Yogurt

Yogurt is one of the easiest and healthiest cultured milk products you can make! The best part is, you don’t have to stop there; use it to make Greek yogurt and tangy cream cheese.

Yogurt Ingredients

• 1/2 gallon of whole milk (cow or goat milk both work, you can also substitute half and half for luscious thick yogurt)

• 1/4 cup of live-culture yogurt (store-bought or previously made) stirred up in a little room temp milk or freeze dried yogurt bacterial starter (amount specified on the packet)

To Make Yogurt

1. Heat milk to 180DF.



2. Allow milk to cool to 115DF- you can hurry this along by submerging the pot in a larger pot or sink filled with cool water. If you decide to simply wait, it takes about an hour.

3. Add the bacterial starter (or yogurt) and mix well.

4. Choose your fermentation method below and keep the milk warm (115DF) for at least 6 hrs. The mixture must set to the consistency of thick cream and smell pleasantly sour.

Keep the milk warm using an Instant Pot, yogurt maker, dehydrator or one of the low-tech fermentation methods below. The bacteria is reproducing in this time by eating the lactose or sugar in the milk. This is making the yogurt tart and thick. The acidity keeps it from spoiling. This is the magic of fermentation and natural milk preservation at work!

Choose from the list below for a fermentation method that works for you.

Fermentation Methods
All of these are flexible low-tech methods so the time might be up to 12 hrs. If you use a yogurt maker, follow the instructions included with it. 

1. Turn on your oven light but not the oven. Place the covered pot right by the bulb for 6-8 hours. 
2. Place the whole pot covered with a lid in a picnic cooler with a jar or two of very hot water (hot enough to steep tea).
3. Pour the hot milk mixture into a thermos and twist the lid on for 6-8 hrs.
4. Line a cardboard box with wool blankets or re-used styrofoam packaging slabs if you recently got stuck with some. Place jars of hot water as well as a jar of the hot milk in the box. Cover with the blanket and close the lid on the box.
   
   Set this up before bed and have fresh yogurt for breakfast (though it will be slightly warm, remember).Stored in the refrigerator in a clean container, yogurt keeps for at least a week, usually two.
   
   
   NOTE- Homemade yogurt can be thinner than store-bought yogurt. You can drain it for thickness, see Greek Yogurt instructions below.

For Greek Yogurt

1. Pour yogurt into a cheesecloth (or coffee filter) lined colander.
2. Allow the yogurt to drain at room temp for at least one hour, or until you like the texture. It does thicken a bit more when chilled. Keep the whey that drains for a probiotic boost in smoothies or popsicles! 
   
   Stored in refrigerator, Greek Yogurt will keep for at least a week, usually two.

For Yogurt Cream Cheese

1. Mix ½ tsp. of sea salt into your fresh yogurt.
2. Pour yogurt into a cheesecloth (or coffee filter) lined colander.
3. Allow the yogurt to drain at room temp for at least 4 hours, or until you like the texture. It does thicken a bit more when chilled. Keep the whey that drains for a probiotic boost in smoothies or popsicles! It has a touch of salt but it's good for you after exercise - I call it wheytorade.
4. Use the cream cheese as usual. On bagels, as a fruit dip, or use in desserts such as cheesecake!
   
   
   
   Stored in refrigerator, will keep for at least a week, usually two.
   
   

To go further and make cheese out of yogurt, follow our cheesemaking recipe here.

Yogurt Milk tips:

For tested milk brands, visit our Milk page on www.urbancheesecraft.com.

-Find Summer Hill brand pasteurized goat milk at Trader Joe’s, health-food stores and co-ops.

-Good quality cows’ milk can usually be found at co-ops and natural food markets but you can make yogurt out of any grocery store milk. Making yogurt is actually a great way to make ultra-pasteurized milk, more nutritious.