Homemade Yogurt

We've tried to make yogurt before but I know now where I went wrong.  The first recipe didn't have clear instructions on heating and cooling the milk.   The end result, the yogurt didn't set up well and it was really thin.

Here's what worked for us today.

Adapted from Food In Jars.  

Special tools needed-
A food thermometer, preferably one with a clip so you can keep it in the milk while heating
And a small cooler, draft free place and a big blanket
Or a heating pad, towels and a cardboard box with a lid


Ingredients needed-
1/2 gallon whole milk
4 oz of your favorite plain yogurt
1 tsp vanilla**
1/3 c. (or less) honey**

Heat the milk to between 190 to 200 degrees over medium high heat, whisking often and do not let the milk boil.

Remove the pan to a sink full of cold water and reduce the temperature to 120.  This will only take a few minutes so don't walk away for too long OR because you're doing other stuff, just let it cool on the stove but keep an eye on the temp.

Remove the pan from the sink and whisk in the yogurt, vanilla and honey and place into clean jars.*

Put the jars into a cooler filled with water heated to 120 or in the bottom of a box fitted with towels and a heating pad set to medium heat.

Keep the the cooler wrapped in towels or in a box with the lid closed in a draft free place for 6 hours.  If you like tangier yogurt, you can let your yogurt go for 7 or 8 hours.

Remove and place in the fridge.

Save out 4 oz. of the last amount of yogurt to inoculate your next batch of yogurt

*I used both methods since I had a little too much for my two big Mason jars so I used a small blue pint jar for the extra.  It didn't fit into the cooler so I had to use another method.  End result, both turned out about the same consistency.

** We often leave these out since we use this unsweetened yogurt in our cooking and baking (butter chicken, ranch dressing, yogurt cake etc).

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