How to Make Fresh Yogurt

Fresh yogurt can be enjoyed on its own, or used for recipes with chicken, beef or fish.

Dressed up with fresh fruit or sprinkled with a small serving of nuts, yogurt is a healthy snack or accompaniment to a meal. Yogurt contains calcium, potassium and magnesium. It's probiotic, meaning yogurt has good bacteria that aids stomach digestion. Homemade yogurt needs only a few ingredients and costs less than store bought varieties. When you make fresh yogurt at home you can control the consistency and adapt it to your personal tastes.

Things You'll Need

• 4 cups of milk (whole, skim or low-fat)
• 1/2 cup nonfat dry milk
• 1/2 cup store bought, plain yogurt with active cultures
• Cooking thermometer
• 1 quart heatproof container with lid

Instructions

1. Heat 4 cups of milk and 1/2 cup of nonfat dry milk in a heavy saucepan over medium heat. Place a thermometer in the pan and stir the mixture slowly and consistently until it reaches 185 degrees Fahrenheit.

2. Remove the pan from the heat. Cool the mixture until the thermometer reaches 110 to 115 degrees Fahrenheit.

3. Add 1/2 cup of store bought, plain yogurt with active cultures to the cooled milk mixture. Stir until the mixture is smooth. The store bought yogurt acts as the starter for the new batch. Once you have made your own yogurt, you can use that as the starter for future batches.

4. Pour the yogurt into a 1 quart heatproof container with a lid. Close the container and store at room temperature for 6 to 8 hours.

5. Refrigerate the yogurt and consume within two weeks.

Tips & Warnings

• Place the cooking pan with the milk mixture in an ice bath to cool more quickly.

References

• Chow: Make Your Own Yogurt
• Hillbilly Housewife: Homemade Yogurt Recipe
• Cooks.com: Recipe: Homemade Yogurt
• Martha Stewart: Recipe: Homemade Yogurt

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish
• Epicurious: Yogurt Recipes