I find myself digging into the past recently and finding recipes. My grandmother’s rugelach, cheese blintzes from the Kiev restaurant (a childhood favorite) and fresh homemade yogurt my mom used to make. We lived on a commune in VT, where we grew our own vegetables and raised a cow for dairy. Everything was local and organic, because if we didn’t produce it, we couldn’t afford it. My mom was the one to milk the cow, which she then made into homemade yogurt, butter and cheese. The flavor of that homemade yogurt, made from fresh milk, was divine. 48 years later, in Minneapolis we are allowed to keep chickens, but the city hasn’t approved urban dairy cows, so I just buy milk for making yogurt. Not as romantic, but still tasty.
Now that I have started making my own, I may never buy yogurt again. Homemade yogurt is so easy and has such an incredible flavor. Even my boys like it better. I happen to love it plain and tangy, but I’ll also put a layer of preserves on the bottom when I am in the mood for something a bit sweeter.
All you need is milk (you choose the fat content), a bit of heavy cream (if you’re feeling decadent) and some plain yogurt to get started.
How to make Homemade Yogurt (Plain)
You’ll find the full recipe at the end of this post.
Over low heat, slowly bring the milk and cream (if using) to 200°F in a non-reactive sauce pan fitted with a Digital Instant Read Thermometer
Once your milk reaches 200°F, turn off the heat and bring the temperature back down to 110°F.
Once your milk has reached 110°F, stir a little bit of the warm milk into the 1/2 cup of plain yogurt. The plain yogurt, with its active cultures, is going to act as a “starter” for your batch of yogurt. It will create the fermentation that sets the yogurt and gives it the tangy flavor.
Return the blended milk and yogurt to the pot and gently stir them together. Pour the yogurt into the containers of your choice.
For the yogurt to set up, it needs to remain warm, the heat created by leaving the light on in the oven, is just right for generating enough heat to keep the yogurt active.
Now you have the choice of making thin or thick style yogurt:
Thin, mellow yogurt: Pour the mixture into the individual cups or a large bowl and let sit in the oven with the light on for about 6-8 hours.
Thick, tangy yogurt: let sit in the oven with the light on for about 8-12 hours. The longer is sits, the thicker and tangier it gets.
Keep the yogurt covered, so it won’t develop a skin on the surface.
If it does form a skin, many people consider this skin a delicacy and eat it with a sprinkle of sugar or spread on a crusty bread. Think of it as yogurt butter.
For Greek-style Yogurt: Pour the set yogurt in a strainer, lined with cheesecloth, set over a bowl. This will remove some of the whey and make the yogurt thicker. Set the yogurt in the refrigerator. The longer you let it hang in the cheese cloth, the thicker your yogurt will be. Let it go for several hours for Greek-style yogurt. If you let it go over night you will make farmer’s cheese to use in your blintzes.
Once you have the yogurt at the desired thickness place it back in the bowl or into individual cups and return it to the refrigerator.
Equipment
- Non-reactive sauce pan
- Cheesecloth if you are going to make thicker or Greek Style yogurt
- Individual jars with lids or a large bowl
Ingredients
- 1/2 gallon milk, preferably organic *see notes below
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1 tbsp sugar optional, **see notes below
- 1/2 cup plain yogurt, preferably organic and without any gums or other crazy ingredients ***see notes below
- 2 tbsp preserves for the bottom of the jar
Instructions
- Over low heat, slowly bring the milk and cream (if using) to 200°F in a non-reactive sauce pan fitted with a Digital Instant Read Thermometer or candy thermometer. (You want to denature the proteins, so the milk will become more solid, in the form of yogurt. If you do not heat the milk or heat it too much, to the point of boiling, it will not set up properly.)
- Once your milk reaches 200°F, turn off the heat and bring the temperature back down to 110°F.
- Once your milk has reached 110°F, stir a little bit of the warm milk into the 1/2 cup of plain yogurt. The plain yogurt, with its active cultures, is going to act as a "starter" for your batch of yogurt. It will create the fermentation that sets the yogurt and gives it the tangy flavor.
- Return the blended milk and yogurt to the pot and gently stir them together. Pour the yogurt into the containers of your choice. For the yogurt to set up, it needs to remain warm, the heat created by leaving the light on in the oven, is just right for generating enough heat to keep the yogurt active.
- Now you have the choice of making thin or thick style yogurt:Thin, mellow yogurt: Pour the mixture into the individual cups or a large bowl and let sit in the oven with the light on for about 6-8 hours.Thick, tangy yogurt: let sit in the oven with the light on for about 8-12 hours. The longer is sits, the thicker and tangier it gets.Keep the yogurt covered, so it won't develop a skin on the surface. If it does form a skin, many people consider this skin a delicacy and eat it with a sprinkle of sugar or spread on a crusty bread. Think of it as yogurt butter.
- For Greek-style Yogurt: Pour the set yogurt in a strainer, lined with cheesecloth, set over a bowl. This will remove some of the whey and make the yogurt thicker. Set the yogurt in the refrigerator. The longer you let it hang in the cheese cloth, the thicker your yogurt will be. Let it go for several hours for Greek-style yogurt. If you let it go over night you will make farmer's cheese to use in your blintzes. Once you have the yogurt at the desired thickness place it back in the bowl or into individual cups and return it to the refrigerator.
I haven’t tried adding fruit yet, but I’ve made the 12-hour version of this a lot and strained it to make farmers cheese several time. Thanks for teaching me you can “pirate” grocery store yogurt!
Hi Zoe,
This post is so helpful! Beautiful photography and super instructive. Thank you. Its probably obvious, but I’m new at this – once you make your first batch, do you use yogurt from your first batch to make the second, and so on (so that you don’t have to buy any from that point on?) Thanks!!
I am just starting with my own yogurt and want little imdv glass jars just like the ones in your pictures but can’t find any. Where did you get those?
Hi AZ,
They are from a company called Weck.
Thanks, Zoë
I made yogurt today following a different recipe and it did not set up. I think maybe I took it out of the incubating stage too soon. Is there any way to re-set the yogurt or am I going to be drinking a lot of smoothies this week? 🙂
Do you have a source for the denaturing proteins thing? I tried making it without preheating, and it’s been sitting in the yogurt incubator for 12 hours, still liquid.
Hi Jeff,
I do not, but I bet your local co-op could help you find something. Let me know what you find out.
Thanks, Zoë
I’m not sure if you can help me, since I cheated and bought a yogurt maker! The directions yield more “batter” than will fit in the machine, so I put the leftovers in the fridge. It is just par-boiled milk and starter culture (already mixed together), but I was wondering if I can warm it up and use it to make another batch of yogurt, or if the mix is no good since it’s already been warmed then cooled. Hope you can help! Thanks!
Theresa
Zoe, what makes homemade yogurt sometimes have a grainy texture? I have been incubating it in a turned off oven with the oven light on for 10 hours, in individual 6 oz. containers. Any help you could provide would be most appreciated.
Also, after heating to 170, I have been placing the pot with yogurt in cool water in my sink to speed up the cooling………..could this be the problem?
Thanks………..love your blog!
I made this only a few days ago and just polished off the last of it. Zoe, your directions are so easy to follow.
I poured the mixture into a “half gallon” mason jar. (FYI, the jars are not really a half gallon, so I initially poured the milk into the jar up to the 7 cup mark, then poured that milk into the pan to heat. This left room for the starter, with no room left over in the jar.)
I wrapped the jar in a full size bath towel then placed it in a small Igloo type cooler. It was a tight fit. I left it undisturbed for 10 hours. The yogurt came out perfectly, so no other warming aids were necessary. It may have helped that I mixed in the starter when the milk had just cooled to below 120 degrees.
This homemade yogurt seemed to strain a lot faster than the commercial yogurt I’ve purchased. I may have ended up with yogurt cheese instead of greek yogurt, but it was wonderful.
How long will the yogurt last in the refrigerator?
Hi Elsa,
So glad you tried it. I’ve kept the yogurt for about 10 days and then I run out.
Enjoy! Zoë
To Sarah: Do some blog searching in the alternative sectors (gluten-free, vegan). You will find TONS of information on making yogurt from non-dairy sources.
I use non-dairy acidophilus bifidus supplements to make coconut yogurt and cashew yogurt. It’s the exact same process as above, but the starter is the contents of 1-2 probiotic capsules. An extra helping of protein added to the coconut milk makes the process less delicate. For this purpose I use ground chia, or ground flaxseed. A tad of honey or sugar of your choice at the beginning will act as fuel for the bacteria, and won’t sweeten the final product because it will all be eaten up and converted to lactic acid.
Hi Zoe
I love this post. We make yogurt almost every night and it is the simplest thing in the world.
I do not use any special gadgets – just a saucepan to warm the milk, my pinky finger to test the temp, and a large bowl to set the yogurt. Would love to use those pretty jars though. Where can I acquire those?
Hi Shruti and Jackie,
I love that you are so relaxed with your yogurt recipes! It must taste even better!
The jars are from weck and are available from their website and other online sources. http://weckjars.com/
Enjoy! Zoë