Making Yogurt

There are many things that I would like to be able to make from scratch that I never get around to trying. Sometimes it's fear that I'll mess it up and then waste a bunch of stuff, sometimes it's the time factor. I make most of our meals from scratch but rely on some bought items to make them that I COULD make on my own, but choose not to.


One of those things is yogurt. I really love yogurt, the full-fat kind, not the low fat stuff that I think tastes like nothing. My favorite store-bought brand is Brown Cow because it comes with the cream on the top that you mix in. I normally buy flavored kinds but my kids actually love plain yogurt. That grosses me out somewhat, but it's better since it's not sweetened. They like vanilla too but will go for just plain.


So, since we eat a lot of yogurt, I was calculating how much I spend on yogurt a week. It's anywhere from 10-15 dollars, depending how much we buy. That probably sounds like a lot to you, but organic yogurt is more expensive, we eat a lot of it, and we often use it for smoothies in the morning.


So then I calculated how much it would cost to make my own. If I make it from the raw milk we buy, and I use a half gallon of milk, it would cost me less than 4 dollars. That's a big difference!! So I decided to give it a try!


I have to admit, I was a little nervous but I've heard from a lot of people that it is so easy. I sat down and read a few different ways that you can make it and combined them and picked the way that sounded easiest for me. Here's what to do!


1. Heat 4 cups of milk (or 8) if you want more in a large pot on the stove to 180 degrees. This is just before the boiling point when little bubbles form around the edges. If you have a thermometer, it's best to stick it in the milk to check the temperature.


2. Remove from heat and cool milk down to 110 degrees. Mix 1/4-1/3 store-bought plain yogurt with a cup of warm milk OR mix one pack yogurt starter with a little warm milk (for 8 cups, double the starter or yogurt). Add the mixed yogurt to the entire batch and stir together.


3. Pour into a GLASS container and loosely put the lid on. I used an old jar that used to be filled with coconut oil.


4. Fill a cooler part-way with warm water, but not over the top of the jar.


5. Close the lid of the cooler and let it sit for 4-7 hours. Check on it occasionally to see if the yogurt has formed and to make sure the water is warm.


THAT'S IT!! Amazingly simple. The prep part took 10-15 minutes. For me, it was about 7 hours until the yogurt formed. The result is slightly more runny than store bought yogurt and even though it's plain, it's just a touch sweeter than store bought plain. And maybe that was just the milk I used. Sweeten with honey or maple syrup, fruit, or granola. Delicious! And really, it was very easy!


Anybody up for it?