Yogurt Making
...cause I really like to make my own yogurt. It tastes MUCH better than anything you buy at the grocery store. Here's a step-by-step in case you get crazy and want to try it yourself:
Assemble your supplies. You need:
- two ceramic containers - I bought mine at Marshall's. They must be immaculately clean and TOTALLY dry (use the microwave to dry them if you need to).
- a large pot
- a kitchen thermometer - mine was $11 at Target.
- two gallons of milk (whole is best).
- yogurt that contains nothing but milk & live cultures. The cultures MUST be live, and it absolutely cannot have any thickener (like gelatin) in it.
- Not pictured: two largish towels.
Heat up two gallons of milk to 206 degrees Fahrenheit.
Once the milk reaches 206 degrees, take it off the heat and allow it to cool down to 140 degrees Fahrenheit. This will probably take a couple of hours.
Once the milk is 140 degrees Fahreheit, mix about a cup of the milk with the yogurt. Make sure you really mix it so there are no lumps left.
Then mix the yougurt/milk mixture back into the pot of milk.
Letting the dogs lick out the yogurt container is optional.
Using your measuring cup, pour the yogurt/milk into the two containers. Alternate a cup in one container, then a cup in the other container so that they're pretty uniform. As you get to the bottom, you'll probably just have to pour the milk directly from the pot into the container.
Now you need to tuck your yogurt in. Put one towel directly over the open containers, then put the lids on top.
Put the second towel over both (closed) containers, and kind of wrap it around them.
Let them sit out undisturbed for 12-18 hours, then move them to the fridge.
Let them hang out in the fridge for at least 24 hours, then dig in!
I like to eat mine with granola, with honey and almonds, or with jam. The dogs like theirs mixed with dog food and stuffed into a bone. Tom likes to eat his straight.
Happy yogurt-making!