Vegetarian

Homemade Yogurt is for Breakfast.

Homemade Yogurt takes several minutes to prepare.

Homemade Yogurt takes several minutes to cook.

Homemade Yogurt makes 18 servings.

The ingredients for Homemade Yogurt are:

1 Gallon of milk (I used nonfat, but I have used full fat, low fat, and even raw milk in the past. They all worked great!)
1 single service cup (6 oz) of plain greek yogurt with active/live yogurt cultures (this is your yogurt starter. After you have made your own yogurt you will use it as your starter)


You will also need:
Large pot
kitchen thermometer
large spoon
Several large towels
Crockpot (a gallon milk requires that I use both of my small crockpots)

Here is how you make Homemade Yogurt:

Step 1 Assemble your 'yogurt making' equipment:Set your storebought yogurt out of the refrigerator about 15-30 mins before you start. A food thermometer (it needs to include temperatures from 110 to 180 deg F)A large spoon. A crock pot is helpfulStep 2 Fill the regular pot with water, boil for a few minutes, then add the spoon and thermometer. This sterilizes your equipment and ensures a better end result. Step 3 Empty the water from the pot (I emptied mine into my crock pot to sterilize it) Pour the milk into the regular pot. Gently warm it to a temperature of 185 deg F, to kill any 'bad' bacteria it may contain. This takes a long time, if you are doing it right (slowly) Watch the pot closely so that you do not to burn the milk. Step 4 Remove the pot from the heat and set aside. You need to cool the milk to between 110 and 115 deg F, because these are the temperatures between which the live bacteria will efficiently ferment the milk. Step 5 Pour the hot water out of your crockpot. Pour your milk into it. DO NOT TURN YOUR CROCKPOT ON. Thoroughly stir the yogurt into the milk, then immediately place the lid on the crockpot. Move the pot at once to a warm place, where you can leave it - undisturbed - for a minimum of six hours. I like mine to sit for 8-10 hours. Step 6: Wrap your crockpot with two large bath towels to help the yogurt retain its heat.IMPORTANT: Keep the pot at a constant temperature of between 110 and 115 deg F. The live bacteria will become inactive at lower or higher temperatures. Don't move the pot at all, or stir the fermenting milk. This slows down the process and you may be disappointed with your results at the end of the waiting time! Ideas on how to keep the pot at a consistent temperature... Most ovens do not have a low enough heat setting for producing yogurt, so here are a few other methods to try: Sit the pot in an oven warmed by the pilot light alone - our pilot light burns fiercely, so this works well for us! Sit the pot on an electric warming pad (like the ones you use for back pain). You may need to experiment a little with the heat settings! Wrap the pot in a very thick blanket - if this isn't warm enough, sit the wrapped pot in a cooler for extra insulation. Put the pot in the airing cupboard/boiler closet. Again, I used the crock pot... it was just easier. Step 6 After a minimum of 6 hours, take a look at your yogurt. The longer you leave the yogurt, the thicker it will become (and the more 'tangy' it will taste!). Mine sits for 8-10 hours. It will probably have a 'layer' of liquid on top of milk curds - and the liquid may even look a little yellow. Don't worry - this is totally normal! Just mix the curds and the liquid together or spoon off the liquid. The whey can be discarded or used in smoothie recipes or bread making. I use cheesecloth to strain the whey off my yogurt. I spoon the yogurt into the cheese cloth and tie up the ends. I suspend it over an empty pot and let it drain for prior to packaging it. This produces a VERY thick yogurt. You can use the cheese cloth to drain it longer in the fridge if you would like to produce yogurt cheese (to be used like cream cheese). If you choose to not strain your yogurt with cheese cloth, the yogurt will be thinner in consistency than store-bought yogurts - but that's because they tend to contain additional thickeners and YOUR yogurt is 100% natural! Remember - you can make it a little thicker next time by allowing it to ferment for longer. Step 7 Pour your homemade yogurt into suitable containers with lids, then refrigerate. Refrigeration actually stops the bacteria in the yogurt from creating any more lactic acid - that's why the yogurt doesn't ferment and thicken any further. You can store it for 7-10 days in the refrigerator (it probably wont last that long). I flavor my yogurt with sugar free torani syrup right before I eat it. It is delicious with fresh or frozen berries, granola, or thicking yogurt is great spread on bagels or toast. Number of Servings: 18Recipe submitted by SparkPeople user RIGHTHANDKITTEN.

The nutritional information for Homemade Yogurt is:

• Servings Per Recipe: 18
• Amount Per Serving
• Calories: 80.7

• Total Fat: 0.4 g
• Cholesterol: 4.4 mg
• Sodium: 116.6 mg
• Total Carbs: 10.9 g
• Dietary Fiber: 0.0 g
• Protein: 8.3 g