How to Make Yogurt at Home

on
Yogurt is delicious, economical, and easy to make at home! Packed with probiotics and protein, it's also highly nutritious! It's a great way to use up any milk you have at home and once you've made it, you can use it again and again to make more.

Plain Yogurt

Makes 4 cups


Ingredients

1 quart (4 cups) whole milk

~4 tbsp plain yogurt w/ live active cultures


Equipment

- Heavy saucepan w/ lid or Dutch oven

- Instant read or candy thermometer

- Measuring cup and spoons

- Small bowl

- Whisk or spoon

- Towels


Directions

  1. Make sure all your equipment is very clean. Heat milk over moderate heat until just under boiling, about 200F (must reach at least 180F), stirring occasionally to make sure the milk doesn’t scald or form a skin.

  2. Let milk cool to between 110-115F. You can place the pot in an ice bath and stir occasionally to speed the process along. If you accidentally let the milk drop below 110F, simply reheat to the appropriate temperature.

  3. Pour about 1 cup of milk into a bowl and gently stir in yogurt until mixed. This step keeps the yogurt temperature from dropping too low and makes the yogurt easier to incorporate with the rest of the milk.

  4. Pour mixture back into pot and stir gently until incorporated. This inoculates the milk with the yogurt cultures.

  5. Next, incubate your yogurt! Cover your saucepan or Dutch oven with a lid and wrap with towels to retain heat. Place in the oven with the light on and leave undisturbed for at least 5hrs. Feel free to let it go overnight or even longer. See note on incubation time.

  6. When your yogurt reaches your desired flavor, you can drain the liquid whey off the top or whisk it in.

  7. Spoon into glass, plastic, or ceramic containers. Enjoy within 2 weeks!


Notes:

  • This recipe can be doubled or tripled easily, just increase ingredients proportionately.

  • You want your yogurt to incubate at around 110F. Some fluctuation of temperature during incubation if fine, but try to leave it undisturbed so the yogurt is able to set.

  • Yogurt can safely incubate for much longer than 5 hrs. Shorter, cooler incubation periods result in sweeter thinner yogurt, while longer, warmer incubation periods produce thicker, more tart yogurt. Taste after 5hrs and experiment with what works for you.

  • Save the whey (the liquid drained from the yogurt) and mix it into smoothies or other dishes for a protein boost!

  • To thicken, spoon your yogurt into a cheesecloth-lined colander over a bowl and allow to drain for 1-hr or up to a day in the fridge.

  • Do not use an uncoated cast iron pot to make your yogurt as it can impart a metallic taste.

  • If using your yogurt to make more, do so within 7 days.

Comments

Post a Comment