A big jar of homemade yogurt is a convenient thing to keep on hand in the fridge. Yogurt is not only great for snacks and smoothies but is versatile for lots of other cooking and baking purposes, too. It can be used to make baked goods a little lighter, and also as a lower-fat substitute for mayo and sour cream. And because it’s fermented, homemade yogurt is filled with lots of gut-friendly probiotics.
In reality, though, not all yogurt is created equal. Many store-bought yogurts are filled with unnecessary additives, as well as loads of sugar (resulting not only in a less healthy yogurt but one that is often overly sweet and artificial-tasting). Also, not all yogurts have live, active cultures, which mean they lack the health-giving benefits of the probiotics that we tend to expect in our cup of yogurty goodness.
Don’t get me wrong – delicious, healthy, and probiotic-filled yogurts are available to buy at the grocery store. The problem is, they often come at a premium price. It doesn’t seem like a lot of money to pay $1 (and often even more) for a 5-ounce cup of yogurt until you consider that I make half-gallon of my own homemade yogurt for $3-4 (that’s 64 ounces)! Of course, the cost will vary depending on the type of milk that you use, and the prices of milk in your area, but if you use yogurt in your kitchen regularly, a batch of DIY yogurt is probably worth the minimal effort that it takes. (And it stores well. A batch of yogurt should last 2-3 weeks in the refrigerator.)
There are several things to keep in mind with homemade yogurt. The first is the consistency of the final product. Homemade yogurt is often a little thinner than store-bought because it lacks the thickeners that commercial products often contain. This is especially true if you use low-fat milk when making your yogurt, as the lower the fat, the thinner and less creamy the yogurt will be. Some recipes will get around this by calling for the addition of dry milk powder, or plain gelatin to make it thicker and give it more body. My recipe, however, is basic and calls for just 2 ingredients – milk and a little bit of plain yogurt as a starter. When I want my yogurt to be a little thicker, I simply make it Greek-style by straining off the whey using a strainer and some cheesecloth. This keeps it super-simple, with no need to add anything else to the recipe (of course you can always add fruit, nuts, herbs, or a little sweetener of your choice to your finished batch of yogurt.)
And there is some basic equipment that is helpful to the yogurt-making process. You will need some glass mason jars, a heavy-bottom pot, and a big spoon. A clip-on candy thermometer is helpful, although not totally necessary. If you want to strain your yogurt, you will need some cheesecloth, a large coffee filter, or even a flour sack towel.
You will also need a way to incubate your yogurt at approximately 110 degrees Fahrenheit. This is, after all, a process of fermentation. The bacteria that ferment the milk into yogurt prefer a nice, warm temperature of about 110 degrees Fahrenheit. Some people will use their oven with just the oven light on. I’ve also heard of using a heating pad. For me, my incubator is an old Styrofoam cooler that I pack with jars of very hot water. Just be creative, and use what you have on hand.
And as I mentioned previously, there are only two ingredients. First, you will need 2 quarts (½ gallon) of the milk of your choice. I’ve successfully used everything from skim milk to whole milk (even adding a little half-and-half or heavy cream on occasion). And you can use either homogenized or non-homogenized milk, but non-homogenized milk will have a layer of cream that forms on top of the finished yogurt, which is something that I rather like. The only other ingredient is a yogurt starter. You can purchase a yogurt starter online, or do like I do, and use a small amount of store-bought plain yogurt with live, active cultures. You can also use a bit of yogurt from a previous homemade batch, but this may become less effective over further consecutive batches.
So, if you like yogurt, give my recipe a try, and see just how easy it is to make. If you do try it, please let me know in the comments below how it turned out!
Cook’s Tips:
- There are a couple of reasons to heat the milk to 180°F in the process of yogurt-making. The first reason is to kill off any bacteria in the milk so as to start the fermentation process with a clean slate. The second (often overlooked) reason, however, is texture and consistency. I have found over many years of making yogurt that heating the milk to temperature very slowly over low heat, and then cooling it very quickly in an ice bath produces a creamier and more full-bodied yogurt.
- I have read many times that ultra-high temperature (UHT) milk shouldn’t be used because it won’t ferment properly (and many store-bought organic kinds of milk are, in fact, UHT). However, I have never found this to be the case, and have never had a problem using UHT milk to make yogurt. That being said, I find the taste of the yogurt made with UHT milk to be different, so I do try to avoid it. Just experiment and find the milk you like best.
A Simple Method for Making Homemade Yogurt
- Total Time: 0 hours
Ingredients
- ½ gallon (2 quarts) milk
- 6 tablespoons plain yogurt with live, active cultures
Instructions
- Pour milk into heavy-bottomed sauce pan or Dutch oven, and slowly bring temperature to 180 degrees Fahrenheit, stirring constantly to prevent the milk from scorching and sticking to the bottom of the pan. Note: It’s best to use a candy or instant-read thermometer to measure the temperature accurately. If you don’t have a candy thermometer, however, you can simply heat the milk to just below the boiling point, when tiny bubbles start to form around the edge of the pot.
- When the temperature reaches 180 degrees Fahrenheit, remove the pot from heat. Quickly cool the milk to 110 degrees Fahrenheit. Note: An easy way to do this is to (carefully) pour the hot milk into a metal mixing bowl that is nestled into a sink or large bowl full of ice. If you are not using a thermometer, cool the milk so that a drop placed on the wrist will be slightly uncomfortably warm to the touch (but be every careful not to burn yourself!)
- When milk cools to 110 degrees Fahrenheit, stir in the 6 tablespoons of yogurt. Be sure that the yogurt is completely blended into the milk. Do this quickly without allowing milk to cool. Divide milk evenly between 2 quart canning jars, or 4 pint canning jars. Wipe the rim, and apply the lid and ring loosely to the jar.
- Place the jars in a warm spot (approximately 110 degrees Fahrenheit) to incubate for 8-10 hours. Note: The way I like to incubate the yogurt is by placing the jars in a cooler, surrounded by additional canning jars of very hot water. I then close the lid and I don’t start checking the the set of the yogurt for at least 8 hours. And remember, the longer the yogurt ferments, the tangier and more firmly set it will become. So use your own judgement as to when it is done, based on the taste and the set of the yogurt.
- If you prefer a thicker, Greek-style yogurt, strain the finished yogurt in a sieve lined with cheesecloth, or flour sack towel. Allow it to strain for several hours, until most of the whey has strained off. The whey can be saved to add extra nutrition to smoothies, soups and baked goods.
- Prep Time: 0 hours
- Inactive Time: 0 hours
- Cook Time: 0 hours
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