There are many sites that teach you how to make your own yogurt at home. I have been doing so for a couple of years and have LOVED it. I love having control on the ingredients that are added because store bought yogurt often has way too much sugar, artificial sugars/flavors/colors, or even the dreaded high fructose corn syrup. The method I use in a combination of 2 different methods- crock pot and oven methods-- it is easier for me to do.
Homemade Yogurt
Ingredients: Whole milk and a little bit of yogurt starter.
In a crock pot add whole milk-- measure how much you use. I use 12 cups of milk and fills my crock pot. How much milk you use will depend on how big your crock pot is. Make sure it is at least half full. Heat on high for 3 hours (many sites say to heat on low but that doesn't work for me). Unplug the crock pot and time for 3 hours. At this point (6 hours after starting), add the yogurt starter. One Tablespoon per cup of milk. So for my 12 cups of milk, I add 12 Tablespoons of yogurt (which is the same as 3/4 cup). For your yogurt starter, pick a plain yogurt that is just milk and the necessary bacteria to make yogurt. No additional ingredients. It may be written as cultured milk. They usually tell you which active live cultures ( healthy bacteria) it contains. Most have 5 different live cultures some have 2. I have used "Wallaby Organic" plain, "Dannon Oikos" plain and some other brands with good success. Mix it in gradually. I do this by putting the yogurt starter in a bowl and slowly adding the warm milk and mixing with a hand whisk. I keep adding a few more large spoons of warm milk and mixing between each addition. After mixing it with 2-4 cups of the warm milk, I add it to the crock pot full of warm milk. I mix it gently but well in the crock pot. I then take the crock pot out and put it into a cold oven and turn on the light. I have a very small European size oven. The light produces a bit too much heat so I put a couple hot pads in the door to vent the oven just a bit. Regular size ovens do not need the hot pads in the door. The light provides just enough heat to allow the live cultures to grow. It takes about 12-24 hours. I have never reached the 24 hour mark. I usually keep it in the oven for about 18 hours. I start the process in the morning and by the time I am awake the next morning (between 6-7am) it is nice and thick and ready to be put in the fridge. After chilling, eat it how ever you want! Our favorites is using it in smoothies ( in a blender combine: 1/2-1 cup yogurt, a handful of frozen fruit, a squeeze of honey, & big handful of fresh baby spinach. If needed for little ones, I make a small batch and add their whole food supplements pre-smashed that they are needing-- the easiest way to get them to take them!), replacing the plain yogurt in recipes calling for sour cream, or adding fresh fruit and honey. The possibilities are endless! My little 3 yr old likes it lemon flavored (natural lemon flavoring or Lemon E.O. with honey to sweeten. Make it "greek" style by straining the yogurt using a coffee filter lined strainer. The whey is strained out leaving a creamier and thicker consistency. Remember to place strainer in a bowl to catch the whey!
One thing I have done a couple of times to get the texture to resemble more like store bought yogurt is to add unflavored gelatin. Be careful how you add it or you will end up with clear gelatin globs. Add it with the yogurt starter, then add the warm milk mixing VERY well.
Let me know if you have any questions!
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