How to Make Frozen Yogurt

Frozen yogurt is a great low-fat, low-calorie alternative to ice cream if you're looking for a cool, summertime treat. It only takes minutes to combine the ingredients for basic vanilla frozen yogurt, but patience is needed to freeze the yogurt to the right consistency.

Things You'll Need

• 1 1/2 to 2 cups plain yogurt
• Cheesecloth
• Colander
• 2 to 3 cups milk
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 to 2 tsp salt
• Gelatin
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• Ice cream machine

Instructions

1. Put 2 cups of plain yogurt into a cheesecloth-lined colander. Drain the excess liquid culture for at least 3 hours so that it doesn't interfere with the taste of the dessert. In a large bowl, blend together 2 to 3 cups of whole, low-fat or skim milk and 1/2 cup sugar or artificial sweetener.

2. Add 1 to 2 tsp of salt, then add a 3-ounce package of gelatin to the mixture. The gelatin will add thickness to the frozen yogurt.

3. Pour the blended ingredients from Steps 1 and 2 into a large double-boiler pot. Simmer the pot over low heat for 5 minutes, making sure that the gelatin is dissolved.

4. Remove the pot from the heat and let it cool. Stir in a teaspoon of vanilla extract and the 2 cups of drained yogurt from Step 1.

5. Pour everything into another large bowl, then cover it with a lid or with plastic wrap. Refrigerate the yogurt mixture for 8 hours so that it is well-blended.

6. Transfer the mixture to an ice cream machine. Every ice cream maker is different, so follow the instructions for churning the frozen yogurt, which can range from 20 to 40 minutes. Freeze the yogurt up to one week for best results.