Now that I know how easy it is to make yogurt, it's depressing to think of how much money I spent on yogurt in the past. Not only is it expensive, but many yogurts are full of gums and thickeners, chemical flavorings, and lots of added sugar. Now I can get four quarts of yogurt for the price of one gallon of milk, and it only contains two ingredients. We use this homemade yogurt in everything from parfaits to waffles to curry dishes. The options are endless.
Notes
- Why do I need yogurt to make yogurt?: To kickstart the fermentation process, you'll need to seed the heated milk with the proper kinds of probiotic bacteria needed to turn it into yogurt. The easiest way to do that is just to use yogurt, but you'll only have to buy it once. After you make your own yogurt the first time, all you'll have to do is reserve ½ cup in your last jar to seed the next batch.
- What is Yogurt Starter?: A yogurt starter is a freeze-dried blend of the types of bacteria you'll need to ferment milk into yogurt. I find it more work to acquire than what it's worth and personally I don't have much experience with it, so I recommend just buying some good yogurt from the store.
- What is Clabber?: If you have access to raw milk, you can create clabber by leaving it in a jar at a high temperature for a few days (like around 100°F). It will sour (souring is not the same as going bad!) and turn more solid, and you can use a few tablespoons of that to seed the fermentation of your yogurt batch. Most people don't have access to raw milk though, so we recommend just using quality yogurt from the store.
Storage
Store your completed yogurt in glass jars in your fridge. It will be fresh for 2 weeks. Just make sure to leave enough in your last jar to make a new batch!
FAQ
Using whole milk is ideal, but you can make yogurt with skim or any other kind of true dairy milk. You cannot make yogurt out of any plant-based milks with this method.
I like using the little single-serve cups of yogurt; they're just the right amount. We prefer to use whole milk, plain, greek yogurt to seed ours, as it does make it a little thicker. But you can use any fat content, vanilla-flavored, or any other variation as long as it's true yogurt with as few ingredients as possible.
No, you could easily halve this recipe if you wanted to try a smaller batch. Just be aware that the heating, cooling, and fermenting times will be less.
There are three main culprits to look to when yogurt fails to set up:
-The milk was still too hot when you poured in the yogurt or starter. Seeding the yogurt too soon can cause all the good bacteria to be killed off by the high heat.
-The environment was too cold. Ensure you're not storing your culturing yogurt next to a cold window or vent, especially during the winter. My home is fairly cold in the winter time, so I put my entire pot of culturing milk in my cold, turned off oven overnight. This protects it from drafts and allows it to retain enough heat for the good bacteria to grow.
-Your seed yogurt, starter, or milk do not contain enough or the proper kind of bacteria. Avoid using "ultra-pasteurized" milk—this is milk that has been heated to a higher heat, therefore killing off almost all bacteria, even the beneficial stuff. It likely will not turn into yogurt. Also ensure you're using true yogurt or starter. I have seen some "yogurts" that are not truly yogurt. They are a mixture of other dairy products, thickeners, and flavorings that look and taste like yogurt, but they're ineffective at culturing. Be sure to look at the ingredients of your yogurt to ensure it's not full of artificial and nonfunctional additives.
Related
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Grace Says:
You can use your homemade yogurt as a substitute for heavy cream, sour cream, or milk in most recipes. It will not work in place of whipping cream.
📖 Recipe
Homemade Yogurt
Ingredients
- 1 gallon milk
- ½ cup honey or agave syrup
- ½ cup yogurt
- 1 T vanilla extract (optional)
Instructions
- Pour the entire gallon of milk into a large pot. Set it to warm slowly over low-medium heat until the milk is very frothy and steaming. Check with a temperature probe, and heat to 190℉. Do not let it boil. This can take some time, up to 30 minutes. Stir occasionally to help keep the milk from cooking onto the bottom of your pot.
- Once the milk reaches 190℉, remove from the heat and partially cover for 1 hour. Allow the milk to cool to approximately 100℉ (10 degree difference either way is fine). If you don't have a temperature probe, you should be able to put your finger in the milk for 10 seconds. If you can't, it's too hot. If a skin develops, just remove it and discard.
- After the milk has cooled, add the ½ cup yogurt. Stir to distribute, and then cover. Set the whole pot aside for 12-18 hours.
- After 12-18 hours, open the pot and ensure your yogurt has thickened appropriately. Then stir in your sweetener of choice and vanilla if you're using it.
- Ladle into jars and store in your refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
Did you make this recipe? Let me know!