As promised, here is the homemade yogurt recipe that was passed on to me a couple weeks ago.  I have made two batches of it and am really enjoying it!

Here is this simple recipe!

In a crockpot, pour 1 gallon of milk.  I use whole milk, but am going to try 2% next.  (2% works great!)  I’ve been told it doesn’t matter what kind of milk.  With 1 gallon, my crockpot is very full.  Turn the pot on high for 3 hours.  After 3 hours turn the crockpot off and just leave it for another 3 hours.  Next, take 1/2 cup of yogurt (don’t use Greek.  I like Stonyfield) and 1 cup of the milk from the crockpot and whisk together.  (I know it seems odd to use yogurt to make yogurt, but you need the active cultures!)  Pour this back into the crockpot, whisk, and wrap the entire crockpot with towels or blankets.  (The entire crockpot!  My husband laughed at this stage and just shook his head.)  You can leave the crockpot like this for 8 hours or overnight.  Now you need to strain the milk to get your yogurt.  I put a colander in a pot, then put a flour sack dish cloth (or cheese cloth) in the colander and pour my milk in.  The longer you leave the yogurt to strain, the thicker it will be.  I like mine thick, so I leave it for a couple hours.  Plus, if you add juicy berries it will thin it a little.  (This pic is from my first batch with Greek yogurt and the texture came out a little lumpy…still good but lumpy…my batches with Stonyfield yogurt are creamy and wonderful!!)

While it sits and strains, I set the top of the pot back on…protection from bugs, dust, flying toys…

Once your yogurt is the consistency you like, pour it into containers.  From 1 gallon of milk + 1/2 cup of yogurt, I get back 4 jars and 1 recycled yogurt container full.

Elias and I have been loving our yogurt in the mornings with fresh berries and our homemade vanilla sugar!!  Oh so good!   It’s so good that at night I think about eating it in the morning with great anticipation!

Mr. Yogurt Beard is ready for more!