This is my FIRST tutorial ever! I realize that there are already a plethora of Yogurt instructions online...and here is just one more! I often get asked how I make it...and over the years I've been trying a few different methods - always looking for the shortest route! So we begin with 4-1 liter mason jars of milk (Preferably Raw)!
Heat on low in a large pot of water! (The dial photo is inspired by So Wabi Sabi)
For a few years I made yogurt in this yogurt maker - which, all it is, is an electric warmer! I didn't really like how it was turning out - even though the instructions were pretty simple...but if you are intent on finding one of these, I'm selling it for 5 in my online garage sale.
Back on track; heat to 180 - Not Boiling - the milk will develop a little skin on top, which you can just pinch off when it's cooled with clean fingers. I stick a meat thermometer in the middle of the water, balancing on the jars, to tell when it arrives to 180.Then pull them out, with an oven mitt, and cool until bath-warm.
Pour a little of milk from each jar into a measuring cup; approximately the same amount from each jar. Then whisk in 4 little packs of the yogourmet (4 of the 6 packs in the above pack) into the measuring cup of the warm milk. OR, no Yogourmet? 4 Tbsp. of yogurt from your previous batch/commercial PLAIN yogurt, instead. 
Pour the whisked milk back, a little in each jar, until the measuring cup is empty. And whisk each of the jars with a fork as well. These jars should all feel lukewarm!
Place their lids on - and it's time for their incubation! This can be done in a variety of places. I know of some who put theirs in the oven with the light on. For us, the best place has been a small cupboard (actually shared with the Kombucha - it's ok - their bacterias won't mix - if there weren't any lids - they might do some funky mixing of bacterias - and we don't want that!)
Then they are buried in thick towels! I place one under and around them and two over and around them....and you'll be amazed at how well these old towels provide just the right incubating environment!
GoodNight little hens - in your little nest! When it gets cooler, I've thought that it would not be a bad idea to add one of those magic bags - the fabric one, stuffed with rice or flax - that you put in the microwave, into the little incubation chamber!
And then after 12-15 hours, you say, GoodMorning, and place in the fridge to stop the culturing process. Once I forgot for 24-48 hours! - It still turned out just fine, just much more tangy-sour.Our favorite way to eat this homegrown good bacteria, is with my Moms apple jelly. Any jam or jelly will do. We also use it as a base for smoothies. And lastly, as long as we have plenty of yogurt, you'll find plenty of cream cheese - poured through a cheese cloth or a light kitchen towel, over night, hung from a cupboard handle over a big bowl....AND then you've also made whey (what's drained)...but that can be another story, as to what can be done with that....
Have a lovely one!
I would love to make yogurt in little jars like that.
ReplyDeleteWe have a yogurt maker as well but not electrical. I guess its just like a flask, you pour hot water in then the jar of unmade yogurt and the lid. Around 6 hours later you have yogurt from cows milk but goats milk takes just around 3 hours. Great tutorial!
my mom used to make yogurt - love home made yogurt! She used a yogurt maker though. Great tutorial !
ReplyDeleteThat sounds so good! I'll definitely be trying it. I had a great aunt who used to make yoghurt. She used to put a BRICK in the milk pan, wrap the whole thing in a blanket and place on the back of the fridge. She was quite eccentric :-) I like your method better.
ReplyDeletethis is definitely inspiring me to make yogurt again. have you made kefir? I've made yogurt in my dehydrator too. The heat from a gas pilot light is enough too according to my friend, but our oven is so old it doesn't even have a pilot light. but like yours it has two ovens and 6 burners. I love my stove, but my husband is on a bent to replace it;(
ReplyDeleteI had fallen away from making homemade yogurt, so I really appreciate the tutorial. I need to get back into it. Have a great weekend
ReplyDeleteThank-you all, for your sweet comments! "...", I love Kefir - and do make it (a little less often) - I like it fizzy, and really, I have not mastered this - even though technically it is easier than yogurt. B/c I'm use to yogurt's versatility - I go with it more often.
ReplyDeletehave you made cheese? slightly more time consuming but the rewards are high...kind of like knitting :)
ReplyDeleteA Little Bunny - I make ricotta/a dry cottage cheese on a weekly basis - and I've been trying some old fashioned soft cheese recipes - but I have not attempted the ones requiring rennet - although I would really like to!
ReplyDeleteI'd LOVE ANY cheese recipes that anyone would like to pass!
I love love yogurt. My mother-in-law always has homemade yogurt in her place, and we just love it. It is so darn fresh.
ReplyDeleteWow! This is great! Thank you for sharing your process, I have always wanted to make yogurt yet thought the process was trickier. This sounds doable : ) And please share a Kombucha tutorial next!!
ReplyDeleteI've been playing around with rennet lately, but haven't yet successfully made mozzarella. I've managed a slicable white cheese with herbs, and a spreadable ricotta/cream cheese from my yoghurt. Now I'm making butter, which is dead easy.
ReplyDeleteIf I ever successfully make a rennet cheese, I'll pass it on.
I'm trying to catch up on some of your posts. Coralee sent me your link. Good stuff!
I am making yogurt right now. This is how I found your blog. Are you into homeschooling too?
ReplyDeleteAwesome! yes I homeschool also, but my oldest is in kindergarten. My email is ticvaah@gmail.com if you have any questions.
ReplyDeleteblessings.
Thanks for posting this info. My sister-in-law who knew I was starting the process of making my own yogurt alerted me to your posting and at this time any advice I can get I am putting towards my efforts.
ReplyDeleteI just bought a Yogotherm since we do not have any warm spots in our old 1900 farm house in Minnesota (my kitchen actually gets down to 55 degrees at night) with the hopes of being able to make yogurt on our own that agrees with our diet but without using any electricity. I think in principal using your method with my non-electric Yogotherm will produce similar results. I am hoping to have time to actually try that out this week-end.
By the way, blessings on your homeschooling efforts. We have been homeschooling for 7 years and I would not want to have my children taught any other way - they are WAY too special to send off to be taught by someone else. I have a feeling you feel the same way about your kids.
Ok, I've been cooking my milk ALL day. I can NOT get my water to heat up to 180 without boiling. So I started trouble shooting. I put the lid on but the condensation dripped into the milk. I turned up the heat, but it starts to boil. Here's what I'm working with....our stove is electric and I just got regular old vit D milk from the store. I can't afford the price of raw milk here. :( That's a HUGE bummer. Would using electric and store milk cause me issues? I can't go to bed with it still on so in a bit, 180 or not, its going to get wrapped in towels. :) And we'll just see what happens.
ReplyDeleteOk, so I tried an experiment. I got another pot of water going at a rolling boil as high as I could turn up my stove. My thermometer said it was a bit over 100, just as it had been saying in my pot of water the milk was in. So now I'm wondering if the (NEW) thermometer I just bought is broken and won't go much above 100 and I just boiled the living daylights out of my milk. LOL!
ReplyDeleteFor anyone curious about what Jenny was facing - I do think the thermometer was not working properly. As far as I know, if the milk is already pasteurized it's not necessary to get the milk to 180 only to have it cool down again to bath-warm.
ReplyDeleteI shared another way to make yogurt on Jenny's blog...milk in the mason jars, mixed well with the culture/yogurt, in closed jars in a hard cooler, fill cooler with boiling water, close the lid and leave for 8 hours.