We made it yesterday and we love it! If you're used to traditional store bought yogurt it is different - a bit more runny and has the tart taste but it didn't even take us some getting used to - we loved it at first bite.
It's easy too, though there are several steps to follow so you'll want to do this on a day when you are around the house.
Put 8 cups of milk in the crockpot. Non-homogenized is best, as is whole milk. Put lid on. Turn to low and cook for 2 1/2 hours.
Unplug crockpot and leave lid on, let sit for 3 hours.
Scoop out 2 c. still warm milk and whisk in 1/2 c. of store bought plain yogurt. This is the starter which will introduce all the beneficial bacteria to your batch. Once this batch is complete you can reserve 1/2 a c. from your homemade yogurt to make your next batch. Dump the 2 c. mixture back into the crockpot and stir.
Wrap a thick bath towel around the crockpot and let it sit for 8 hours.
That's it! I started mine later in the day and by 11:30pm, when I was ready for bed, the yogurt mixture had only been sitting for 6 hours but I put it away in the fridge anyway, and it had still thickened to a perfect texture. I think this recipe is pretty fail-proof.
I enjoyed mine with granola and a sprinkle of chia seeds. You can also add fresh fruit or even a tablespoon of jam to make it your choice of fruit flavored. Honey would be good or maple syrup for a sweet taste. The possibilities are endless. Joe, the pickiest of the bunch, even enjoyed this plain on top of granola. He told me it was "Yummy like a hamburger" which means the yummy factor is up there at the top of the list with his favorite food.
A whole crockpot full of yogurt ended up being about $2.25 and the price will go down next time as I won't need to buy store bought yogurt for the starter, so it should be closer to $1.90 (the price of half a gallon of non-homogenized milk). This is by far healthier and much cheaper than any store bought yogurt...it's a keeper!
I have been making my own kefir for years and it has healed all of our stomach problems. Good health begins in the gut!
ReplyDeleteI'm jealous of your non-homogenized milk for 1.90! Today it was 2.04 for a half gallon of regular old milk. And to get the better stuff it's closer to $3/half gallon, I think. But this is how I make my yogurt too, and it sure is delicious!
ReplyDeleteLori - I'm planning on trying homemade kefir sometime soon - do you happen to make it in your crockpot?
ReplyDeleteDiana- a local shop just started selling the non-homogenized milk...they started the price out at $3.25 (I couldn't believe it - cheaper than the regular stuff!) but recently raised it to $3.65, which is still about the same price as the regular stuff at the grocery store so I'm not complaining! :)
Yum, that sounds pretty good!
ReplyDeleteBeth-I really enjoy your blog entries about cooking! You share some wonderful recipes. I still want to try the "burgers" you make with baked beans and a small amount of ground beef. I went to Walmart yesterday for groceries and the Prairie Farm milk was well over $4 a gallon! I opted for the Walmart brand, much to my displeasure, for $3.38 a gallon. We prefer Dean's milk from CVS. It is not in a clear container and it has a much better taste. I think we would do better financially with a cow or a goat for milk though! Morgan went through a complete gallon of skim milk by herself in only 24 hours! She doesn't like meat, so this is her source of protein. All four kids are big milk drinkers though.
ReplyDeletejacki