Since I shared my Instant Pot yogurt making recipe in 2022, I’ve gotten a ton of questions about the yogurt making process (also I can’t believe I am still doing this every couple weeks years later). Below, find a selection of the most common questions I’ve gotten about homemade yogurt (plus a few others!) covering…
Category: Fermented Foods
Holiday Gift Ideas for Microbiologists and Science Fans
One of the things I love about microbiology scicomm is the many ways microbiologists, writers, and artists have incorporated microbes into tangible output. Microbiology-themed books, clothing and accessories, kitchen supplies, and toys have definitely made their way into my household lately. If you’re looking for some fun gifts for a microbiology lover in your life,…
The Microbiology of Milk Kefir [Plus, How to Make Kefir at Home]
Originally published Jan 20, 2017. Updated May 22, 2022. We can thank microbes for the tangy flavor and the effervescent creamy texture of kefir. If you’re new to kefir, it’s similar to yogurt. Both are made by fermenting milk. To my taste buds, kefir is like an intensified form of yogurt, effervescent and wonderfully tart…
A Microbiologist’s Guide to Yogurt + How to Make Yogurt in the Instant Pot [Recipe]
Last updated on April 20, 2026. Last year, I made 26 batches of homemade yogurt and ate probably over 350 yogurt and granola breakfasts (or some variation of that). Since I left the world of laboratory bench work, the kitchen has become my lab, a place to create edible experiments to satisfy my microbial curiosities….
Thanks Microbes! My Year of Fermented Foods
Every two weeks, I grow a new batch of yogurt, pouring warm milk into my “incubator” and 10 hours later, scooping out the thickened concoction that becomes my yogurt and granola breakfast. In the fridge, sits a small jar of sourdough starter, lying dormant until I revive it again with some flour and water. As…





