Yogurt Maker Recipe
jars
This simple Yogurt Maker Recipe unlocks the secret to creating creamy homemade yogurt that beats any store-bought tub.
Equipment
- food thermometer
- yogurt maker or homemade contraption to keep yogurt at a warm/consistent temperature
jars
Ingredients
- 42 oz. milk whole, reduced fat, or skim
- 2 tablespoon plain yogurt
Instructions
- Pour the milk into a dry, clean pan and place it on the stovetop. Heat the milk over MEDIUM heat just until it simmers and reaches about 185-190 degrees Farenheit.
- As soon as your milk hits the simmering point, turn the heat off – it’s time to cool the milk so that, when we add the yogurt starter, the heat doesn’t kill the good bacteria. Fill a slightly larger saucepan with ice water and place the pot with the hot milk right into it. BE CAREFUL that not a single drop of water gets into your milk mixture!! Cooling the milk using this ice bath method takes about 10 minutes. Check the thermometer frequently and swirl the warm milk to redistribute the remaining heat. When the thermometer reaches 90-100 degrees, you’re ready to move to the next step.
- Add the yogurt starter; whisk the starter into the milk to thoroughly mix it in.
- Working quickly, it’s time to pour the milk mixture into the yogurt jars. Transfer the mixture into a glass measuring cup with a pour spout – this just makes it super easy to transfer the liquid into each jar. Place the clean, sterile jars into the yogurt maker. Pour the milk mixture, dividing evenly between the jars.
- Place the lid over the yogurt machine and turn it on. Program the yogurt maker to run for at least 4-5 hours and up to 24 hours. The longer that you ferment the yogurt, the thicker it will become and the stronger the flavor. A yogurt fermented for just 4-5 hours will be much thinner and mild in flavor, particularly compared to store-bought yogurt. You can experiment with different lengths of time to find the best results for your particular preference! Fermenting for 24 hours will eliminate the lactose in the milk/yogurt.
- When the yogurt is done fermenting, cover the jars with lids and put them into the refrigerator for at least a few hours before eating.
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Notes
- It's crucial to keep any water from the ice bath out of the milk mixture maintaining a pure, controlled environment for your yogurt cultures to thrive without interference. Water entering the milk mixture will also affect the texture of your completed yogurt.
- Always use a food thermometer to track the temperature of your milk mixture at different stages of this recipe. I clip mine on the side of the pot in order to carefully monitor the milk.
- I find that transferring the milk mixture into a glass measuring cup with a pour spout makes it super easy to transfer the liquid into each yogurt jar.
- Your homemade yogurt needs to ferment in the yogurt machine for a minimum of 4-5 hours, although you can extend this to up to 24 hours if you prefer a thicker and stronger-flavored yogurt with no presence of lactose.
- You'll want to work fast and avoid any jiggling of your yogurt jars once you've filled them. I'm not sure why, but movement in the yogurt as it's fermenting causes some changes in the texture. For the smoothest finished consistency, limit the jiggling! (And on that note, you'll want to transfer the liquid into the yogurt maker in the location where it will be fermenting; you don't want to be moving around the yogurt maker either!)
Nutrition
Calories: 620kcal | Carbohydrates: 59g | Protein: 41g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 16g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 100mg | Sodium: 578mg | Potassium: 1729mg | Sugar: 62g | Vitamin A: 1254IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 1477mg | Iron: 0.3mg
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