Description
How to make homemade Yogurt from scratch- an easy step by step guide with no special equipment needed!
Scale
Ingredients
- ½ gallon raw organic milk
- 3–4 T unsweetened yogurt from the grocery store with active live cultures ( or yogurt from a previous batch)
- Cheese cloth
- 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 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 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 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 cheese cloth. Store in air tight 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
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