d.i.y. yogurt

For a while, my husband and I thought about buying a yogurt maker. I looked up starters to buy and recipes. I had heard you could make yogurt with a crockpot. For Christmas one year, my parents gave us D.I.Y. Delicious by Vanessa Barrington. (It was a clearance book at Anthropologie.) The cover reads, "Recipes and Ideas for Simple Food from Scratch." That sounded pretty good. The book gives recipes on how to make dairy products, breads, salads, pickled and fermented foods, among other things and tells you how to incorporate them into different meals.

My husband was the first one to make yogurt for us. We bought a cup of plain yogurt from Wegmans and used that as our starter. (You can use yogurt or buy starter.) We also use the raw milk we get from our farm. The book recommends full fat milk, but you can use low-fat milk. Once you have a batch of yogurt made, just save two tablespoons to use as starter for your next batch. 

Yogurt Recipe

1 quart milk (the best stuff you can get!)
2 tablespoons plain yogurt with active cultures
   or 1 teaspoon powdered yogurt starter

Equipment:
Wooden spoon or spatula
Medium sized pot
Thermometer
Quart mason jar
Whisk (that can fit in said jar)
Electric heating pad
Dish towel

Let's get started!

Measure out one quart of milk and pour into a medium sized pot. Slowly, heat milk up to 185 degrees. Stir frequently to avoid scorching.

Bubbles will form and the milk will start to look frothy. Don't let it boil!

 

 

Once you reach 185 degrees, or there about, turn down the heat and hold it at 185 degrees for five minutes. Stir occasionally. Take the milk off the heat and allow to cool to 115 degrees, or there about. (I really didn't time things very well this morning...)

 

 

Sterilize your quart jar. (I put a little bit of water in the jar and heat it up in the microwave for a minute; probably not the best method.) You can also heat it up in the oven, which is what I do when I am canning or put your jar in a pot of boiling water.

Put your two tablespoons of yogurt or 1 teaspoon of starter in your jar. Pour in 1/2 cup of the cooled milk and whisk. Be sure that the starter is well incorporated with the milk. Add the rest of your milk, whisk and put the top on it.

 

 

Time to make our incubator! Wrap the heating pad around your jar.

 

 

I use clothes pins to make a good fit around the jar.

 

Fold up a dish towel and put on top of your jar, good and snug. Set the heating pad to Low. 

Eight hours later....



 

YOGURT!

 

Don't be afraid if there is a little separation on top. (If you'd like Greek style yogurt, let the yogurt drain through several layers of cheese cloth or a coffee filter set over a strainer in the refrigerator for 12 hours.)

Make sure you check on your heating pad throughout the day. Ours automatically turns off after two hours.

 

I hope that this tutorial gets you motivated to make your own yogurt. This way, you can add how much sweetener goes in or simply go without! I like a little drizzle of maple syrup myself. It's important to know what you're eating and making your own food gives you assurance in that. It's really not that hard. It just takes a little of your time, but I think that it's worth it. <3