Yogurt Making 101

Today I am making homemade yogurt!  I got the recipe from my niece who got this recipe from Canning for a New Generation by Liana Krissoff.

start with 1/2 gallon on milk and a small container of starter yogurt. (I found a bargain on boxed milk at the Dollar Tree!) You can use whole or 2% or even nonfat. The yogurt needs to be plain yogurt with active cultures. No artificial flavors or pectin or powdered milk added!

heat the milk over med-high heat to 170 degrees, stirring occasionally.

while the milk is heating, preheat your jars with hot water

when your milk has reached 170, place it in an ice bath and lower the temp to 110 degrees.

add 2 Tablespoons of the starter yogurt to a bowl and spoon in a small amount of the now cooled milk, whisking it together

add the yogurt/milk into the rest of the milk and whisk it together.

pour the milk mix into the (emptied/pre-warmed) jars and tighten the lids securely

pack the jars in an insulated container. I add a couple of jars filled with warm water and pack newspaper around them. Basically you want the jars cozy.

set the container in a out of way space and let them sit for 8-10 hours (or overnight). Be careful not to jostle or disturb it. (the fermentation fairies greatly dislike being jostled or disturbed!)

Now, we just have to let it sit until it's done.... Toddy loves yogurt as much as I do so the waiting part is as hard for him as it is for me. LOL.

Tune in tomorrow when we see how our yogurt has turned out!