Yogurt

A reader request!  I looked around for a while, and found a super easy recipe on Crockpot 365.  By the way- great blog!  This morning I threw the milk in the Crock Pot, let it sit and do its thing while I worked on making feta (more on that to come!).  As long as it turns out properly, this may be the easiest thing in the world to make!  Note- This recipe is for whole milk yogurt.  If you want to decrease the fat content, I know you can add powdered milk to thicken, as in this recipe from Alton Brown.

You will need

½ gallon organic whole milk ($5.99 per gallon, $5.99/2 = $2.99)

½ cup live culture yogurt (I happened to use Greek yogurt as the starter, but any live culture yogurt will do) ($1.50 per 6 oz, $1.50/6 = $.25 x 4 = $1.00)

Milk in the Crockpot, ready to go!

As long as you are around for the day, this is a cinch.  Throw the milk in the crock pot on low for 2 ½ hours.  Turn off the Crockpot and let it sit for 3 hours.  Remove 2 cups of milk, whisk the yogurt into it, then return the mixture to the Crockpot.  Wrap the Crockpot in a towel, let it sit for 8 hours.  Refrigerate.  Easy, you just have to be home.

Wrapped up tight for 8 hours.

The next morning I opened it up for a taste, hoping that it had firmed up a bit from the night before.  It hadn’t.  The taste was right, but the consistency was way too runny for my taste.  No problem, just hang it!  

Seriously thin.

To hang it you will need cheesecloth and a colander.  Line the colander with the cheesecloth.  Pour in yogurt, about 2 or 3 cups worth.  Tie up the corners and stick a spoon or other stick like object through the knots, and hang the yogurt on the colander.  Place the colander in the sink or a bowl.  Let it sit for 2 to 4 hours, until it is to the thickness desired.  Note- when you first hang it, it will look like you’re losing all your yogurt!  After a short while only the clearish liquid will come out.  I didn’t actually eat the hung yogurt, I used it to make frozen yogurt!  That post is next!

Yogurt hanging.

Try It:  

$3.99 for ½ gallon, or $.06/oz.

Buy It:

$3.99 for 32 oz, or $.12/oz

Verdict:

Try it!  Even if you hung it till you only had 32 oz left, it wouldn’t be more expensive than store bought, and it was very tasty.  If you are thinking “what in the world am I going to do with a ½ gallon of yogurt?”, then read on to the next post- Homemade frozen yogurt!