Have you ever wondered how to make yogurt? well, wonder no more! This recipe is so easy you can be making your own yogurt tonight and have it for breakfast tomorrow.
I never used to think about making yogurt at home. It is a product that is so readily available that you take it for granted. There are tons of brands and flavors in the dairy section of your favorite super market so why make it? Well, depending on the brand, yogurt can be very inexpensive but, as with anything else, you get what you pay for. If you want good quality yogurt, you either need to pay a little bit more or make it yourself.
I would go with the second option everyday of the week, one, because you know what ingredients go into your product and two it actually saves you money.
It’s been about ten years since I first tried homemade yogurt. The lady who I got it from told me she had made it the night before and I honestly thought she was pulling my leg because the process she was describing seemed to easy to be true but I decided to give it a try and got fantastic results.
The key is to use your favorite yogurt as the flavor of the store-bought yogurt will carry over to the final product. Make sure to use plain yogurt that contains live, active cultures. Also, use a good quality milk. Whole milk of 2% works best.
I use a dutch oven but you can use any heavy stock pot with a lid. The purpose is to keep the temperature stable at about 110°F so that the yogurt cultures do their job converting the milk into yogurt. One trick that I learned is to wrap the pot with a towel or a small blanket and let the yogurt rest in the oven (turned off) for about 6 hours.
Now that you know all the secrets to make your own yogurt, go ahead and give it a try!
- 2 quarts Milk (whole or 2%)
- ½ cup Plain Yogurt
- Heat the milk gently in the dutch oven to 200°F. Stir constantly to make sure the bottom doesn't scorch
- Remove milk from heat and let it cool down to about 115°F
- Take about 1 cup of milk and add the yogurt whisking gently until yogurt has dissolved
- Stir in yogurt mixture into the milk, put the lid on and wrap dutch oven in a towel or small blanket
- Transfer the dutch oven to the oven and let it set for at 6 hours or until yogurt has reached the desired consistency
- Transfer the yogurt to a plastic or glass container and refrigerate
Let us know your results by commenting below!
