Easy Homemade Vanilla Yogurt

 

What you will need:

• 1/2 gallon of whole milk (do not use Ultra pasteurized)
• Thermometer
• 3-6 Tablespoons Sugar
• 1-1/2 Tablespoons Vanilla extract
• 1/2 Cup yogurt with live active cultures OR yogurt starter package
• 5 pint sized mason jars
• lids & rings for the mason jars
• Crock pot



1. Heat the milk to 185 degrees.

2. Remove the milk from heat and stir in the sugar and vanilla.

3. Cool the milk mixture to 115 degrees.  This can take a little time, to speed things up you can do a rapid cool by setting the stockpot of milk in the sink with cool water.  To do this you have to stir it constantly and monitor the temperature.

4. Have 1/2 cup of yogurt starter a larger measuring cup so that you can add a little milk mixture to it and stir it before adding to the stockpot.

5. Add milk/yogurt mixture to the stockpot, STIR GENTLY.

6. Pour the milk mixture into pint canning jars.

 

7. Wipe the rims of the canning jars to make sure they are clean and dry.
8. Finger tighten the lids on the jars.

 

9. Place the jars in your crockpot with hot water.
10. Adjust the temperature of the water until it reads 115 degrees on the thermometer.

*** This is where I watch the temperature of the water bath with the thermometer for three hours.  It stays pretty consistent, but it pays to check on it.

11. Let it culture for 3-4 hours, the consistency is set, but loose at this point.  The longer a yogurt cultures the more tang it has, and the thicker it will become.  3-4 hours makes a sweeter yogurt which our family likes.

12. Remove jars from crockpot and refrigerate immediately. Refrigerate until cold.  Don't be tempted to eat it until its cold, this sets the yogurt.

****For flavored yogurt: Mix in your favorite jams or fruits when you get ready to eat it.
There are a lot of expensive yogurt makers out there, I'm pretty cheap and decided to make my crockpot work for me.

****The yogurt will be good for one week. After that feed it to the chickens, or compost it!