Homemade YOGURT

***Update: I changed up how I make my yogurt. It's so much quicker and results in a thicker consistency. If you want to make yogurt at home quickly and have the attention to babysit it in the beginning follow these instructions. Below I have how I used to make it in my crock pot.

Ingredients:
1/2 gallon milk (any percentage will work)
1/2c. Plain yogurt (I always freeze a half cup from my previous batch. The 1st time I made yogurt I used Dannon)

Instructions:
-Pour milk into a large stock pot.
-Over low heat, scald the milk, stirring occasionally & removing any skin that forms. {Scalding milk is to bring just before boiling. Several ways to know your milk is scalded. Temperature should be around 185, milk smells sweet, & the top get frothy} Stay close to kitchen during this process. You do NOT want it to even simmer & the bottom will burn if you do not stir, scraping the bottom!
-Once the milk is scalded, turn off the heat and bring the temperature down to 115.
-Once milk is at 115 degrees add the 1/2 c. plain yogurt.
-Put a tight fighting lid on pot and wrap in several kitchen towels. {Keep it wrapped. No peeking!! I put my pan in a Pyrex travel case w/ the hot pack heated up! I also recently got a heat pad that I put underneath}
-Let sit on the counter for 8 hours.
-After 8 hours. Remove towel and stir yogurt. Place in refrigerator overnight. If whey forms just stir into yogurt. It's normal for it to do that.
-The next morning: Reserve 1/2c. for your next batch of yogurt. You can freeze this! This way you won't need the Dannon next time.
-I wanted Greek style yogurt so I strained mine in cheese cloth over a colander. Do this in the morning after its sat in fridge over night. This process is quick, about 20 minutes. You can let it sit longer or shorter depending on the consistency you'd like.
-Now is when you can add flavors!!! I've tried several different ways. Ken & I like it w/ just honey. Miss Mae likes it w/ a strawberry or blueberry sauce.

Scalding milk

Showing how I wrapped it during incubation. The blue on the bottom is the heat pad it was on low for the first 5 hours. After  this picture I zipped up the carrying case and put 2 more towels on top.

My breakfast the next morning: Homemade yogurt, homemade blueberry sauce, homemade granola :)

As you all know my Sweet Pea won't drink milk! Because it's so important for lil ones to get fat, calcium and all the other vitamins and minerals in milk, her doctor recommended giving her cheese and yogurt often to make up for milk servings. Luckily, MaeMae loves cheese and yogurt. But do you know how hard it is to find full fat (Vitamin D) yogurt? I've shopped at 4 different stores and only 1 brand was available-Stonyfield. It's actually a great yogurt, organic, Vitamin D, made especially for babies, but it's pricey! I was paying $2.44 for 4- 4oz. packages. {$2.44 for 2 cups}
As I was searching the web one day I found a blog from someone that make their own yogurt. I thought "AWESOME"! But as I read more it was done w a special yogurt maker that cost around $25-$30. After more research I found several different recipes for homemade yogurt WITH OUT the special yogurt maker. I decided to use my crock pot but keep in mind it's a process- it took all day!!! And so here is what I did:

1/2 gal. Organic, Vitamin D milk
1/2 c. Dannon PLAIN yogurt
-Turn crock pot on HIGH. Add milk. Scald milk. This took my crock pot 2hrs and 40min. {Scalding milk is to bring just before boiling. Several ways to know your milk is scalded. Temperature should be around 185, milk smells sweet, a tan/brown ring will form around c.p.}
-As soon as milk is scalded turn OFF the c.p. Remove any skin that forms on top and stir occasionally. Use a thermometer and get milk to 115 degrees. This took 1 hour for me.

The yucky skin that formed while cooling. Be sure to spoon out or else this will be in your yogurt. EWWW

-Once milk is at 115 degrees add 1/2c. plain Dannon yogurt
-Replace c.p. lid, wrap in a big heavy towel and allow to sit for 8 hours. (Do not unwrap and check. Leave it alone for the entire 8 hours)

After incubating for 8 hrs. Quite runny but it thickens more once refrigerated overnight

-After 8 hours. Remove towel and stir yogurt. Place in refrigerator overnight. If a liquid forms, whey, just stir into yogurt. It's normal for it to do that.
-Reserve 1/2c. for your next batch of yogurt. You can freeze this! This way you won't need the Dannon next time.
-Now is when you can add flavors!!! I added 2Tbsp + 1 tsp. vanilla, 2 packets of Truvia, and thawed some strawberries.
- It would take Mae weeks to eat this much yogurt so I divided it into 2 separate containers= 1 is in the fridge the other my freezer :)

My breakfast today!

It is still a little bit more runny than store bought yogurt. I think for my next batch I'll attempt Greek style. This just requires straining through cheesecloth while in refrigeration process. I haven't given it to Mae yet, but I'm certain she is going to love it.


My Calculations:
I bought Great Value brand milk for $2.23 for a half gallon
I got the Dannon yogurt FREE w a coupon (by writing companies)
So in total I spent $2.23 for 8 cups of Vit D., organic yogurt. I quadrupled the quantity of yogurt and spent $.21 less than what what I was getting w Stonyfield :) Now that's awesome savings!

Happy Couponing!