Homemade Yogurt

Homemade yogurt is delicious, healthy, easy, and environmentally friendly (no plastic containers to throw away!).  And if you use milk in returnable glass bottles, there will be no waste at all.  It's a win-win!

You will need:

1 quart of whole milk

small container of organic full-fat yogurt to use as a starter

a yogurt maker or instant pot with yogurt setting
a thermometer

First, measure out the milk and place it in a pot over med-low heat. Heat the mixture to 180 degrees F. Stir constantly and check the temperature with an instant-read thermometer every few minutes.  Try not to get distracted because milk will boil over as soon as you turn your back (that seems to be my experience anyway).

After the milk has reached 180 degrees, I pour it into a quart-sized pyrex measuring cup and wait for it to cool down to between 110 and 115 degrees. It helps to set a timer for 10-15 minutes and check the temp each time. Skim off and discard any film that forms on top of the milk as it's cooling. Place 2 T of yogurt into a small bowl and whisk with a small whisk to remove any lumps. When the milk reaches 115 degrees, gradually add about 1/2 cup warm milk to the yogurt and stir until smooth. Add the yogurt mixture back into the rest of the milk and stir to combine. Pour the milk into your yogurt maker and let it ferment for 6 hours or until thick.  The longer you let it ferment, the more tart the yogurt will be because more sugar is being consumed by the beneficial bacteria in the yogurt.   Refrigerate the yogurt for several hours before stirring or eating.  This helps to keep it thick. 

After the yogurt has chilled, you may choose to strain it to make Greek-style yogurt.  Set the yogurt in a strainer lined with a coffee filter or two layers of cheesecloth and set the strainer over a bowl. Cover it and place it in the refrigerator overnight. The whey will collect in the bottom of the bowl.  If the yogurt is too thick, you can add some of the whey back in to get the desired consistency.  Any extra whey can be saved and added to smoothies or other recipes for an probiotic boost.