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How to make homemade Yogurt from scratch- an easy step-by-step guide with no special equipment needed! Full of healthy probiotics, this version can be made with raw milk.

How to make homemade Yogurt from RAW unpasteurized milk- an easy guide with no special equipment needed! | www.feastingathome.com

“All disease begins in the gut.” – Hippocrates

Believe it or not, making your own yogurt at home is so easy and requires no special equipment. There are lots of ways to make homemade yogurt, but the basic concept is the same. Heat whole milk to the desired temperature, mix in cultures, usually in the form of plain yogurt containing active live cultures like lactobacillus bulgaricus or streptococcus thermophilus.

Keep at a steady temperature for a period of 7-12 hours so the bacteria has a chance to “eat” the sugar found in the milk, called lactose.

As a result the milk will thicken and produce lactic acid. The lactic acid is what preserves the yogurt and gives it the tangy taste. That’s it. You now have yogurt! A creamy tangy yogurt packed with millions of happy, active good bacteria, or probiotics, that help keep the gut happy and healthy.

Good health starts from the inside out!

You can make yogurt out of regular store-bought pasteurized milk, organic milk, raw milk or even goat’s or sheep’s milk. Pasteurized milk, the kind you find at the grocery store, is basically milk that has been heated up to 180 F in order to slow the growth of bacteria in milk, which lengthens its shelf life. While this does make it safer by lowering the risk of harmful bacteria, there is growing research that shows that pasteurization changes the chemistry of milk and makes it less digestible.

I prefer making yogurt out of RAW, Unpasteurized milk– basically fresh milk, straight from the cow, that hasn’t been treated or heated. If you are curious about the benefits and risks of raw milk, here is a couple of websites that will explain both. Please do a little research and make an educated decision for yourself and family.

Locally in Spokane you can find it at Lorien’s, the Main Market Co-Op and Huckleberries.

The first step is to heat 2 quarts of milk to the desired temperature on the stovetop. Here I am using local fresh raw milk, so I will only heat 110 F to keep the good bacteria that is already in the milk alive.

Otherwise, when using pasteurized milk, you would normally heat to 180F. If you are leery, or this is your first time making yogurt, just heat it to 180F. You will feel more confident about the whole process.

Cool the milk to 110F.

Add 3-4 Tablespoons yogurt with live cultures. When you add yogurt, make sure to cool the milk down to 110 F otherwise you will kill the cultures.

You can use any grocery store plain yogurt, or some of your own homemade yogurt. Don’t be tempted to add more than 3-4 tablespoons yogurt, or your yogurt may end up overly sour and runny.

Place in a barely warm oven for 8 hours. You want to keep the temperature steady between 100-110F. I preheat oven on the lowest setting for 5 minutes and then turn it off, but leave the light on. I wrap the dutch oven in a towel. In my gas oven, this works, and light and pilot keeps it warm enough. But it may not be warm enough in all ovens. There are many other ways to keep yogurt at a steady temperature like using a heating pad, Instant Pot or dehydrator.

After 8 hours, strain with a few layers of cheesecloth.

Flavor your fresh yogurt to your taste. I like to flavor smaller portions with honey, leaving the majority plain.

Store in clean jars in your fridge.

The yogurt will last up to two weeks in the fridge!

Enjoy!

How to Make Homemade Yogurt

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Author: Sylvia Fountaine | Feasting at Home Blog
Prep Time: 10 mins
Cook Time: 8 hours
Total Time: 8 hours 10 mins
Yield: 3 cups
Category: how to recipes, dairy,
Method: stovetop
Cuisine: American

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Description

How to make homemade Yogurt from scratch- an easy step by step guide with no special equipment needed!

Ingredients

½ gallon raw organic milk
3–4 tablespoons unsweetened yogurt from the grocery store with active live cultures ( or yogurt from a previous batch)
Cheesecloth
Thermometer

Instructions

Turn oven on lowest setting for 10 minutes. Turn off, but leave light on.
Heat milk gently in a pot on the stove. If you want all the benefits of raw milk yogurt, remember to heat the milk only to 110 degrees and no higher. This ensures that milk’s own bacteria will stay alive. Or if unsure, heat to 180F . (please see notes)
Add 3-4 tablespoons of yogurt. ( The general rule is 2 tablespoons yogurt per quart of milk) Resist the temptation to add more, or you will end up with yogurt that is watery and overly sour. Cover, wrap in a towel and place in the oven with the light on, or the oven on the lowest setting for short periods of time. The light will act as an incubator.
You could also place on a heating pad on lowest setting. The idea is to keep yogurt at a steady but low warmth (100F-110F) for a period of 8 hours. If it gets too warm, it will curdle.
After 8 hours, strain with a cheesecloth. Store in airtight container in the fridge. Once cooled it is ready to eat.
If you like sweetened yogurt mix in honey, vanilla, maple, or agave.
I prefer to sweeten yogurt in smaller batches, keeping my main batch, plain.

Notes

NOTES: Making yogurt from unpasteurized raw fresh milk is full of nutritious enzymes, fat soluble vitamins and linoleic acid. If you want all the benefits of raw milk yogurt, heat the milk only to 110 degrees- which will keep these enzymes alive.

IF using pasteurized milk, heat to 180F. OR If you are nervous about the process, or this is your first time making yogurt, just heat it to 180F. You will feel more confident about the whole process and when you get more comfortable you can try this with the lower heat.

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 cup
Calories: 143

Keywords: yogurt recipe, how to make yogurt, homemade yogurt, easy yogurt recipe, raw yogurt

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