Homemade Yogurt

Everyone in the house eats yogurt...even the dog licks the empty containers so I don't have ot wash them for recycling.  Anyway, yogurt every week really adds up. I thought I would try making my own in the crock pot. Just a couple of questions.

I have strained it before to make Greek yogurt, YUM! I don't do that every time, but occasionally. I've done yogurt cheese before too, SO good!

This is really interesting! I never thought of making my own. *off to look for a recipe!*

I don't think it's much of a recipe so much as different methods.  My mom does her's in the oven over night with the light left on. 

Has anyone used one of the makers out there?  I wanted to use the oven but ours is electric and doesn't go below 170.

I do mine on the heating pad wrapped in a towel.  I really like Alton Brown's recipe.  We leave out the honey.  Add it when we eat it.

Thanks for all the answers ladies! So great to hear it should work for everything I want. I'll have to get the supplies at the grocery store next week. Yay!

Made my first batch of yogurt from whole milk! It's pretty good....I guess. How do you melt the honey/sugar in? How do you make it less tart for an infant?

10 days. Do you think I incubated too long?

illasmommy wrote: whats the fridge life?

I've had some of my mom's that was made a month prior to when i opened it.  Not that i recommend it, but it hadn't spoiled.  it was in a sealed mason jar. 

Clare_S wrote: I like to culture for 24 hours, like Christina said it is more digestable since the bacteria has longer to eat up the lactose.

This is what I mean for a long time.  I should have been more presice.  THanks Clare!

My kids have always loved the tart flavor, too. When we were eating dairy, I fed it to Micah with nothing added to it. He couldn't get enough.

I made some last Sunday and it was soooo easy!

I heated 4 cups of milk to 180* and then let it cool to about 110* in the same pan (took about 45 min.). I took out 1/4 cup of the heated milk and in a separate little container mixed in 2 T of plain active yogurt. Once combined I added it into the 4 cups of warm milk.

I put into 2 mason jars and set on a heating pad on low and wrapped in a towel.  I let set for about 8 hours and put in the fridge.

It set up with out a problem and is not tangy at all (which I like because I don't like strong/tangy yogurt). I mix in home made freezer jam and it is soooo yummy and so easy!

You know, my yogurt had been open awhile. I got a fresh one today at the store. I also got "regular" pasteurized milk. I did use my crock pot. I think it was probably a combo of older yogurt and maybe not whisked well enough. I'm definitely trying it again this week.

Oooo, I'll have to try some vanilla, thanks Xandi!