Recipe: Homemade Yogurt

Ingredients

1 quart milk — whole or 2% are best, preferably organic
2-3 Tbsp commercial yogurt containing active cultures

Preheat the oven to it’s lowest setting, or on warm. Ideally the yogurt will be sitting in a 110 degree environment.

Heat the milk. Pour the milk into the Dutch oven and set over medium to medium-high heat. Warm the milk to right below boiling, about 200°F. Stir the milk gently as it heats to make sure the bottom doesn’t scorch and the milk doesn’t boil over.

Cool the milk. Let the milk cool until it is just warm to the touch, 112°F to 115°F. Stir occasionally to prevent a skin from forming.

Thin the yogurt with milk. Scoop out about a cup of warm milk with a measuring cup and add the yogurt. Whisk until smooth and the yogurt is dissolved in the milk.

Whisk the thinned yogurt into the milk. Pour the thinned yogurt into the warm milk while whisking gently.

Turn off the oven. Transfer the pot to the (turned-off) oven. Cover the Dutch oven with the lid and place the whole pot in a turned-off oven — turn on the oven light or wrap the pot in towels to keep the milk warm as it sets.

Wait for the yogurt to set. Let the yogurt set for at least 4 hours or as long as overnight — the exact time will depend on the cultures used, the temperature of the yogurt, and your yogurt preferences. The longer yogurt sits, the thicker and more tart it becomes.

Cool the yogurt. Once the yogurt has set to your liking, remove it from the oven. If you see any watery whey on the surface of the yogurt, you can either drain this off or whisk it back into the yogurt before transferring to containers. Whisking also gives the yogurt a more consistent creamy texture. Transfer the to storage containers, cover, and refrigerate. Homemade yogurt will keep for about 2 weeks in the refrigerator.  Don’t forget to save a few tablespoons to get your next batch going!