Make Your Own Yogurt

The supermarket provides so many yogurt options, it can make your head spin. But with those options usually comes artificial sweeteners, mushy fruit or a funky flavor that should never be disguised as yogurt (Key lime pie? Peanut butter fudge? It’s yogurt people, eat dessert if you want that!). I’m a yogurt purist and always opt for plain. I also love the thick, creamy texture of Greek yogurt but its higher price point keeps it an occasional luxury. 

Reading Barbara Kingsolver’s fabulous book Animal Vegetable Miracle first inspired me to attempt my own at-home version. And it’s really easy! Plus, you can control where the dairy comes from, create a version that has less sugar than its supermarket counterpart…and even if you don’t want to spend the time or energy on making your own yogurt on a regular basis, its one of those things that is a long, lost art everyone should try once.

1. Buy your milk (I like Clovers and opt for fat-free) and a starter yogurt. Look for a yogurt that doesn’t have additives or a lot of sugar. You only need a few tablespoons so a small jar will do.  Its very important to use FRESH milk and yogurt, so that the bacteria still has growing power.
2. Heat your milk. Using a double boiler (which prevents the milk from burning and lessens the time needed spent over the stove stirring), slowly bring your milk to 185 degrees over low heat. Stir occasionally so milk doesn’t burn on the bottom. If you don’t have a thermometer, you are looking for the milk to just start to bubble, right before it begins boiling.
3. Set your starter yogurt out on the counter, so it warms up a bit.
4. As soon as your milk hits 185 degrees or begins to bubble, take it off the heat. Let your milk cool to about 110 degrees. Again, if you don’t have a thermometer, it reaches the optimal temperature once you can put a finger in the milk without having it burn, but make sure its still warm as you don’t want it below 90 degrees.
5. In clean containers – I use Mason jars – add about two tablespoons of your starter yogurt then pour your cooled milk in the jars. Seal tightly.
6. Let your yogurt “incubate”. I usually turn my oven on for about 5 minutes at 200 degrees, turn it off, place my jars in the oven and leave them overnight. Turning on your oven light will give it just enough warmth. If you don’t have an oven light, wrap the jars tightly with several kitchen towels and let sit the in the pre-warmed oven. Let them “incubate” for about five to seven hours.
7. The yogurt is done when its a custard like consistency and has some excess liquid on top. This will result in a thinner yogurt. If you like a Greek style yogurt, strain yogurt through cheesecloth (or I use coffee filters set over a mesh strainer).  Let it strain for several hours, until it reaches desired thickness. Oftentimes I make two jars. I drain one and not the other, then mix the two.
8. Place in the refrigerator for a few hours before eating. Whey, a thin yellow liquid, will form on the top. You can pour it off or stir it in before eating your yogurt.
9. Eat it! Love it! Be proud of your homemade yogurt!
10. If you love your at-home yogurt and want to continue making it, make sure to make your next batch within a week so your current batch’s bacteria is still nice and powerful!

Tagged as: Greek, homemade, milk, yogurt