Why is this yogurt smiling?
Because we made it!
I'm not gonna lie, I don't love yogurt, but the kids eat a
TON of it. Therefore, I spend an awful lot of time agonizing over ingredient lists while grocery shopping. Like most kid-centric dairy, there is an unnecessary amount of dyes/flavors/sweeteners in yogurt. When my kids were just starting out on yogurt, our readily available whole milk yogurt choices were from national brands. I used to buy a pint of the best vanilla I could get my hands on and a pint of plain, and mix the two together. Then I just started adding honey to plain. Still not satisfied with the choices, I am taking the logical next step, and making my own.
There are thousands of yogurt recipes on the inter web, here's mine:
YOU WILL NEED
1 small container of plain yogurt with active live cultures to use as a starter
1 Two quart saucepan
1 Thermometer with a range of 110-140 degrees F. A meat thermometer will do.
1/4 Cup real maple syrup (optional)
6 Cups of the best quality whole milk you can get your hands on
Common drink cooler large enough to fit the container you will be storing the yogurt in
PREPARE THE EQUIPMENT
Heat 3-4 quarts of water on the stove. Temperature isn't crucial, as long as its above 120 degrees. If the water starts to boil turn the heat way down, you won't need it for a little while.
Glass jars are recommended for culturing and storing the prepared yogurt. I didn't have any on hand, so I made and stored our yogurt in a 2 quart saucepan. If you are using glass, sterilize it first. Either boil it in water for 5 minutes (similar to canning) or use jars fresh from the dishwasher.
Make sure that your cooler is spick and span. I rarely use bleach, but I make an exception when I'm culturing yogurt in a borrow cooler.
MAKE THE MAPLE FLAVORING (optional)
We are maple crazy, so I am using syrup from down the road to flavor our milk from across the street. Initial yogurt batches have been on the runny side. To keep things nice and firm I am reducing the syrup to a caramel consistency to eliminate as much water as possible. A small sautee pan does the trick. Bring the syrup to a very gentle boil for 8-10 minutes. Keep the heat lower than seems necessary and stir frequently. Burned syrup isn't the flavor profile we're going for.
When you can push the syrup around the pan and it holds its shape for a few seconds, remove it from the heat and allow it to cool a bit.
WARM THE MILK
Heat the milk. We started with refrigerated whole, raw milk. Slowly heat the milk to 180 degrees fahrenheit. For the best flavor results, do not allow the milk to boil. Remove it from the heat and...
...mix in the maple syrup. If its too sticky to pour, warm it up a bit. Mix the syrup completely into the milk. Then place the hot mixture in a cool water bath. I filled the sink with enough cool water to submerge 2/3 of the saucepan. Allow the milk to cool to 120 degrees F. Stirring prevents a skin from forming on the top of the milk as it cools and, helps it to cool consistently, faster.
When the milk reaches 120 degrees it is time to add the yogurt. For a super smooth consistency, mix the entire cup of yogurt with about 1/2 cup of the milk mixture in a small bowl. Whisk until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Pour the yogurt mixture into the warm milk. Whisk until thoroughly combined. Small lumps of the starter yogurt are easily mixed in after the yogurt is finished.
Transfer the mixture to the container you will be storing the yogurt in. I am using the same sauce pan I made it in.
A WORD ABOUT STARTER YOGURT
Select a yogurt with LIVE ACTIVE CULTURES printed on the ingredients list. Though all cultures aren't created equal, be prepared for some trial and error. My first batch was made with
Brown Cow Cream Top Plain Yogurt. The result was very loose, the consistency of buttermilk. It was tasty and smelled terrific, but not the look I'm going for. The batch before you, was made with
Stoneyfield Greek Style Plain Yogurt, resulting in a much firmer set. When you're happy with the end result, save 1 cup of homemade yogurt to use as the starter on your next batch.
WARM WATER BATH
The beauty of this technique is that its cultured in a
drink cooler. No worrying about oven temperature, or leaving something on a countertop overnight. I have
cultured dairy before, and this is the easiest way I've seen. Fill a cooler large enough to fit the container you are making the yogurt in with enough 120 degree water so that the yogurt container is about 2/3 submerged. I find the quickest way to get 120 degree water is to combine the heated water on the stove with cool tap water, check the temperature between additions. Be sure to swish the water around before measuring temperature. Water too warm can kill your live cultures.
Close the lid. Wait 3 hours.
3 HOURS LATER
Break out the
granola and berries, we've got yogurt!
