doesn't need to be cooked.  Any comments on this?  >>

Yes I think you're right.  I myself did made yogurt for years by just setting
a pot of milk which contained yogurt culture on our kitchen counter until it
became yogurt. We lived in a warm climate then.  But as I understand it, there
are cultures which thrive on tem[eratures around 70-80 degress, and others,
(considered superior) which thrive on higher temperatures around 100 - 120
degrees. Supposedly the inferior cultures are the "mesophilocs" (sp?) - and
are the ones used by commercial producers because they are easy to obtain, and
require an easier, cheaper production process (I think commercial producers
add the smallest amount of culture allowable in order to be able to claim
"live cultures included," at the very last stage of processing).

The couple that makes our goats-milk yogurt imports special cultures (from
France), and these are the "thermophilic" ("heat-loving") type, which require
tempertures of 115-118 degrees to become active. (Milk is 104 when it comes
out of the goat). (FYI, Pasteurization requires 145 degress for 40 minutes, or
161 degrees flash heated).

The heating of the milk to make yogurt is not a problem for us, but if you
prefer a less heated product, this dairy makes kefir also (requires no
heating) and other products.

Love, Liza
[log in to unmask] (Liza May)