How to Make Delicious Yogurt Without a Yogurt Maker

Homemade yogurt is simply delicious! It has no added sugar, is an amazing probiotic, and is very inexpensive and simple to make.
Yogurt is made by adding live cultures, or good bacteria, to milk and allowing them to grow. Bacteria may sound gross, but good bacteria live in our body's digestive tract. The good bacteria in yogurt contains probiotics , or living microorganisms, which are necessary for good gut health.
There are many health benefits to eating yogurt. The good bacteria in yogurt can help strengthen the immune system. These live cultures also break down lactose, which allows most people who are lactose intolerant to be able to eat yogurt without uncomfortable problems. Yogurt is high in calcium, vitamins and protein.
When making yogurt I prefer to use raw milk, but store-bought milk works great also. I make yogurt year round, even when the cows are dried up. Heating the milk to 180 degrees kills any bad bacteria in the milk. I like to hold the milk at 180 for 30 minutes which makes a thicker end product, then cool it to 110 or below. At that point the good bacteria, or live culture, is added back in. I save a start from each batch of yogurt that I make to use next time. The yogurt is then put in a warm cooler and the culture is allowed to grow undisturbed for around 6 hours, or until the desired thickness is achieved. Then the yogurt is refrigerated to stop the fermentation process.
If you need a start, or live culture, my favorite are Fage or Chobani greek plain yogurt. As you make your first batch you will save a jar of yogurt for "the start" of your next batch. As long as you make yogurt regularly and do not contaminate the start you can use your own start indefinitely. If you find you are not getting the same end product as in the beginning, then it's time for a new start.
Yogurt making is really a simple process, with great results. I hope your family enjoys this yogurt as much as we do! Happy yogurt making.
Here are a few of our favorite toppings:
- a spoonful of freezer jam (strawberry, raspberry, blackberry)
- A bit of honey if you like a sweeter taste
- fresh berries or fruit in the summer and fall
Here are links to some of the products we use in this video. These are our affiliate links, which means that at no extra cost to you, we earn a small % for items purchased. Thanks for your support!
Polder Digital Thermometer - amzn.to/2DJTIP8
Clear Mexican Vanilla - amzn.to/2X2846a
Yogurt Maker (similar) - amzn.to/2EbXaU6
1/2 pint mason jars - amzn.to/2tmdUl6
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[@menolly2218]

Hi! How much starter for half a gallon of milk? I noticed your starter jar wasn't full. 🤔

[@joansmith7475]

Does the water stay at the correct temp the whole time in the cooler? Or does it cool down?

[@TractorsandTireSwings]

It cools some, but stays pretty close during that time.

[@joansmith7475]

TY @@TractorsandTireSwings