Yesterday I made a large batch of yogurt, something I haven’t done in a while. I had forgotten how extremely easy it is to make, and it’s about a third of the price of the least expensive store yogurt! I made a very large recipe of 1.5 gallons (24 cups), but the recipe below is for a more moderate amount.
Homemade Yogurt
- 2 c. milk
- 2 T. yogurt to use as bacterial starter (look for any plain yogurt at the store that says it has bacteria in it – eg. acidophilus- you can get the smallest cup size sold)
I used organic whole milk, but you can use any kind of milk you want. Put the milk in a pot, and heat it until almost boiling, 180 degrees. I have a candy thermometer for this, which eliminates the guesswork. Once it reaches that heat, turn off the heat and let it cool down to between 105 and 110 degrees.
Stir in the yogurt. Don’t let the temperature go below 105 degrees before you pour into a jar, then cover the jar with a lid. Now put the jar somewhere warm where it can incubate overnight. An oven set to 100 degrees is perfect, but you can also put the jar into a picnic cooler. If you’re using a cooler, line it with a towel, put the jar in, and cover it with a towel. Some people put a heating pad set on low on top of the towel, or a hot water bottle, to keep the temperature constant, but if you make several jars of yogurt, then the heat from the jars will keep all of them warm without anything extra. It should be ready within eight to twelve hours.
I did a couple of things that made the process even easier. First of all, I left the yogurt to incubate in the covered pot I heated it in. Then I removed the trays from my dehydrator and put the entire pot inside (set at 100 degrees). And that was all we had to do, except eat large quantities of it for breakfast. 🙂
You can add flavorings if you like. This morning I had mine with some fruit spread that I canned a while back, and it reminded me of a healthy version of the yogurt cups with fruit at the bottom when mixed together.
Avivah
Are you now using your dehydrator for more than pareve uses or did you get another?
If the yogurt is covered, I don’t think the dehydrator can change gender. Even uncovered, at 100 degrees, I’m not sure that is the case.
Avivah can let us in on the halacha.
I like that “change gender”. Many people use the dehydrator for both genders, as you will, interchangeably, without any issue because of the low temp. However, I knew from an earlier post that Avivah, was not comfortable with this. For some reason, I missed the part about covering it with a towel.
Dina, I just added a couple of words to clarify the instructions. The jar/pot has to be covered with a lid and then put inside something else to incubate. In the cooler, the towels all around it help hold the heat it.
I’m still keeping it pareve; a covered pot at such a low temp doesn’t change its status.
This was a timely post. I have been wanting to make yogurt for a while. I even have a tiny machine that does the incubating once the milk is heated. We all love yogurt here but the price of cy yogurt is prohibitive. I’m sure I can save money making it myself from cy milk. I’ll let you know how it turns out.
Avivah, thank you for the recipe! I just made a really great batch and we are licking our bowls clean. 🙂
It’s almost impossible to find Chalav Yisrael yogurt that is full-fat and does not contain strange added ingredients, and like Shoshana pointed out, it tends to be very expensive too.
Your recipe was clear and simple!
I used a mason jar and put it in my dairy countertop oven, set at about 100 degrees, for about 9 hours. I like that it is less tangy and creamier than the lowfat Mehadrin we usually buy.
PS. sorry about the dollar sign avatar, my husband writes a stock info blog and i can’t figure out how to log out. 🙂
I’m so glad it worked out, Devory – thanks for letting me know!
So I can just put the pot into a towel-lined cooler? I was trying to find enough jars to support our yogurt habit! 😛
Yes, Wendy, it’s really that simple! Just make sure to wrap the pot well to keep the heat in.
>>Seriously, I feel like if I can make yogurt, cheese must be do-able. I’m gobsmacked by how simple it is, although this time, I had a half inch of really thick (almost ricotta-like) stuff at the bottom of the pot. Any insights?<<
(Wendy, I moved your above comment here from where it was posted.)
Yes, it really is amazing how simple so many of these things are that we assume must be complicated until we do it! I'm not sure why you had the result you did – ask yourself what you did differently this time from the last time – eg – use more/less starter, stir it more/less, etc – and you should be able to work it out.
Have you tried it with coconut milk? Does it work with a parve milk substitute like that?
I’m glad you made it to the conference and now I have a face to put with your name! I’ve never tried it with coconut milk; a few other people have asked me about this but I haven’t found the time or motivation to experiment.