Homemade Yogurt

Homemade yogurt is super yummy and is just about the easiest thing in the whole world to make.  It's best to start your yogurt on a Saturday morning, because even though it's easy it does take a long time.

But if you love yogurt, homemade is the only way to go (well, in my opinion anyway).  This stuff is absolutely amazing!  Seriously.  And, it will save you a ton of moolah.  This gallon of milk, which cost me about $2, yielded 64 ounces (that's 2 large containers) of the most yummy gourmet yogurt evah!  You can't buy this quality of yogurt at that price, and homemade isn't full of sugar and ingredients you can't pronounce.  Ewwww, no one wants stuff they can't pronounce in their food.

You will need a gallon of milk, a crock pot, some plain unsweetened yogurt with live active cultures, a small dial type food thermometer, a big fluffy bath towel, and something to strain your yogurt with.  When you buy your starter yogurt, the yogurt label will tell you if it contains live active cultures.

In my instructions below you'll see that I'm using a jelly bag to strain my yogurt.  But, you can use a colander lined with either a cheesecloth or tea towel.  You don't need anything fancy.  And, if you don't already have one, you can pick up a little food thermometer in the gadget aisle of most grocery stores for less than $5.

Also, any milk will do.  Skim, 1%, 2%, or whole - whatever floats your boat.  Well, except for goat's milk.  I read somewhere that yogurt made from goat's milk tastes kind of, well, goaty.  If you're going to make homemade yogurt, I strongly recommend that you treat yourself  at least one time to a batch made with whole milk.  It is rich, and creamy, and wonderfully delicious!  Once I tried it, I have never turned back.

Oh, and the plain yogurt with live cultures is a one-time investment.  Once your yogurt is made, you just save a little aside before sweetening or adding flavors to start your next batch.  Your first time though, you will have to buy some.  Be sure you like the taste of whatever brand you get.

So let's make some yogurt!

First just pour your gallon of milk into the crockpot and set it on high.  Set a timer for 2 hours.  Set your plain starter yogurt (you'll need about a cup) out on the kitchen counter to let it come to room temperature while you wait for the milk to heat.  

After two hours, check the temperature on your milk.  You want it to be 180º F.  If it's not quite there, just let it go longer and check the temperature about every 30 minutes or so.

Once the milk is at 180º F then turn the crockpot off and let the milk cool to 110º F.  This can take a couple more hours, so go read a book or poke people on Facebook.

Once the milk is at 110º F, dip out about a cup and add it to your plain starter yogurt.  Fold them together gently, and then pour the mixture back into the remaining milk in the crock pot.  Fold mixture together again with an up and down or side to side motion.  Be gentle.

Now it's time to swaddle your baby yogurt and incubate it.  Wrap the crockpot in a nice, big, fluffy towel and set it in a warm place.  Leave it alone for at least 8 hours.  You can incubate your yogurt much longer than that, though.  The longer you leave it, the thicker and more tart it will be.  I usually let mine incubate for 12-18 hours.

After your yogurt is finished incubating, remove the towel and lid and you should see something like this. A nice, thick custard with some whey floating on top.  

Scoop out the yogurt into your jelly bag or lined colander or whatever you are using to strain it.  The whey will strain through, leaving just the creamy thick yogurt in the strainer.  Leave it sit to strain for at least 4 hours.  If all of your yogurt won't fit, you can strain it in two batches.  It won't hurt it to strain it at room temperature, or you can put it in the refrigerator if you have room.

I put my strained whey in ice cube trays and freeze it.  I store the frozen whey cubes in a gallon ziploc bag and use them in my morning smoothies.  Yum!

Your yogurt will be kind of yogurty looking, like this.  With lumps.  'Cause that's how yogurt rolls.

Once your yogurt is strained, put it in the fridge to chill for 2 - 4 hours.  After it's chilled, you can add fruit, sweetener, vanilla, or whatever you like in your yogurt.  Before you add your goodies, don't forget to save some out to use as starter for your next batch.  I usually add some Splenda, vanilla and fruit to mine and store individual servings in Mason jelly jars.  The yogurt will keep up to two weeks in your fridge.  If you don't eat it all first.  'Cause it's that good.