Homemade Yogurt

By Addie

All you need is a small container of store bought yogurt and warm milk to make your starter. Have you ever noticed the label on a container of yogurt that reads, “Contains live active cultures?” Those cultures act like yeast in bread making – they are little microorganisms that turn a few simple ingredients into something yummy.

If you don’t have a candy thermometer, you really need one before you try this. The recipe instructs you to scald your milk to 180 degree and then let it cool to 110 degrees. This is very important because if your milk is too hot, you could kill your cultures. That means all you will end up with is some lukewarm milk with dissolved yogurt.

If you have ever heated milk in a saucepan, then you have likely ended up with scorched milk stuck to the bottom. Alana gives a great tip for preventing this – before you do anything, swirl an ice cube around the bottom of the pan you plan to use. Don’t pour out the water left behind, just add your ingredients and start heating the milk. It worked! I was able to heat my milk and no goopy crust was leftover for me to clean up afterwards.

Some seasoned yogurt makers suggest letting your yogurt ferment in a crock pot or in a warm (not hot!) oven. I simply wrapped my yogurt starter in a dish towel and then placed it inside an insulated lunch bag. When I checked it after five house, I was pretty disappointed because my mason jar of warm milk still looked like . . .milk. So I wrapped it back up and checked on it two hours later and EUREKA! The feeling is exactly like the first time you make bread and your dough rises.

I did it right! I did it right!

Ingredients

• Add ins, optional:
• 4 cups whole milk (not ultra-pasteurized milk)
• 1/2 cup plain yogurt
• 2 1/2 teaspoons granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup fruit jam

Preparation

Step 1

Before you begin, place an ice cube in the bottom of the pan you plan to use to heat the milk. Swirl the ice cube around so that it touches every inch of the bottom of the pan. Once it has melted, do not wipe out the remaining water.

Add the milk to the pan. Heat over medium heat until a candy themometer reads 180 degrees. Stir occasionally with a wooden spoon. For thicker yogurt, allow the milk to maintain a temp of 180-200 degrees for about 20 minutes. Remove pan from heat and allow to cool to 110 degrees.

Pour 1 cup of warm milk into a small glass bowl. Add the yogurt and stir until dissolved. Pour the mixture back into the pan. Whisk until it becomes slightly foamy.

Pour starter into a clean 1 quart mason jar. Wrap in a dish towel and place in an insulated cooler for 5-7 hours, or until starter consistency becomes thick and creamy.

Add yogurt, vanilla, and jam. Stir until thoroughly combined.

Store jar in refrigerator. Yogurt will thicken slightly
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REVIEWS:

That is pretty much how I make mine, but I use a bit more store-bought yogurt to start it, about 1 1/2 tablespoons. I’d never heard that tip about the ice cube in the pan. I love your photos and your account of trying it the first time. It IS a bit scary!