How to Make Homemade Yogurt
So excited to say the least! Not only are we making yogurt today for a fraction of the cost of store bought yogurt but we get to hangout with my big sis and her 3 kids!!! Over the past 6 years, my sister and her family have been back and forth between the states and East Central Asia on missions, so when they are home it's a HUGE blessing!
She is my yogurt mentor :) and as been making yogurt for quite a while. I have heard of using a crock-pot, a cooler, or an oven as a way to maintain the temperature of the milk while it is thickening. She uses a Yogotherm Yogurt Incubator and has found this to be one of the only ways she has found success repeatedly. She has friends that use some of these other methods and have had great results, so really it just comes down to finding a method that works for you. I would love to try some of these other methods just to compare!
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| Homemade Yogurt ... the final product! YUM! |
Homemade Yogurt
2 quarts of milk (skim, 2% or whole)
2 tablespoons of yogurt
Yogotherm (optional, but what we used ... very handy!)
food thermometer (needs to measure 110 - 185 degrees)
Heat milk in saucepan to 185 degrees over high heat (~15 minutes). Fill sink up halfway with cold water, you will use this to cool the milk down. Remove pan from stove and place in sink with cold water. Whisk and cool to 110 degrees (5-10 minutes). Once cool add 2 tablespoons of yogurt and whisk thoroughly. Pour into Yogotherm and close securely. Incubate on counter in Yogotherm for 8 - 24 hours (the long the incubation period the tarter the flavor). Remove from Yogotherm and whisk until smooth.
After incubation period, line colander with coffee filter and place over bowl. Pour yogurt into lined colander and strain in the refrigerator until desired consistency (3-4 hours). They whisk until smooth. No worries if you forget and strain for longer you can always add some whey back in while whisking.
For a Thicker Yogurt
colander
bowl
colander
bowl
cheesecloth (paper towel or coffee filter)
After incubation period, line colander with coffee filter and place over bowl. Pour yogurt into lined colander and strain in the refrigerator until desired consistency (3-4 hours). They whisk until smooth. No worries if you forget and strain for longer you can always add some whey back in while whisking.
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| milk heated to 185 degrees |
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| milk cooled to 110 degrees in cold water bath |
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| yogurt after overnight incubation |
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| straining for a thicker yogurt |
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| ... after straining for 5 hours |
Updated 5/14/2015 - The process really was very simple and only required a total of 30 minutes of active participation. The Yogotherm sat on the counter overnight and I made sure to have the colander ready to go for the morning. During the scramble to get out of the house, I poured the yogurt into the lined colander and made room for it in the refrigerator, knowing we could try out the yogurt with our lunch when we arrived home today was well-anticipated! We were not disappointed one bit!
Cost Comparison: $0.80 for 32 oz of homemade yogurt VS. $1.89 for 32 oz store bought
A half a gallon makes 32 oz of yogurt, so really it comes down to how much you spend on your milk!
Updated 5/17/15 - Needless to say but the yogurt is gone as of Friday (lasted us 2 days!), we can dominate a 32 oz yogurt in one setting! After talking with my sister about the longevity of homemade yogurt she felt it would last at least a week and probably longer ... her family consumes it fast enough she has never had it go bad.
Today's Question: What is your favorite yogurt flavor?
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