The first time I made yogurt was during my college Microbiology class. It was a smashing success, and I experimented with a variety of yogurt cultures and types of milk. At the end of this recipe I will include a section of notes with further information and research that I have gathered through my experience in making yogurt.
Enjoying yogurt on a daily basis does not have to break a family budget. Making yogurt at home is one of the easiest and cheapest "health" foods to include in a regular cooking routine. While the first time you attempt to make your own yogurt might be confusing and seem complicated, it is an incredibly simple process and becomes more cost effective each time you make it.
My Favorite Yogurt Recipe
You will need:
1/2 gallon of milk
2-3 tbsp. plain yogurt with live and active cultures
Other supplies:
1 large pot
1 large glass bowl
Cooking thermometer
Heating pad without an automatic shutoff feature
1 large towel
Glass jars or plastic containers to store the final product
~Instructions~
Gather your supplies.
1. In a large pot, gradually heat 1/2 gallon of milk to 180 degrees Fahrenheit. In the meantime, reserve two tbsp. of the milk and combine it thoroughly with 2-3 tbsp. of the yogurt and set the mixture aside.
2. When the milk reaches 180 degrees (in my kitchen, at about 7200ft altitude this process took 15 minutes), remove it from the heat and place it in the glass bowl. Leave this bowl uncovered and monitor the temperature of the milk until it cools to 105 to 110 degrees Fahrenheit (this process took about 25 minutes in my kitchen.) While the milk is cooling, plug in your heating pad, wrap it in the towel, and set it to low heat.
3. When the milk cools, add the yogurt/milk mixture and thoroughly combine. Cover the bowl with a lid, place it on the heating pad, and wrap snugly in the towel. Keep the yogurt warm on the heating pad for at least 8 hours, or overnight. There is no need to check the temperature during this time as the heating pad should keep the liquid at an optimal temperature.
4. After the yogurt has been allowed to warm overnight, remove it from the heating pad and transfer it to a storage container. Don't be alarmed if the yogurt is very thin. It will thicken when cooled in the refrigerator.
If you want a thicker, creamier yogurt that resembles the consistency of sour cream, then continue on with a simple process that will result in what we have come to call "Greek style" yogurt.
5. After removing the yogurt from the heating pad, prepare a strainer by lining it with four layers of cheesecloth and placing the strainer in another large glass bowl. Pour the yogurt into the strainer and place the bowl in the refrigerator. *Do not try to squeeze the yogurt through the cheesecloth or attempt to strain it by force. At this point, the product is too thin, and will pass easily through the cloth.*
The point of this step, is to thicken the yogurt while also allowing the whey to drain gradually out of the product.
After an hour or two remove the bowl from the refrigerator, remove the strainer from the bowl, and pour the whey into another container. This whey can be discarded, or saved for use in cooking. Replace the strainer in the bowl and return to the refrigerator. Repeat this straining process until the yogurt reaches the thickness you desire.
6. When the yogurt reaches your desired consistency, remove it from the refrigerator and gently squeeze the cheesecloth to remove any remaining whey. Then scoop the yogurt out of the cloth and into your storage container. I find it helpful to dump the yogurt into a clean bowl and wring out the cloth to minimize waste. The cheesecloth can then be rinsed and dried for future use.
Here, you can see how thick my final yogurt product has become after about five hours of refrigerating and straining whey.
Using the preceding recipe, I produced 32 oz or 2 lbs of organic Greek style yogurt. As you can see, I strained off nearly as much whey. If I had wanted a thinner consistency, I would have seen a greater volume of yogurt as an ending result because I would not have removed as much liquid from the final product. This part is really the trial-and-error step and depends completely on your preference. If you want thinner yogurt, don't strain as much whey out. If you want thicker yogurt, strain off whey until you are satisfied with the consistency.
I love to eat plain yogurt for breakfast, and it has also become my favorite dessert food with a little bit of fresh fruit and a few chocolate chips.
Now, the joy of making your own yogurt is that you don't have to begin with a store bought starter every time you want to make yogurt. Simply save 2-3 tbsp. of your current batch to use for your next batch (with fresh milk, of course). Viola! Watch the savings add up.
