By
eHow Food & Drink Editor
Difficulty: Moderately Easy
Things You’ll Need:
- 1/2 to 1 gallon milk (lowfat or whole)
- 1 small cup plain, store-bought yogurt
- Saucepan
- Cooler
- Glass jars or containers
- Candy thermometer
- Water
Step1
Sterilize the glass jars or containers by pouring boiling water into the jar and letting it sit for 10 minutes. Pour out the water and let it cool and dry off.
Step2
Boil another pot of water and maintain a temperature of between 105 and 110 degrees Fahrenheit.
Step3
Heat milk in a saucepan and stick in a candy thermometer to monitor the temperature until it reaches between 170 and 180 degrees Fahrenheit. Do not go over 180 degrees Fahrenheit, or the yogurt will taste bad.
Step4
Turn off the stove when the temperature reaches 170 to 180 degrees Fahrenheit and keep stirring for another 2 to 3 minutes to prevent burning the milk. Let the milk cool to between 105 and 110 degrees Fahrenheit.
Step5
Stir up the store-bought yogurt well and then mix it into the milk. Stir until it is all mixed. This will allow the bacteria in the store-bought yogurt to grow and spread throughout the milk mixture.
Step6
Pour mixture into the glass jars or containers that were sterilized earlier.
Step7
Pour the water that is between 105 and 110 degrees Fahrenheit into a cooler in order to maintain a consistent temperature.
Step8
Put all the jars of yogurt mixture carefully into the cooler, cover the cooler and let it sit in a warm area to incubate for at least 5 to 6 hours. Avoid moving the cooler or opening it, since this will cause the heat to escape and the yogurt to not set.
Step9
Press gently on the yogurt after 6 hours to test if it is set. If it feels slightly firm, it’s ready.
Step10
Cover the jars. You may store the yogurt in a refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
Comments
NMDreamcatcher said
on 5/27/2008 This yogurt was very easy to make and the end result was a yogurt that wasn't as tart as some of the commercial brands and it was a LOT cheaper! Fortunately, one of our local grocery stores has milk on sale every couple of weeks, sometimes as low as $2.00 a gallon, which makes this recipe even more thrifty. The most difficult thing about this recipe was waiting for the milk to cool down. A candy thermometer is essential! This would be a good science experiment for kids.
ChrisInTexas said
on 10/14/2007 WONDERFUL!!!!