How to Make Yogurt With an Electric Yogurt Maker

Fresh yogurt with berries

Yogurt is an excellent source of calcium and probiotics, but store-bought yogurt is sometimes loaded with sugar, stabilizers, artificial flavors or preservatives and other ingredients you might not want. By making your own yogurt at home you can control sugar content and other ingredients. You'll also save a lot of money. Making your own yogurt is a snap with an electric yogurt maker.

Things You'll Need

• Electric yogurt maker
• Thermometer
• Medium sized pot
• Wooden or metal spoon
• 1 quart milk (whole milk or 2% works best)
• 2 tablespoons all-natural, plain yogurt with live, active cultures or 1 packet of freeze-dried yogurt starter

Instructions

1. Make sure the cups on your electric yogurt maker are clean and sterile. To sterilize them, fill them with freshly boiled water and let them stand for 10 minutes. Pour the water out.

2. In a medium sized pot, slowly warm 1 quart of milk to 175 degrees F, stirring constantly. (Heating the milk to this temperature kills any bacteria that would compete with the yogurt culture.)

3. Remove the milk from the heat and allow to cool to 105 degrees F. Continue to stir it occasionally.

4. Add 2 tablespoons of plain yogurt with live, active cultures or 1 packet of freeze-dried yogurt starter. Stir well.

5. Pour the cultured milk into the cups of your electric yogurt maker and plug it in. The electric yogurt maker will incubate the cultured milk at the proper temperature for the bacteria to do its job and the yogurt to form.

6. Remove the cups from your electric yogurt maker and refrigerate. (The yogurt is ready when it has achieved a thick, semi-solid texture and pulls away from the side of the cup when you tip it.)

7. Keep the fresh yogurt in your fridge for one to two weeks. If you want to use this batch of yogurt to inoculate another batch, do so within 5 to 7 days.

Tips & Warnings

• When in doubt, refer to the instructions that came with your electric yogurt maker.