yummy yogurt

Harmony - this one's for you... for when you have time ;-) 

Homemade Yogurt 

30 oz blend of non-fat organic milk and water

14 dry oz. cups instant nonfat dry milk

2 to 4 tablespoon store-bought, plain yogurt with active yogurt cultures (read the label to be sure)

I use 4 tablespoons

Recipe + ½ 

45 ounces of milk/ water 

21 oz of dried evaporated milk 

6 T of yogurt starter

 ** this makes 2 quarts (I put them in ½ pint glass canning jars)

Items for making yogurt

Candy Thermometer

Large soup pot

Smaller soup pot to fit inside larger pot

Dutch oven or heavy weight pot that radiates heat for the process

2 large bowls – one to fit inside the other (for cooling the temp to 115 in an expedient fashion)

Ice/ and water for ice bath

2 electric heating pads

Step 1: In a large saucepan combine the water, milk & evaporated milk powder. Stir it very well, and let it sit a few minutes. Then stir it again. All of the dry milk should be dissolved. 

Step 2: while the milk/ water/ evaporated milk co-mingle set a larger pot that the smaller pot can sit in easily (think double boiler) and heat the larger pot to a boil.  Turn temperature down, place smaller pot with milk etc into the larger pan. Place the candy thermometer in the milk ingredients/ watch carefully until it heats to 180 degrees (this does not take very long if you boil the water first). This kills off any competing bacteria so that the yogurt will respond better to the acidophilus cultures.

Remove from the stove, pour milk mixture into a large bowl and then set in an ice bath.  Reduce temperate to 115°. If the milk is any hotter than this then it will kill off the yogurt cultures.

Add the yogurt starter to the warm milk mixture Stir well. Allow it sit for a few minutes and stir a final time. This should dissolve the store-bought yogurt completely.

Carefully pour the mixture into sterilized, pint sized wide-mouthed canning jars, or another clean, quart-sized container.

Place the jars into the Dutch oven, pour water into the pan (water temp should be between 90 – 100 degrees.  In a warm spot, put one heating pad doubled over on medium heat – place the Dutch oven on top / with lid and then cover with other heating pad (I put it on high) … to incubate the yogurt it takes approximately 6 to 8 hours, or until it is set (incubation time is based on atmospheric conditions).  The longer it incubates, the tartness flavor increases. Remove from Dutch oven and let sit, cool, then refrigerate.  Tip – check temperature of the water occasionally (once an hour) to ensure that it maintains proper temp for incubation.

Notes – can purchase a quart of yogurt and freeze into 4 tablespoon amounts for ease of making numerous batches.