Homemade Yogurt

If you own a slow cooker and happen to have some plain yogurt hiding in the back of your fridge along with some milk, you're in luck! You can take the dwindling remains of your yogurt and multiply it into a fresh batch of plain yogurt to be further changed into Greek yogurt, sour cream or a variation of cream cheese (aka Yo-cheese). The health benefits are substantial and the ways to use homemade yogurt are only limited by your lack of imagination.

The process alone is so easy and only takes up three chunks of time throughout the day (2 1/2 hours, 3 hours, 8 hours). I love being able to eliminate two items off my monthly grocery list - sour cream AND yogurt. My brood loves yogurt and typically consumes about 12-24 ounces a day. I could easily spend more than $20/month on flavored yogurt, so it's a blessing that I can make it from scratch for a fraction of the price and still have yummy flavored yogurt.

What You Will Need

8 C. (half-gallon) of whole milk or 2%- pasteurized and homogenized is fine, but do NOT use ultra-pasteurized.
1/2 C. store-bought natural, live/active culture plain yogurt (you need to have a starter. Once you have made your own, you can use that as a starter.)
1/2 C. powdered milk
Thick towel
Slow cooker

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1Pour milk into slow cooker

Pour 8 C. milk into the slow cooker and heat on low setting for 2 1/2 hours.

Step 2Unplug slow cooker

Unplug the slow cooker, leave the cover on, and let sit for 3 hours.

Step 3After 3 hours have passed

After 3 hours have passed, scoop out 2 C. of the warm milk and pour into a bowl. Whisk in 1/2 C. live/active culture plain yogurt along with the 1/2 C. powdered milk. After combined, dump back into the crockpot and stir to combine with the rest of the milk.

Step 4Wrap with towel

Replace lid (leaving unplugged!) and wrap a heavy bath towel all the way around the slow cooker for insulation. Let set for 8 hours.

Step 5Strain out whey

To make either Greek yogurt or Yo-cheese, pour the finished yogurt into a strainer lined with cheese cloth or a thin linen napkin/towel that is placed over a large bowel to catch the whey. Place inside the refrigerator until enough whey has been strained off to reach the consistency you desire.

Step 6Blend with flavors

Blend with your favorite fruit flavors for fruit yogurts or add spices to your Yo-cheese and spread on crackers for a yummy snack.

Step 7Store in refrigerator

Store in containers in the refrigerator for 7-10 days. Set aside 1/2 C. in a separate container to use as your starter for your next batch of yogurt.

Tag - yogurt

Homemade Yogurt

What You Will Need

Step-by-Step Instructions