Homemade Yogurt

Ingredients

• ●1 quart (4 cups) whole milk (not ultra-pasteurized)
• ●2 tablespoons plain yogurt with live active cultures (your starter — use a high-quality brand like a Greek yogurt for your first batch)
• ●*Equipment:**
• ●A heavy-bottomed saucepan
• ●A kitchen thermometer
• ●A quart jar or ceramic bowl
• ●A towel and a warm spot (or an oven with the light on, a cooler with a jar of warm water, or a yogurt maker)

Method

1. **Heat the milk:** Pour the milk into a saucepan and heat over medium heat to 82°C (180°F), stirring occasionally to prevent scorching. This step denatures the whey proteins and produces thicker yogurt. Don't skip it.
2. **Cool the milk:** Remove from heat and let cool to 43-46°C (110-115°F). You can speed this up by placing the pot in a cold water bath. This temperature is crucial — too hot kills the bacteria, too cool and they won't activate.
3. **Add the starter:** Place the 2 tablespoons of yogurt in a small bowl. Add a few spoonfuls of the warm milk and stir until smooth (this tempers the starter so it blends evenly). Pour this mixture back into the pot of milk and stir gently.
4. **Incubate:** Pour the milk into a clean quart jar or bowl. Cover with a lid or plate. Keep at a steady 43-46°C (110-115°F) for 8-12 hours. Methods:
5. **Oven:** Turn on the oven light (not the oven). Place the jar inside. The light generates just enough warmth.
6. **Cooler method:** Place the jar in a small cooler alongside a jar of hot water. Close the lid.
7. **Towel wrap:** Wrap the jar in a thick towel and place in the warmest spot in your kitchen.
8. **Yogurt maker:** Follow the machine's instructions.
9. **Check it:** After 8 hours, the yogurt should be set — jiggly like panna cotta, not liquid. If it's still thin, let it go a few more hours. Longer culturing = tangier flavor.
10. **Refrigerate:** Move to the fridge without stirring. It will thicken further as it chills (4-6 hours minimum).
11. *For Greek-style yogurt:** Line a fine-mesh strainer with cheesecloth, set it over a bowl, and pour in the yogurt. Let it drain in the fridge for 2-12 hours. The longer it drains, the thicker it gets. The liquid that drains off is whey — save it for fermentation starters, smoothies, or baking.