Homemade Yogurt

I adore yogurt.  But what I don't love are the sugar, additives and cost of the yogurt available at my local grocery store. Years ago I purchased a yogurt maker - you know the kind I am talking about.  The one with all the little cups and lids.  Difficult to store, difficult to clean and I wasn't impressed with the amount of yogurt it made for all the time and effort necessary to produce approximatley 2 cups of yogurt!

So I was absolutely thrilled to find this recipe and couldn't wait to try it!  It does take time but there is very little actual work involved in the process.  Much of the time involved is just the culturing process - no actual effort, just waiting.  It is cheaper and tastes so much better than store bought yogurt.  And the best part is that you use a crock pot - so cleanup is a snap too! It is simple, easy and frugal.

The main ingredient, of course, is milk. Whole milk (not ultra-pasteurized) works best.  It gives you the thick  yogurt like you purchase at the store. After sitting in the refrigerator for a day, it becomes even thicker. Yogurt also requires an active culture starter. Yogurt cultures can be purchased but it’s easier to use yogurt from the store. You only need 1 cup so I purchased a small container when they were on sale.  The most important thing is to make sure the yogurt has "live cultures" listed on the carton - not all yogurt does

This recipe makes approximately 1/2 gallon of unsweetened yogurt.  To sweeten, stir in a little jam or honey.  You can also top it with granola or fresh fruit.

Easy Homemade Yogurt

1/2 gallon whole milk

1 cup plain yogurt with active cultures

1/2 cup powdered milk

Pour 1/2 gallon of milk into crockpot, cover and turn on HIGH.  Cook for approximately 2 hours, until the milk is almost boiling.  Turn the crockpot off, remove lid and let the milk cool a bit.  You should be able to stick your finger into the milk and keep it there for approximately 10 seconds or so (it takes my milk about 40 minutes to cool down enough).

Stir in powdered milk til dissolved.  Stir in yogurt and mix well.  Return lid to crock pot and wrap entire pot in a large beach towel.  Let sit for 8-12 hours.  Some people place the towel wrapped pot into an unheated oven to prevent drafts and keep the crock warmer for a longer period of time.  I don't and my yogurt turns out fine.

Remove towel and lid, stir yogurt and put it into containers.  Refrigerate until ready to use.