Yogurt Recipe

Thank you for asking for this, Chantele!

May it bless all in the highest and best way for the highest and best good of ALL!

We follow this simple method for creating yogurt for our family. We use raw milk and we started with yogurt that was being sold at a local natural food store.

Yogurt Recipe

1 Gallon of Raw Milk (or less according to your needs)
1 cup of Yogurt with as many beneficial cultures as possible. (look for labels that say "live culture".

1) Pour your milk in a large pot, we choose to use one large enough for a whole gallon because we eat the yogurt as well as add it to smoothies.

2) Put the milk on medium-low and warm until about 110° F. To do this, you need to take it off the stove at about 100° F. It is okay if the temperature gets a bit higher, you will simply have less than raw yogurt :)

3)This next step you have to play it by ear and wait for the yogurt to go down in temperature until you can put your finger in it for 10 sec and you can tolerate it.

4) Take 3 cups of the milk into a separate bowl and thoroughly mix about a cup of the yogurt in until the yogurt is incorporated. The mixture can be added back to the rest of the milk and stir. It is best to use a wooden spoon for these steps.

5) Cover the pot with a damp fluffy towel and incubate for 6-8 hrs. (see below for some incubation options). After this time, check to see how it is going by gently tipping the pot to see if any milk runs out. If so, let it go for more time. If it has thickened, place in the refrigerator.

Incubation Methods:
1) Use a commercial yogurt maker.

2) I have heard some put the yogurt in their oven with the light on (the light helps keep the correct temp). I cannot have the light on in my oven without keeping the door open (which lets the heat out), so this method does not work for me.

3) Cooler/water method: Use a small cooler with the lid removed, a larger cooler that will hold a quart jar, or a large pot (6 qt.). Place the cooler or pot in a place where it will be undisturbed. Place the jar with the yogurt milk in the cooler. Now fill the cooler with water that is 120°. Place a couple of fluffy towels over the cooler or pot and leave it undisturbed for about 6-8 hours. To check and see if the yogurt is done, tip the jar slightly and see if the milk flows or stays put. Remember that the yogurt will thicken even more as it cools in the fridge. If you see clear whey when you tilt the jar, the yogurt is as done as it's going to get, but you don't necessarily have to see the whey for the yogurt to be done. (have I confused you yet?)

4) Cooler/heating pad method (I figured this out one day and it works really well): Use a larger cooler. Place the cooler in a place where it will be undisturbed. Place the jar with the yogurt milk in the cooler. Place a heating pad over the jar (loosely). Set the pad on high (my pad needs to be set on high, yours may differ) and place the lid on the cooler. Leave it undisturbed for about 6-8 hours. Please note, that since all heating pads are different, yours may not be best set on high. The first time you use this method, put a thermometer in the cooler to see what the pad is heating the inside of the cooler up to. You want it to be at least 110 degrees and not more than 120

5) If your stove has a Warming area, keep the pot here on the low setting.


ENJOY!