Yogurt

YOGURT  

This can easily be doubled

Bring 1/2 gallon milk to a boil 

(ultra-pasteurized won’t work here, whole milk is thicker)

  (it will look frothy, temp: 185* F)

  (if you hold it at this temp for 30 minutes, you’ll have thicker yogurt, or you could add powdered milk at the beginning, if you like it thick)

Cool to 110*F  (really 114* to 108*)

(if you want to do this quickly, use an ice-water bath)

Stir in 1/4 c. active plain yogurt of your choice  (in the future, use reserved amount)

Stir, Cover and keep warm (can set on a hot-pad, set on medium, on a cutting board.   Cover with a towel.  Can set in a warm oven overnight with the oven light on....)

Wait 7-8 hours (or more if you like it really sour.  The more time , the thicker and the tangier,  7 hours is pretty mild.)

Stir and refrigerate overnight (this stops the bacteria’s consumption of lactose and the production of lactic acid)

SLOW COOKER METHOD

1. Pour 1/2 gal. milk in slow cooker, low for 2 1/2 hours
2. Unplug let sit covered 3 hours.
3. Transfer 2 cups to a bowl, whisk with 1/4 c. live yogurt culture
4. Return to crock pot, stir, cover and wrap a bath towel around the slow cooker.
5. Let it sit for 8 hours.

Basic principles:

Heat to boil,

Cool to 110
Add "starter"

Keep warm

Thickening (choose one or more of the following)

“Natural”

double the “start”

Longer “boil” time

Longer development time

**Drain/strain as for greek yogurt, until it reaches the desired thickness 

“Additives”

add powdered milk at the beginning (up to 1 c.)

Add tapioca starch (up to 1/4 c.) before refrigerating.

If using low-fat milk, you can also thicken with an envelope of gelatin added at the same time as the culture. 
Starter
        Often home-made yogurt will not work as well after the 3rd to 4th batch.  Part of the reason for this (as explained in the website below) is that only some cultures are self-perpetuating.  Dannon plain or Stoneyfield are both good. They need to have Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus.  
        There is also a shelf-life, before your cultures eat up the available food and start to weaken.  Use your start within 7-8 days or freeze some right after you make it for the next batch.








A great website with detailed pictures and instructions is http://www.makeyourownyogurt.com/