How to Make the Best Yogurt Ever, for $3 a Gallon

Really? Yes.
That last piddly 2 tablespoons of your favorite store-bought yogurt is good for something after all!



First: cleanliness is paramount in this operation.  Pot, utensils, hands, towel need to be freshly washed and free of dust or grease.

Then: Buy a good gallon of whole milk.  (Or 2% or Skim if you must. Your discipline is admirable.)

And: Reserve a tiny bit of the most beloved plain yogurt you enjoy.

Heat the milk to above 180.  Simmering is not necessary, sterilizing is, and denaturing the protein also. You will need to stir the milk almost continually to avoid scorching.  But, you can shorten your active time spent doing this by: using a heavy pot, placing the cold milk in the pot, covering it, and heating it on a tiny flame for 30-60 minutes. Milk warmed gently this way will go pretty fast to 180 on high heat with constant stirring.

Hot Milk. Trust me on this.

Remove 2 oz or so and let it cool in a clean measuring cup.  When it reaches room temp, add that 2T of good quality yogurt and mix to make a pourable starter.

Let the milk cool to 120 or slightly cooler.  Taking a temp with a probe thermometer is best, but remember that cleanliness is essential so sanitize that thing before using.  110-120 is the range where the cultures do best.  Find a place in your kitchen where the pot can remain undisturbed for 12-24 hours and hold in that temp range.  An oven with the light left on inside it is usually a good place.  Don't despair if this warm spot isn't exactly 110 degrees or warmer.  I have left the pot on the table on a warm day when room temp was in the 80s and still had a good result.

As the milk cools, a skin will form on it.  With a clean paring knife, poke a little hole in the center of the skin (or find the hole your probe thermometer made) and pour in your starter.  Put a clean towel over the pot and move it to your incubator.

Wait. The milk will appear to solidify when the culture has taken hold, but full flavor may take a few hours longer.  My first batches were good (even with a tiny amount of pan-scorching) at 16 hours, but now I go a full 24.  My family likes it sour!

Ready and set...

If you like, peel up a corner of the now thickened skin on the yogurt and take a little taste.  Cover and return to incubator if you want more oomph.








When the yogurt is ready, use a wide shallow spoon to remove ALL of the skin from the top, which is essentially the barrier between unwanted pathogens and your creamy treasure.  Throw out the skin, then use another clean utensil to scoop it into jars.

Now go! Skin it well.

If you like your yogurt super smooth, stir it thoroughly before packaging.

At this point, you could be stirring in jam, maple syrup, macerated fruit, cocoa, brown sugar, salt, instant coffee, unsweetened cooked fruit puree, honey or anything else you like.  

Be sure to cover and chill the yogurt as soon as possible to ensure good quality. You may be surprised how fast one can go through a gallon of this stuff.  

Example: The Spouse and I were entertaining a family of four with young children.  We put out House Yogurt and Wild Honey as a treat for the kids (aged 2 thru 6) to supplement dinner.  The kids started shoveling it down at such a pace that the adults wanted to taste it, and then we all had a cup of it as the finish to the meal.  Ice cream remained in the freezer the entire night without a mention. One quart down.

To your health!