Homemade Yogurt Recipe – It’s Simpler than You Think!

February 2, 2010 { }

I’ve tried several times to make yogurt in my CrockPot with no success. The closest I came was a clumpy mess the consistency of thin tomato soup. No good. I’ve seen the jar and cooler method but it’s too involved for me.

Still, I often talk about wanting to make yogurt.

My husband really listens to what I say. For my birthday, he bought me a yogurt maker – this Salton with pretty little glass jars that you make the yogurt in. (He got me 12 pieces of vintage Pyrex, too – and some of them still have the original glass lids. They’re beautiful.)

Some girls want Prada bags and BMWs. Not me. I want kitchen appliances, antique cookware and utensils, great knives, food processors, tons of mason jars, kitchen gadgets, and a garden.

The Result

I followed a recipe out of the book using the organic yogurt starter he bought. Only 3 ingredients needed.

Oh my goodness…talk about thick, rich, and creamy with the perfect tang. I was shocked – everything I’ve read says that homemade yogurt needs to thicken in the refrigerator. This is thick when it comes out of the yogurt maker- no setting up needed.

It’s better than the Greek Yogurt I buy at the store. Joe has even been eating it for dessert. We’re on our second batch already.

A Few Tips

When you make homemade yogurt, you’ll need:

to use a metal spoon – a wooden spoon can contaminate the culture and it won’t set up correctly.
a clean saucepan or pot.
the jars and lids that come with the yogurt maker – make sure they’re clean, too.
a reliable instant read digital thermometer.
organic yogurt starter. (This is how I’ve been doing it – you can also use 1/2 cup of already made yogurt.)

In the recipe below, I tell you exactly how I made my yogurt so that you can get the same results.

A Few Yogurt Links

Jenn from The Leftover Queen makes her own yogurt and has it for breakfast.
Diana from A Little Bit of Spain in Iowa has an extensive yogurt tutorial here.
Katie from Kitchen Stewardship makes her yogurt using the jar and cooler method – too much work for me but it works for her and it might work for you, too.

Reminders

I have a give-away this week for Pamela’s Products – there will be 3 winner. Check out the details here.
You can still link your healthier recipe to Slightly Indulgent Tuesday here. There are many great recipes for you to browse, too.

Print friendly recipe
Easy Homemade Yogurt
makes 4 cups
made in my Salton Yogurt Maker

4 cups of 1% organic milk
1/2 cup dry non-fat milk powder
1/2 cup organic yogurt starter

Put milk in a clean metal saucepan and place over medium heat. Add milk powder and stir until dissolved completely. Heat until nearly boiling, about 185 degrees. Watch carefully though because you don’t want to boil the milk.

Remove the milk from the heat and let it cool to 100 – 110 degrees. You can do this one of two ways – let it cool on the counter. (This takes way too long for me.) Or, pour the milk into a clean bowl and set the bowl with the milk into a larger bowl with ice in it. (This is called an ice bath.)

Stir every 1o minutes or so until the yogurt temps between 100 and 110 degrees. Put the yogurt starter into a glass measuring cup. Add some of the warm milk to the starter and stir until it’s combined and smooth. Stir this into the milk.

Divide evenly between the glass jars, pop the plastic lids on, and place in your handy yogurt maker. Put on the plastic lid, plug in, and turn on. Leave yogurt in the yogurt maker for 6 – 10 hours, depending on how you like your yogurt. I took mine out at 10 hours. It’s perfectly divine.

Enjoy!

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Comments

26 Responses to “Homemade Yogurt Recipe – It’s Simpler than You Think!”

Lauren
February 2nd, 2010 @ 9:04 pm

What fun! I’ve never thought to make yogurt =D. I eat so much – very cool idea!

[Reply]
dining room tables
February 2nd, 2010 @ 9:21 pm

I never imagined that I can make yogurt on my own. This is exciting.

[Reply]
Katrina (gluten free gidget)
February 2nd, 2010 @ 10:15 pm

Making yogurt and making sourdough starter intimidate the crud out of me!

[Reply]
Jenna @ Newlyweds
February 2nd, 2010 @ 10:58 pm

I love homemade yogurt also, its so thick and creamy. I’ve haven’t made any in a while.

Here is the recipe I used:
http://www.newlyweds-blog.com/2008/10/07/homemade-yogurt/

[Reply]
gfe--gluten free easily
February 2nd, 2010 @ 11:43 pm

Now there will be a run on those yogurt makers! LOL How easy and delish looking photo for sure.

I’m with you on those Pyrex pans. I want to get some of those antique glass refrigerator containers, too. They would come in handy for leftovers. No plastic!

So glad you had such an awesome birthday, Amy!

Shirley

[Reply]
Victor @ Random Cuisine
February 3rd, 2010 @ 12:09 am

I never thought it was to make homemade yoghurt. I should give it a try. This is one of the hundred things to do until the end of 2010.

[Reply]
Ashlie
February 3rd, 2010 @ 7:08 am

I make my own yogurt without a yogurt maker. It is very simple. I follow the same steps as you as far as heating and then cooling the milk. I usually do half a gallon at a time (I use skim milk). Once the milk is cool I add in 2 big spoonfuls of plain yogurt – around 1/2 cup. Use a whisk to make sure it is well incorporated. I then pour the yogurt into smaller containers (plastic or glass), put the lids on the containers. I then nestle them into my largest stockpot. – I put a couple of kitchen towels in the pot for insulation – I cover the pot, put in my oven (turned off, but mine is gas so the pilot light keeps it a little warm) overnight. Perfect everytime. The first time I made it I bought some yogurt, for my subsequent batches I’ve just used some of the yogurt I made. I eat a lot of yogurt and this way I end up paying half of what I would for plain organic yogurt.

[Reply]
Alta (Tasty Eats At Home)
February 3rd, 2010 @ 7:58 am

Mmm….yogurt! Sounds so tasty! Your wishes for gifts and my wishes sound a lot alike!

[Reply]
Sandy Gillett
February 3rd, 2010 @ 8:56 am

This sounds like so much fun. I am wondering about using a coconut beverage I bought at my local natural food store. My granddaughter and I need to avoid all dairy, even fermented. It made wonderful smoothies. Hmmm – thanks for getting me thinking again.

[Reply]
marla {Family Fresh Cooking}
February 3rd, 2010 @ 9:01 am

I am brand new to your blog, love it. Just added you to my RSS. Homemade yogurt, need to add this to my to-do list. I buy nonfat and strain it with a cheese cloth to make it crazy thick. Gonna poke around your blog some more!

[Reply]
Chelsey
February 3rd, 2010 @ 9:30 am

I’ve tried the crock pot method and found it lacking too. I tried about 5 times? Some were good, and others like mucus (Did you just gag?!). I finally got a yogurt maker, and the yogurt still didn’t come out thick! The recipe was different than yours though, so I am definitely trying your way out. Thanks Amy!

[Reply]
SnoWhite
February 3rd, 2010 @ 10:22 am

I got a yogurt maker for Christmas and haven’t yet tried it out … can’t wait!

[Reply]
Maggie Savage
February 3rd, 2010 @ 11:15 am

Amy this looks great! I think I love your picture more than I love the recipe What a great little vignette. Your blog continues to be such a source of inspiration for me.

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Michelle
February 3rd, 2010 @ 12:15 pm

I love making yogurt from our raw milk! Funny, because of all the methods I have tried only the crockpot method has worked brillianty! I make two batches at once with two crockpots going. Sometimes I’ll do it overnight and then turn around first think in the morning and do it again! (big family) It is so think and rich!

[Reply]
Rebecca
February 3rd, 2010 @ 3:15 pm

This looks yummy. Eventhough I am lactose intolerant, I am able to eat yogurt. Do you have to use the dry milk powder or is there a substitute? Anyone know? I am thinking this helps make it thick. Is there something else that would do that?

[Reply]
Amy Reply:
February 4th, 2010 at 3:24 pm
@Rebecca, I don’t know…I’ve heard of other powders like soy powder. You could try arrowroot, adding it when you’d add the milk powder. I use it to thicken my ice cream. If you find something that works I’d love to know about it.

[Reply]
Chelsey
February 5th, 2010 @ 8:45 am

Amy! I just made your yogurt recipe. Just as you promised it came out thick! It tastes great too. I mixed in a couple of drops of stevia and vanilla extract into each little container. Delish! My texture is smooth with a couple of little “bumps”. I’m going to see if I can get rid of those next time. How was your yogurts texture?

[Reply]
Amy Reply:
February 5th, 2010 at 9:39 am
@Chelsey, My yogurt was totally smooth. Did you take some of the cooled milk/milk powser mixture (between 100 – 110 degrees) and mix it into the starter culture before adding it to the entire batch? I had to start with just a little and increase gradually, stirring well, until the starter culture and milk was really smooth. Then I added it to the rest of the mik/milk powder mixture.

If your starter culture is lumpy when you add it your final product will be clumpy.

Do you love the taste?? I can’t seem to get enough of it.

[Reply]
My Man's Belly
February 6th, 2010 @ 12:06 pm

Making my own yogurt is one of the few things I haven’t tried making, that I regularly buy at the store. Hmmm….starting to re-think that now.

[Reply]
Kristi Rimkus
February 6th, 2010 @ 12:25 pm

I have the same yogurt maker. I’ve been using it for months and just love it. I’ve taken my yogurt and made yogurt cheese by straining through cheesecloth. Yum! I figure in the long run I’m saving money and the environment. No more yogurt containers to recycle!

[Reply]
Jenn AKA The Leftover Queen
February 8th, 2010 @ 8:31 am

OH Amy! I am so glad you finally found a recipe for yogurt that you like!!! I can so relate to your comment about some girls wanting Prada bags, and you wanting appliances! I am so happy my husband broke the cardinal rule this year on my birthday, and bought me a blender (my awesome Vitamix!!!). To me, those are the best presents EVER!

[Reply]
Amy Reply:
February 8th, 2010 at 12:53 pm
@Jenn AKA The Leftover Queen, I know you love your Vita-Mix. I read your post. I love mine, too. I still haven’t made soup. Mostly green smoothies and my version of frozen yogurt.

Joe and I aren’t supposed to do birthday presents, either, but sometimes something super-cool slips through – like this yogurt maker.

[Reply]
cindy
February 8th, 2010 @ 11:17 pm

I just bought the book “breaking the vicious cycle” and I think you’ve mentioned the specific carbohydrate diet (SCD) before. Will you try to make this SCD compliant?

[Reply]
kellyc
May 22nd, 2010 @ 6:54 pm

I posted about making my own yogurt with a very similar recipe. It has directions if you don’t have a yogurt maker. It comes out delicious! Congrats on getting a yogurt maker. I would rather have the kitchen stuff too. =0)
http://lovinglifeslittlemoments.blogspot.com/2010/04/homemade-yogurt.html

[Reply]
Amy Reply:
May 23rd, 2010 at 7:44 pm
@kellyc, Thanks so much for sharing your method!

[Reply]
Zoe @ Z's Cup of Tea
August 25th, 2010 @ 1:57 pm

I really want to make yogurt at home – the only thing is finding a dairy-free starter. After that, the actual making of it looks pretty easy. For SCD, you have to make your own because of something to do with the bacteria culture levels in commercial yogurt – it’s more detailed and specific than that but that’s just what I remember off the top of my head.

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