homemade yogurt

i made homemade yogurt on monday. i was excited about trying this for the potential of saving money on yogurt that we eat at breakfast and lunch, but ALSO to make frozen yogurt.

i have yet to make frozen yogurt, i am planning on doing it on monday, but my yogurt turned out great and we've had two delicious yogurt, granola and berry breakfasts.

i made my yogurt in my crock pot. i may try it another way next time, but i think it worked very well in the crock pot.

i read a few tutorials in my research before i made my yogurt. here are my favorite:

macheesmo
a year of slow cooking
alicia's homemaking

basically the yogurt making process is heating up milk and cooling it down very slowly and adding live cultures in the process.

here's what i did

you will need:

1/2 c. plain yogurt (with LIVE/ACTIVE cultures)

1/2 gallon whole milk (do not use ultra-pasteurized)

a crock pot

1-2 heavy towels

candy thermometer (recommended, but not necessary)

put your milk in the crock pot on low for 2 1/2 hrs (your milk needs to reach 180 degrees Fahrenheit)

turn off your crock pot, but keep the lid on and let sit 2 1/2 -3 hrs (until milk is 115-110 degrees Fahrenheit)

remove a cup of warm milk, mix your 1/2 c. yogurt in and then add it to the crock pot and mix.

wrap your crock pot with the towel and let sit 6-12 hrs (the goal is to keep your yogurt at 110 degrees for as long as possible.) i let mine sit 6 hrs, but the longer your yogurt can sit warn, the better. if you have a well insulated oven, you can stick your wrapped crock pot in your oven.

set aside 1/2 c. yogurt and freeze it for the next time you make it. 

divide into containers. it can keep for 7-10 days in your fridge.

you can blend it with fruit and some sugar or just sweeten it with brown sugar, honey or granulated sugar. i like mine with brown sugar and a little vanilla topped with berries.

i think that i will try straining off the whey my next time. yogurt with whey IS healthier, but it's also thinner. another option to thicken up the yogurt a bit would be to use pectin or powdered milk.