I got this recipe from a dear girlfriend about 2 1/2 years ago. I was expressing my dissatisfaction with my own homemade yogurt method, it was not as thick as I wanted and was "lacking". She showed me hers and gave me a taster and I was sold! It is so simple to do! I use raw organic grass fed milk (because that is what we drink) and Stonyfield Farm Organic Plain Yogurt for my starter on my first batch. I have doubled her recipe, because our family is bigger. So if your crock pot is too small or you only want to make a quart, and a starter, just cut the recipe in half. The crock pot is never plugged in.1/2 gallon milk
1/2 pint (1 Cup) of plain yogurt
- Prepare a crockpot filled about 2/3 way full of water that is a little hotter than 110F (use a candy thermometer) and cover to keep warm. (I use 6C in my 5qrt crock)
- Heat milk gently on the stove to reach 160F (use a candy thermometer).
- Let cool to 110F (any hotter and it could kill your culture)
- Add 1C yogurt and mix.
- Pour into 2 Qrt jars and 1 pint jar and put a lid on them.
- Test your water in the crock to see if it is at 110. That is the ideal temp. Add a little cool or hot to reach ideal temp quickly if needed. Put all three jars in the crock.
- Put the crock lid on and insulate the top with a heavy bath towel covering the crock completely. (I like to use two towels....just to be sure.) :-)
- Let sit (UNPLUGGED!) overnight or 12-24 hours.
- Keep the pint jar set aside in the fridge to use as your starter for the next batch of yogurt, enjoy the others!
**You can also do this method using a small insulated cooler instead of a crockpot if you would rather. :-)
oh that looks great, real thick. Do you have milkers?
ReplyDeleteWe have been without raw milk for way too long. :(
We don't have milkers yet. We have Amish nieghbors that sell us theirs for a song...so a milk cow keeps getting bumped down the homestead list since they are "high maintanace" and we have such great nighbors! :-) We really enjoy our freedoms. :-)
ReplyDeleteY-E-A-H... jealous I am, :D!
ReplyDeleteI really like cows. Our Amish friend (Leroy Miller, would be our "breeder/dealer"-I think you might know him) was delightfully surprised to find that I was the one wanting a cow. But Brody ends up leaning more towards goats. That and I am fairly sure he is secretly waiting for the children to age a bit before adding to my duties.
Hope you are having a productive prep day and may your Shabbat be full of His Shalom!
Ah yes, I know Leroy well. :-) We were his best customers, as was the co-op I ran. We also worked together with PASA to form the Rw Milk Committee in PA.. Good times. :-) He would be a wonderful resource! (He makes the best cottage cheese too!) He likes to call me paMELa. (Accent in the middle.) :-)
ReplyDeleteLOL...know the accent. His cottage cheese is by far the best! I have tried making it myself with just ok results. When Brody would go back up to do work he would stop by the Miller's and stock up.
ReplyDeleteI linked to this post this morning which is why i stumbled back here. I didn't think you would mind. :D