Making Yogurt at Home

My first attempt at fermenting was as an early teen. I loved yogurt so much that my mom bought me a Salton Yogurt Maker for Christmas. I was amazed at how easy it was to change milk into creamy tart goodness overnight with just a few easy steps. Of course with all the distractions of being a teen, I had more than one milk boil over in the process. I have many memories of sitting with my mom over our little jars of yogurt, adding berries and honey. It was fun, easy and inexpensive to make.

Now almost 50 years later, I still love to make yogurt. My beloved yogurt maker is only a fond memory, but understanding the process and using some creativity I continue to enjoy the silky tart flavor of homemade yogurt whenever I like.

The ingredients you will need to make your own yogurt is a half gallon of organic whole milk and a heaping tablespoon of yogurt starter. I look for plain yogurt from the grocery store that has live cultures with no added gelatin or flavors . There are also freeze dried organic yogurt culture available online.

The tools you will need for this project is: a large pot, a candy thermometer, a whisk and 3-24 oz mason jars. I use a heating pad with a low heat setting, a kitchen towel and a small cooler , You can even use a cardboard box that will fit the heating pad and the three jars.

The first step to make your yogurt is to slowly heat your milk in a large pot on the stove to 185 degrees to kill unwanted bacteria that would deter from the fermentation. I use a candy thermometer, but you can also heat til you see the first wisps of steam rises. You do not want to scald or boil the milk. When the milk reaches 185 degrees, you cool the milk to about 115 degrees which is comfortably warm to the touch. You can either let it naturally cool or get it done faster by setting the pot base into cold water with ice.

Once your milk is at 115 degrees, its time to add the starter. I scoop a heaping tablespoon (roughly 1/8 cup) of the plain yogurt into a small bowl, then pour in a cup of the warm milk. I whisk it gently til the yogurt is fully incorporated. Then I pour this mixture into the remainder of the warm milk and whisk it through. Pour a third of the mixture into your three mason jars and secure their lids. I prefer plastic lids for this application, but the standard lids with rings works as well.

I place my heating pad topped with a kitchen towel at the base of my container. The cord is extending from the container and plugged into a nearby socket. Next I position the milk mixture filled jars on top of the pad, closely together to maintain warmth. If there’s room to add another kitchen towel on top, do so, then close your box. I usually start the heating pad on medium, then to low after a few hours. The total incubation time is around 12 hours. The longer time makes a firmer tarter yogurt, definitely play around with the timing to fit your preference. When the yogurt is tasting right and has the right texture, refrigerate and enjoy!

For organic yogurt culture try this: https://amzn.to/3gyRG6H

For a versatile candy thermometer, try this: https://amzn.to/3cdceyu

Preferred 24 oz mason jar for yogurt, try this: https://amzn.to/2XDhard

Plastic lids for wide mouth mason jars: https://amzn.to/2XCJFoJ