Yogurt

[moldy]

Homemade Yogurt

 

3 ½ cups water

1 2/3 cups instant nonfat dry milk powder

2-4 tblsp plain store bought yogurt with active cultures

Combine the water and milk powder. Heat to 180 degrees. This is very important as the yogurt will not set up if there is other bacteria present. Heating the milk will kill off the bacteria you don’t want. Let the milk cool until you can put your hand comfortably on the bottom of the pan (around 30-45 minutes). Add the store bought yogurt and put in a warm place for 8 or so hours.

I know this is not a detailed recipe, but you kind of come up with your own method. I always use store-bought yogurt for my starter. If you use your own, after a while, the cultures just get too weak and the yogurt won’t set up. First, I buy a big tub of yogurt from Dillons. I put it into ice cube trays and freeze it. When I am ready to make yogurt, I fix the milk, heat it, and put it to set aside to cool. I take a quart mason jar, add 2-3 cubes of frozen yogurt and go do something for 45 minutes or so. When I come back the milk is cooled and the yogurt cubes are pretty soft. I add the milk to the jar and stir well. I put the yogurt in a warm place (ideally, the temperature should be around 80*). In the summer, I just set it out on the back porch in the morning, and I have yogurt by evening. In the winter,I fill a small lunch size cooler with warm water, put in the jar and close it. I have to replace the water with warm water at least once during the day.

If your yogurt doesn’t turn out and set up, you can still use it as a base in smoothies, freeze it (for frozen yogurt – don’t use it to make more yogurt), or use it in the recipe below.

Add jam, cut up fruit, or whatever you like to make the yogurt your favorite flavor.