Homemade yogurt is a delicious easy way to improve your digestive health and is very nutritious. You can use nonfat, skim, low fat or whole milk. The higher the fat content of your milk the creamier and thicker the texture and it will be more flavorful. Increased fat content also improves satiety. You can make the following recipe with cow’s milk, goat milk, sheep milk but you cannot make this recipe with nut milks, coconut milk or soy milk. The bacteria in yogurt needs lactose to ferment. The bacteria in yogurt converts lactose to lactic acid and improves lactose tolerance. I have not made dairy free yogurt but here are links to recipes for coconut milk yogurt and for nut milk yogurt.
Homemade yogurt
Equipment:
- Glass container or jars for holding yogurt, sterilized
glass or ceramic containers are recommended. If using plastic make sure they are BPA free and heat resistant. Metal containers will sour the milk and are not recommended. - Food thermometer
- Yogurt starter: commercial yogurt, previous homemade yogurt, commercial yogurt starter.
- Yogurt maker or alternative method for keeping yogurt warm (see directions)
Ingredients
- 3 C whole milk, Note: you can use skim or low fat as well; however, addition of 1/4 cup of dry milk powder will help with the process and improve the texture.
- 2 tsp yogurt either commercial brand or homemade from recent batch, alternatively you can buy a powdered yogurt starter and follow the package directions
Proportion adjustment: For every 1 1/2 C milk use 1 tsp yogurt, commercial or homemade. Or follow directions on powdered yogurt starter package. You will have to adjust your heating of the milk time accordingly, if using the microwave to heat.
Directions:
Warm milk to 180 degrees either by stove top or by microwave. I use the microwave and set for 5 minutes. Your time will vary depending on your microwave. Check at 4 minutes and cook at additional 30 second increments until the 180 degrees is reached. The stove top method will concentrate your milk more and thereby make a thicker yogurt. Your milk must reach 180 degrees to kill off the harmful bacteria. Let milk cool to 110-115 degrees. You can speed up cooling by placing container on ice. Once cool mix a small amount of milk into the yogurt or yogurt starter. Once smooth, pour that back into the rest of the milk. Poor into prepared containers. Cover and put in yogurt maker or alternatively put container in an oven with the light on, thermos, microwave with hot water surrounding it. Or cover with a blanket, towel or heating pad. Keep warm for minimum of 6 hours up to 24 hours. Do not disturb yogurt during this time. Once done incubating refrigerate for about 4-6 hours before eating. This will help it firm up further. If you wish to make Greek Yogurt, then strain it after that in a cheese cloth or yogurt strainer for at least 1 hour.
Flavored yogurt: Flavoring is best done after yogurt is completely made. You can add your favorite fruits, nuts, sweetener, or extracts to your yogurt for flavoring. If you wish to do fruit on the bottom type of yogurt then place a tsp of preserved fruit in your individual serving container first then pour in the milk mixture. Fresh fruit is not recommended to be added until after yogurt is completely made.
Note: I make both individual servings in glass yogurt containers and single batch in a large glass bowl that has a lid. If making a single batch then you can use the same container for storage as for warming in the microwave.
I have a yogurt maker that makes this process very easy. It has an automatic off after 10 hours. I usually start it at night then in the morning I have yogurt ready.