Homemade yogurt

Did you know you can make your own yogurt at home? I have been wanting to try this for quite some time now but it was just one of those things that kept getting pushed to the back burner. After discovering that I have a sensitivity to eggs, my morning breakfast routine was shot, so I resorted to eating yogurt and fruit every day for breakfast. The kind of yogurt I get can get expensive after a while. I buy all of my dairy organic and I also love Greek style yogurt because it's thick. Do you know how much organic Greek yogurt is? Over $7!!!! I only bought that one time before I decided it was time to make it on my own. Really I wasn't even getting what I really wanted anyway, which was a full fat yogurt. The only kind I can ever find in my grocery store is low fat or fat free. Low fat and fat free products are altered and usually have higher sugar and carb content to make up for the loss of fat.

To the internet I went for some yogurt recipes. Some used the stovetop and a thermometer but I don't have a thermometer and don't think I have the patience to stand at the stove that long. The recipe that I chose uses a crockpot and only takes about 10 minutes of hands on time. It really couldn't have been more simple. You need live active cultures to make yogurt. You can use a store bought yogurt the first time and then subsequent batches can be made with your own yogurt starter. Yay! Homemade full fat organic Greek style yogurt on the cheap without all that excess sugar! Go try it for yourself.


Ingredients
1/2 gallon of whole organic milk (or any milk that you prefer)
1 cup of plain yogurt of your choice (I used Oikos Organic Greek)

Directions
Pour milk into crockpot. Cover and heat on low for 2.5 hours. Do not let boil. Then turn off crockpot, unplug, and with the lid on, let sit for 3 hours. Next whisk in a cup of yogurt of your choice. Take out the insert and wrap with a bath towel. Place in a cold oven (not turned on) and let sit for 8-12 hours. I did mine for 8 because I was going to bed. Voila, the cultures have done their job and you have yogurt. If you prefer a thicker yogurt, use a coffee filter in a strainer and strain excess liquid away. If you want flavored yogurt or sweetened, mix in pureed fruit, stevia or honey. Pour finished product into desired container and store in refrigerator. I used glass mason jars.

Adapted from:  http://www.nourishingdays.com/2009/02/make-yogurt-in-your-crock-pot/