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.