Make your own Yogurt

Have you noticed lately how expensive things have become? From grocery items to clothing, it seems everything is so expensive.  Foods in general have gone up quite a bit these last few years.  I remember getting a tub of yogurt for under two dollars, well not anymore, they are well over three dollars.  I've seen some of my family members attempt at making yogurt and I was immediately turned off by the idea as they used raw milk (I am only turned off of that because of the 'smell' of it, I would love to have 'real unpasteurized milk as it contains all the benefits of milk, unlike our homogenized, ultra-pasteurized crap)
It also called for bacteria cultures, not sure where she got these but it was 'hush-hush', almost seemed like an illegal bacteria trade...good grief...it couldn't be this hard could it??

Well along came hubby to the rescue...he told me one day, "why don't we just make yogurt? It is cheaper and better for you." I immediately said, "no way" as I recalled the scary bacteria acquisition involved.
He thought I was silly, and said that all we need is fresh milk and some plain yogurt.  Hmm well now I was intrigued...no questionable bacteria required?  I had to try this out!

This was probably about six years ago, and ever since then we have been making yogurt - well ok, not ALL the time, as I kind of wimp out and get lazy on occasion (slaps self silly)  but lately as the 'big boy' (my soon-to-be three year old son) and baby girl (my almost 11 month old girl) are eating yogurt everyday, I figure I should get on this and make it ALL THE TIME!

So here is the very simple, no creepy bacteria required!
I use a glass pot to boil the milk and cream

so...here it is...

 

 

 

 

3 simple ingredients

1 bag of 2% or 3.25% milk (its about 1.3L) don't worry about it being exact
1 cup cream (I use 10% cream)
1/2 cup yogurt (try and use whole yogurt not 1 % or fat free types)
  - take out the yogurt from the fridge so it warms up a bit

Just before it boils

Bring the milk and cream to a slow boil, turning it off just before it boils, the milk will look a bit bubbly.
You have to let the milk mixture cool down to about 80deg C ...basically if you put your finger in it will be hot but not scalding. Mix in the yogurt, stir well.  Put the top of your pot on and place in a corner of the kitchen or wherever you have space. Here is the special part...you have to wrap up the pot in some thing that will keep the heat for the 12 hours that it will 'incubate'.  I just use a blanket to wrap up the pot and keep it outside for about 12 hours and then voila you have yogurt!

Yummy fresh yogurt!

From one bag of milk (about 1.5L) I get 1000ml of yogurt (well about) so if you think about it in the stores I am paying almost $4 for 750ml of yogurt ...this way it comes to about $2 for more than what you can get in the stores.  Best of all you know what is in the yogurt and if you like you can use organic milk and guess what you will then have organic yogurt!!

Hope you all enjoy your yogurt

Next I'm going to make a fruity-yogurt drink for the big boy...he will never know that I am making it as I am sneaky and put it into one of his old yogurt-drink bottles.

The original...my version coming soon!