Does anyone make yogurt at home?

[momm]

Clearly no one has a yoghurt maker :)

http://windsorpeak.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=412058

But does anyne make yogurt with any other method? Any recipes or tricks you can share?

DS eats yoghurt with every single meal. It will be cheaper and easier to just make it at home. So I am looking for any advice! Thanks !!

[Moneypenny]

I do! I take 3 cups of milk (any kind, usually I use 2.5 cups of skim and throw in .5 cup of half and half) and heat in a pan on the stove to 180-190 degrees. I keep it at that temp for about 10 minutes then remove from heat and let cool to about 115-120. Then I mix in 3T of yogurt from the last batch (or you can use store bought plain yogurt). I wrap the pan in a couple of dishtowels and stick it in the oven (turned off - it just acts like a thermos). In the winter I may turn the oven on to 200 and then turn it off before I put the yogurt in there just because we keep our house pretty cool.

After 4-24 hours you have homemade plain yogurt! The longer it sits the more tangy it gets. I usually drain mine by lining a colander with a coffee filter and letting the yogurt sit for about 30 minutes, but you don't have to.

You can flavor it however you like by stirring in fruit, sweetener, etc.

[daisymommy]

I have in the past. Here's an easy crock-pot method
http://www.keeperofthehome.org/2011/04/making-homemade-yogurt-2.html

[nrp]

I've done it, similar to Moneypenny's method - heat up milk, let it cool, add starter (I usually use yogurt starter - little packets you can buy at whole foods - with some store-bought or leftover yogurt added in for good measure). I leave the oven light on and wrap the pot (or crock - works even better) in towels. Sometimes I will add some powdered milk to make it thicker.

I've also done it on the counter in a 11x13 pyrex, on top of a heating pad, covered with towels. The heat is a little more even, but you have to make sure you have a heating pad that doesn't have an automatic shut-off.

[MommyAllison]

I use the crock pot method - works great for us!

[anamika]

Nothing beats the taste of homemade yogurt with the cream on the top!
The only thing I would add is to not disturb the yogurt at all while it is setting. I leave it overnight on our heater in winter. In summer, it is warm enough to set without help. In summer it could be done much faster - in winter, it takes at least 12 hrs.

Another weird tip that my aunt gave to help the process is to add a dried red chili to the top of the milk. I have done it but I didn't have any controls to check if it would have worked without the chili!

[Jo..]

Pre-kids I made all of our yogurt, but I got lazy.

I have two Salton yogurt makers, which were $10-$15 each at the time. They work great...maybe check EBay. They must have been discontinued, because now they are selling new for $200.:hysterical:

http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_SPM5803938302P?sid=IDx20101019x00001 a&ci_src=14110944&ci_sku=SPM5803938302

I used to make 2-3 double batches per week.

[daisymommy]

OMG Jo, I have that one too. Spent under $20 on in, from Amazon several years back. It's sitting in my basement collecting dust :bag.

[doberbrat]

I bought a yogurt maker all gung ho to start making breast milk yogurt for dd1 (allergic to cow's milk) I had it overnighted. Then let it sit around for a week in the box. Shoulda been a sign.....


Anyways, I've tried several times to make yogurt. ebm yogurt, goat milk yogurt, cows milk yogurt. I used the yogurt maker and a small crockpot. Its never turned out right. its almost always a soupy mess. both dd have declared it unedible. At least the dogs ate it. :(

[brittone2]

We made it on our own regularly for a while. We aren't currently. We've done a method where it goes in the oven with the light on, we've used a yogurt maker (no longer own it), and I think DH used the crockpot method once. It has always worked well for us...we've just been lazy ;)

[AustenFan]

I think the crockpot method I use is even easier than daisymommy's: crockpot365.blogspot.com/2008/10/you-can-make-yogurt-in-your-crockpot.html

Super easy as long as you pay attention to the time. We like our yogurt thicker, so I always line a colander with cheesecloth and let the whey seep out for several hours (and use the whey in place of buttermilk in pancakes). Good luck!

[ladysoapmaker]

I keep meaning to make yogurt. A friend of ours does though. When ever he messes up a batch (it's too thin or liquidy) he give it to me. I use it then to make smoothies.

Jen

[MissyL11]

I am going to try to make the crock pot yogurt this weekend. It would be so much cheaper than buying greek yogurt at the store.

[momm]

Thank you for the recipes. I'm gonna try these and see if I really do need to buy a yogurt maker. Thanks for sharing ladies!

[momm]

I just wanted to thank the ladies who took the time to share recipes with me.. I tried this at home and made the yummiest, creamiest yogurt I've ever tasted in my entire life. So easy and so frugal! Yayyyyy!!

Thanks again ladies :cheerleader1:

[MissyL11]

Which recipe did you use?? Thinking of trying it this weekend.

[momm]

Which recipe did you use?? Thinking of trying it this weekend.

Missy, I just did a smaller version of the recipes posted here. (Wanted to try it out before using an entire half gallon)

Basically I boiled a cup of organic whole milk, let it cool for 10-15 minutes till it was warm not boiling hot. Then I took a glass jar, and put two spoons of store-bought organic yogurt in it. I poured a little of the warm milk into the jar and stirred it till it was mixed in. Then I poured the rest of the milk into it.

I closed and wrapped the jar in two dish towels, turned on the over light and kept it in there all night long without disturbing it. I took it out around 11 am and kept it in the fridge.

Yummy yogurt ready! Hope that helps. Good luck!

[MissyL11]

Thanks so much for explaining. I definitely need to make some. It would be so much cheaper than buying yogurt at the store..