Homemade Homestead Yogurt Recipe from 'Brown Eggs and Jam Jars'
Photo: Tim and Angela Chin
From Yahoo Food’s Cookbook of the Week: Brown Eggs and Jam Jars
Homestead Homemade Yogurt
Makes 8 cups (2L)
Gadgets and gizmos for making yogurt at home abound, but really all you need is a pot and a few jars. We always had homemade yogurt when I was young, and I can remember marveling at how the milk set up each time. Now, years later, this little science experience still gives me a thrill.
I’ve listed two perfected methods for incubating the yogurt, the first used by me, and the second by my elder sister, Haidi. Both use everyday items from the home. You will discover the best way to keep your jars warm.
8 cups (2 L) organic 2% milk
½ cup (125 mL) good-quality plain full-fat organic yogurt
In a large pot, slowly heat the milk to exactly 180 F, stirring occasionally. Turn off heat and allow milk to cool to exactly 110 F. As the milk is cooling, measure the yogurt into a bowl to allow it to warm up a little; this is known as your “starter.” Wash two 1-quart (1 L) mason jars and lids and fill with hot tap water.
Prepare your method of incubation. You can use a camping cooler or a laundry basket to hold the jars. Try a heating pad set to low and tucked in and around the jars. Alternatively, a quilt or a warm blanket and several quarts of hot water (120 F) set around the jars of yogurt will help maintain the heat during the incubation process.
Gently stir a ladleful of cooled milk into the yogurt starter. Now pour the starter into the pot of milk and gently stir again. Empty the jars of hot water, fit a wide-mouth funnel in to the top of one and ladle the milk into the jar.
Wipe the rims of the jars clean, screw on the lids and place jars in your incubator. Keep warm for 6 hours using one of the methods suggested in step
After 6 hours, check the yogurt by tilting the jar slightly to the side. It should be set and thick, if it still seems thin when you tilt the jars, leave for a couple more hours. The cooler the temperature of the incubator, the longer the yogurt will take to set, which will also produce a tarter flavor. When ready, refrigerate jars.
Kitchen Tip: To make a thicker, Greek-style yogurt, tip the finished yogurt into a colander lined with a cheesecloth. Place in the refrigerator and strain for a few hours. Use the whey (the liquid you have strained off) to replace buttermilk in Buckwheat Buttermilk Pancakes.
Storage: This yogurt will keep in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Know your yogurt:
