Homemade yogurt, kefir, and fresh cheese are having a serious moment, and for good reason! They are nutrient-dense, probiotic-rich, and far superior to most of what lines the dairy aisle at the grocery store. But there is one part of the homemade fermentation conversation that almost nobody is talking about: what you make them in.

Fermented foods are acidic by nature. And acidic foods are particularly effective at drawing material out of reactive cookware surfaces, which means the pot you heat your milk in is not as passive a vessel as most people assume. Most fermentation guides tell you exactly what temperature to culture your yogurt at and how long to ferment your kefir. None of them tell you that making these foods in a reactive or coated pan quietly works against the very reason you are making them in the first place.

This week we are covering everything you need to know about making yogurt, kefir, and fresh cheese at home, the ingredients, the step by step process for each, and why Miriam’s pure unglazed clay is the cleanest, most natural vessel for doing it right.