Thursday, February 2, 2012

Homemade Yogurt



Yogurt is one of those food items people do not realize that can be easily made at home.  You only need one special tool to do so, a thermometer. In the past, I have made yogurt on top of the stove; however, recently I tried something new. I made yogurt in my slow cooker instead. I like using the slow cooker because I do not have to babysit the milk so closely. But, it does take a little longer. The results are still excellent and predictable.

Homemade Yogurt tastes great with granola on top, with raw honey on the bottom, or in smoothies. And, it makes the perfect mid-morning snack. If you are interested in taking a hands-on class to learn how to make this Homemade Yogurt, please leave a comment. Feel free to comment no matter where you live, around the corner or around the world. I am just wondering if this is something others might be interested in learning.

Homemade Yogurt

½ gallon whole milk
½ cup plain yogurt with active/live cultures (I use Dannon, full fat plain yogurt)

Pour milk into a slow cooker and heat to 175-185˚. (My two quart slow cooker takes 2 ½ hours on high to hit this temperature. You will want to use a thermometer to check yours.) Remove crock from base and place on a cooling rack. Remove lid, and cool to 110-120˚. (My milk cools in about an hour.) Whisk in ½ cup yogurt. Ladle into mason jars, and place in oven at 110˚ for 3-6 hours. (If your oven does not have a setting this low, you can place your crock back into the base, put the cover back on, wrap with a large towel and let sit for 3-6 hours. Again, you will want to use a thermometer to make sure that your yogurt stays warm enough. If necessary, you can turn your slow cooker onto the warm setting to keep it at the correct temperature.) Chill overnight before serving.


This post has been linked to Try New Adventures Thursday.

6 comments:

  1. Oooh, that sounds great! And way easier than I would have thought. Have you ever made Greek style yogurt? It's my favorite.

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    1. To make Greek style yogurt, all you need to do is strain the yogurt once it has been chilled. Place a coffee filter, or a double layer of cheese cloth in a colander, then add yogurt. Strain on the counter until you have reached the consistency that you want. The whey that drips off of the yogurt can be used in place of milk in any baked good recipe. The strained yogurt is also great for dips and spreads.

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    2. Wow, I didn't know that. Seriously need to give making Greek yogurt a try!

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  2. It's seriously that easy to make yogurt? Wow, thanks for sharing!

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  3. I use the crockpot to make yogurt, too. :D I think it's an awesome method.

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  4. Sounds yummy! My girls love yogurt.

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