Making Homemade Yogurt
Turning fresh milk into thick, tart yogurt requires nothing more than temperature control and time. You are essentially creating an incubator for beneficial bacteria to do the work of thickening the milk protein for you.
Consistency is your greatest tool
Your success depends on holding a steady temperature. If the milk is too cold, the bacteria stay dormant; if too hot, they die.
- heavy-bottomed saucepan
- digital instant-read thermometer
- whisk
- insulated cooler or yogurt maker
- glass jars
What goes in.
- 1 quartwhole milk
- 2 tbspplain yogurt with active cultures
Maintaining the Bloom
The bacteria need a steady 105°F to 115°F to thrive. Wrap your jar in a heavy towel or use a warm oven with just the light on to keep the environment stable during the culturing phase.
The method.
Scald the milk
Pour milk into the saucepan and heat over medium-low, stirring constantly to prevent scorching. Take it to 180°F.
Cool the milk
Remove from heat and let it cool until it reaches 110°F. Placing the pan in an ice bath speeds this up, but watch the thermometer closely.
Inoculate
Whisk the starter yogurt with about half a cup of the warm milk until smooth, then stir this mixture back into the main pot of milk.
Incubate
Pour the mixture into clean jars. Keep them at 110°F for 8 to 12 hours. Do not stir or move them during this time.
Set
Once thickened, move the jars to the refrigerator for at least 6 hours to stop the culturing and firm up the texture.
Other turns to take.
Greek Style
Line a colander with cheesecloth and pour the finished, chilled yogurt into it; let it drain for 2 to 4 hours until it reaches your desired thickness.
When it doesn't go to plan.
Use glass jars; they hold temperature better than plastic and are easier to sterilize.
If your yogurt is too runny, you may need to increase the incubation time or check the vitality of your starter.
Save two tablespoons of your current batch to act as the starter for your next one.
The ones that keep coming up.
Why did my yogurt turn out grainy?
The milk was likely heated too quickly or the temperature fluctuated wildly during the incubation phase.
Can I use low-fat milk?
You can, but the final product will be much thinner and lack the characteristic creaminess of whole-milk yogurt.
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