Things You'll Need:
- Pasteurized milk
- Powdered milk
- Unflavored gelatin
- Plain cultured yogurt
- Double boiler
- Instant-read thermometer
- Large bowl
- Spoon
- Oven/stove top
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Container for yogurt (stainless steel or crock) (preferably with a tight-fitting lid)
- Aluminum foil
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Step 1
Boil approximately 4 cups of water and pour them into the container you will be using to incubate the yogurt to warm it while you prepare the milk. Set the filled container aside while you warm the milk.
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Step 2
Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F and turn the oven off immediately when it reaches this temperature.
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Step 3
Pour 4 cups of cold milk into the top of the double boiler. Add 1/3 cup to 2/3 cup of powdered milk according to taste. Stir well to incorporate the powdered milk. Add 1 tsp. of gelatin to the milk and let the gelatin soften for approximately 5 minutes. Stir well after softening the gelatin.
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Step 4
Place the thermometer into the cold milk and situate it so you can read the temperature of the milk as it warms.
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Step 5
Set the burner to medium heat and warm the milk to 200 degrees F. Stir while heating and keep the milk on the burner for approximately 20 minutes without it reaching a boil.
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Step 6
Remove the milk from the heat and submerge the bottom of the pan of hot milk in a bowl of ice water to bring the milk temperature down quickly. Stir the milk and watch the thermometer as the temperature goes down. Remove the milk pan from the cold water when the temperature reaches approximately 115 degrees.
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Step 7
Measure 1 cup of warm milk in a small measuring cup. Add 1/4 cup plain cultured yogurt to the warm milk and stir the milk and the yogurt well. Pour the milk and yogurt back into the pan of warm milk and check the temperature again to make sure it is approximately 110 degrees.
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Step 8
Pour out the water from the container and pour the warm milk into the container. Place the cover on the container or cover the container with aluminum foil. Place the container into the warm oven and place the instant read thermometer in the oven as well to monitor the oven temperature.
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Step 9
Incubate the yogurt for approximately 4 hours in the oven. Monitor the oven temperature regularly during the incubation time to make sure the temperature stays between 108 degrees F and 112 degrees F. Do not let the temperature go below 100 degrees F at any point during the incubation time. It will be necessary to turn the oven on for a minute or two periodically to keep the temperature in the required range.
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Step 10
Remove the container after the yogurt has set and is firm. Place the yogurt into the refrigerator right away to stop the incubation process and keep the yogurt from becoming overly tart. Use the yogurt within 10 days.
