Yogurt!

Sometimes in the kitchen, I feel like I am stepping back in time. Certain recipes let my mind wander back to when times were a little less complicated. People worked hard, processed food was a foreign concept and families spent real quality time together. I like my little daydreams while I cook.

When I learned to make yogurt, I really felt invigorated. I was not relying on a machine, just simple, everyday tools and a gallon of milk. I had no idea if it was going to work or even be good for that matter, but when I saw and tasted the final product, I must say my eyes welled up a little bit(in a good way)! It is the creamiest, smoothest yogurt I've ever had without too much tang. Funny thing is, I don't even eat yogurt! I never liked the after taste. I will put it in smoothies or swap sour cream for it in recipes, but hardly ate it on it's own. This may change all that for me.

I've been making yogurt now for a month. It's become a weekly occurrence, as my husband and son cannot get enough of it! My husband will eat it plain or top it with some frozen fruit. My son gets really giddy when I swirl a tiny bit of maple syrup on it.

Ingredients: (This recipe will make over 64oz)

9 cups of WHOLE milk (I found this to work best)
1 cup of plain store bought full fat yogurt, preferably Greek yogurt (Once you've made this, you'll have leftovers to become your starter for next time)
2 Ice Cubes

Equipment:

Candy thermometer
Whisk
Rubber spatula
Large pot
Ladle
2 32oz mason jars and 1 16oz mason jar (with screw on lids)
4 cup measuring cup
Towels
Insulated bag or cooler

Once again, I would like to give a shout out to Alana Chernila (http://www.eatingfromthegroundup.com/) for the inspiration. And for the awesome tip of icing the pot before you cook the milk. This will help try to prevent scorching. Still, watch the pot though, because scorched milk is no fun! I just take a couple of ice cubes and run it around the pot a few times and then dump them out before they completely melt. 

Attach the thermometer to the pot and heat the milk to 180 degrees. Stir occasionally. Once it reaches 180 degrees, take it off the heat and let it cool down to 110 degrees. I remove the skin that forms on top. Pour the cup of yogurt into the measuring cup. Ladle 2 cups of the warm milk into the yogurt and whisk until well combined. 

Add the milk/yogurt mixture into the pot with the rest of the warm milk and whisk until a little frothy. Pour carefully into your jars.

Close up the jars tightly and wrap in towels. I then double up two insulated bags (you know, the ones you use for grocery shopping?) and put the jars inside. I place the bag in a warm spot (just not directly in the sun!) in the house and let it do it's thing for 6-7 hours. After the yogurt has set, remove from the bags and put in the fridge. Sometimes, it can take less time to set or sometimes it takes longer. It all depends on the environment the yogurt is in.

Just look at how creamy it is!

Not that we've ever had the yogurt last longer than a week in our house, but the yogurt should keep well for at least 10 days. Once you've tried this and get the hang of making it, it really is quite simple. Plus, it's a huge money saver! With one gallon of milk, you can make almost 4 large containers of yogurt!

Be curious, be brave and have fun in the kitchen!