Making Homemade Yogurt

In an effort to get a healthier cleaner more probiotic filled product, we make our own yogurt.  It is a great way to get the kids involved in understanding they can make their own food instead of having to always depend on the final product coming from the grocery store.

Homemade Yogurt Recipe

Organic Milk

Probiotic Live Culture

The recipe does not contain specific amounts because you choose the amount of milk depending on the size of your yogurt container(s) and what the directions on the probiotic culture you choose tell you to use. 

I have a YoLife Yogurt Maker.  There are other methods to make yogurt.  I just chose the method that worked the best for my busy life with lots of kids.  With the electric yogurt maker, you can prepare the milk, fill your containers, and put them in the maker for 8-15 hours without having to worry about making sure the temperature stays consistent.

 

Gather your supplies: Organic milk, probiotic culture, pot to heat milk on the stove, food thermometer, yogurt maker, spoon, and jars. In a pot, heat milk on low heat while stirring. Turn off heat before milk reaches boiling point (at about 176˚F-185˚F).  Watch the thermometer as the temperature decreases. Allow the milk to cool until it is lukewarm (105˚F).  This process kills any bad bacteria that might be present.

Remove a small amount (about 1/2 cup) of milk from the pot.  Add the amount of probiotic culture that is on the directions of the culture package and stir well.  Then add the 1/2 cup of milk back to the rest of the milk and stir well.  The milk will now be activated.

Make sure your jars are sterile/clean, and place them in the yogurt maker.  The YoLife Yogurt Maker has two sizes of lids that cover the maker.  The maker comes with 7 small jars and a short lid.  It comes with a taller lid as well, so you can use your own jars of any size if you want to make more.  I often use quart jars with the taller lid. 

Pour the milk evenly into each of the jars in the yogurt maker.  Making yogurt is an easy process.  It does not take as much time as I would have thought!  It saves money and provides a more nutritional product than yogurt you buy commercially. My kids usually take part or do the whole process by themselves.

Place the lid on the yogurt maker and plug it in.  There is no temperature adjustment gage.  It will heat the milk to the correct temperature and keep it at that temperature until you unplug it.  

Leave it in the maker for 8-12 hours if you have used smaller jars and 12-15 hours if you used larger jars. 

*If you choose to add fruit to your cultured milk in the jars, be sure you have cooked the fruit thoroughly to a boiling point before adding it to the milk in your jars.  This is to make sure there is no bad bacteria developing as the beneficial probiotics are culturing. 

Yogurt, Fruit, & Granola

Breakfast, lunch, snack, light supper, or dessert, this combination will fit the bill!  It is simply yogurt, fruit, and granola.  We like to make our own yogurt and granola but you certainly can find great clean brands at most grocery stores.  We use plain yogurt.  Other variations have so much sugar that it is really counter productive to eat it!  Once you add the fresh fruit and granola, you have the added sweetened touch needed.  Yes, sometimes it takes getting used to a new taste but you will adjust and probably realize when eating the other later how sugary it really becomes!  If you need to,  add a little raw honey.  

Now is the perfect time of year to find fresh fruit at your local farmer's market!  You can even purchase ones such as blueberries and peaches and store them in your freezer for use later on in the year.  You will be glad you made the effort.