How To Make Yogurt

Yogurt is something our family really enjoys. Once I discovered how easy it is to make, our consumption definetly increased! Before we had Buttercup, to give us fresh milk, the most economical way to make yogurt was with powdered milk. When using powdered milk, I would mix the milk according to the package instructions and proceed with the recipe. I used store bought yogurt with active cultures as my starter. For larger batches, just remember to maintain the 1/2 c. starter per 1 gallon of milk ratio.

Homemade Yogurt

1 gallon whole or skim milk
1/2 c cultured plain yogurt starter*

Heat milk over medium heat to 180F. Allow milk to cool to 115F – 120F. I place the pot of milk into a sink of cold water to speed the cooling process.

Once the milk has cooled, add starter and stir well.

Pour into steralized jars. I steralize my jars by placing 1/2″ of water in each jar and microwave until the water boils. The steam from the boiling water steralizes the jar. When removing jars from the microwave, be careful, they are hot!

Wrap the jars in a bath towel and place in a warm, out of the way place for 6 – 12 hours. I wrap the jars, place them in an insulated cooler and leave overnight.

Unwrap the jars and refrigerate. The yogurt will separate if not chilled before using.

Save 1/2 c. to start your next batch.

* Starter can be store bought yogurt as long as it states “contains active yogurt cultures” on the label. Starter may also be purchased from The New England Cheese Making Supply. I have used both successfully.

** After several batches, the culture may not be as strong and the consistency of the finished product may not be as thick. When this occurs, I simply start with a new culture.