Lady Henevere
Lovin' The Homestead
Inspired by one of my favorite blogs, Homegrown Evolution , I decided to try a new method of making yogurt (I had been doing Crock Pot yogurt before). It's really easy and the results are great, so I wanted to share it with you.
You need a pot to heat the milk, two quart jars, a small cooler and some towels (or an oven with a pilot light or proof setting), half a gallon of milk, and two tablespoons plain yogurt with live cultures (yogurt starter).
Heat the half gallon of milk to 180 degrees, and keep it at that temperature for 30 minutes. Keeping it heated for a while makes the yogurt thicker; if you want it thinner, you can just heat it to 180 then turn off the heat. If you don't have a thermometer, 180 is just barely simmering.
Meanwhile, heat the jars with boiling water, put a folded towel on the bottom of the cooler, put the jars in, and close the lid. This warms the cooler and will help it hold heat later on. If you're using the oven method, skip this (but you may want to sterilize the jars with boiling water anyway).
Let the milk cool to 110 degrees, and mix in the yogurt starter. If you don't have a thermometer, 110 is when you can put your fingers in and leave them there without it being too uncomfortable. To blend in the starter, I find it easier to put some of the warm milk into a bowl or measuring cup, whisk in the starter until it's smooth, and then stir that back into the pot. I feel like it gets blended better that way. Don't use more than a tablespoon of starter per quart of milk.
Dump the water out of the jars, put the mixture into the warm jars in the warm cooler, and pack tight with towels to keep the heat in. If you're using an oven, put the jars in the oven with the pilot light on or on the proof setting. Eight to twelve hours later, it's done. I prefer to blend mine afterward (I have a whisk thing that attaches to my hand mixer, and I just blend it right in the jars). If you're going to mix in honey, fruit, or any other flavoring, be sure to take out some of the plain yogurt to use as a starter next time.
Easy peasy!
You need a pot to heat the milk, two quart jars, a small cooler and some towels (or an oven with a pilot light or proof setting), half a gallon of milk, and two tablespoons plain yogurt with live cultures (yogurt starter).
Heat the half gallon of milk to 180 degrees, and keep it at that temperature for 30 minutes. Keeping it heated for a while makes the yogurt thicker; if you want it thinner, you can just heat it to 180 then turn off the heat. If you don't have a thermometer, 180 is just barely simmering.
Meanwhile, heat the jars with boiling water, put a folded towel on the bottom of the cooler, put the jars in, and close the lid. This warms the cooler and will help it hold heat later on. If you're using the oven method, skip this (but you may want to sterilize the jars with boiling water anyway).
Let the milk cool to 110 degrees, and mix in the yogurt starter. If you don't have a thermometer, 110 is when you can put your fingers in and leave them there without it being too uncomfortable. To blend in the starter, I find it easier to put some of the warm milk into a bowl or measuring cup, whisk in the starter until it's smooth, and then stir that back into the pot. I feel like it gets blended better that way. Don't use more than a tablespoon of starter per quart of milk.
Dump the water out of the jars, put the mixture into the warm jars in the warm cooler, and pack tight with towels to keep the heat in. If you're using an oven, put the jars in the oven with the pilot light on or on the proof setting. Eight to twelve hours later, it's done. I prefer to blend mine afterward (I have a whisk thing that attaches to my hand mixer, and I just blend it right in the jars). If you're going to mix in honey, fruit, or any other flavoring, be sure to take out some of the plain yogurt to use as a starter next time.
Easy peasy!
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