When I was home in Korea, I ate Kimchee in almost every meal so I never had to worry about getting enough probiotics. But now I’m here in the ‘western’ world….where probiotics come in pills and supplements, I have to make sure I get enough of them. And I am telling you, once you make your own at home, there is no going back to store- bought ones. You can tell the huge difference in taste and freshness. Not to mention it’s super easy to make but you save $$$. (You can also make tzatziki sauce or put it in an ice cream machine making it into ‘Pseudo Pinkberry’)
Ingredients
(Makes a big container-ful of creamy goodness…say 7-8 serving)
1 half gallon organic 2% milk
1 container (about 5 oz) of plain organic yogurt (Make sure it contains live and active cultures)
You will also need a thermometer, strainer and cheesecloth
Preparation
1. Bring water to boil in heavy bottom pot (I used my Le Creuset pot) This will sanitize the pot.
2. Place the lid in the sink and pour the hot water to the lid. This will sanitize the lid. ( Dip the thermometer probe into the hot water for a few seconds as well! )
All you need is milk and one store-bought yogurt (We need it as a starter). For those my non-dairy friends, you can use the same preparation for goat milk (+goat milk yogurt) and soymilk (+soy yogurt)
3. Turn the oven 150’F or ‘Warm’ setting.
Heat milk on low heat till 185’F
4. Heat milk to 185’F on low heat. It took me about 15 mins. Be patient…do not go anywhere. Keep stirring. Keep checking for temperature. You can check facebook gossips on your smart phone but no matter what you do, do not leave the pot alone.
Once it hit 185’F, turn off the heat. Now the worst part is over. You just need to cool it down, add yogurt (It will act as a starter) and let it culture overnight.
5. Cool down scalded milk to 110’F.
6. Stir in one package of store-bought organic plain yogurt (As a starter)
Oven light will help it culture overnight
7. Turn off the oven but keep the ‘Light’ on. Heat from the light will help it culture. Cover the pot with lid then put kitchen cloth over it. Place the pot in the oven and leave it there overnight (I actually put it in around 8pm and let it out around 9am -it turned out perfect)
Fresh pot of yogurt waiting for me in the morning~~
8. Carefully pour out the liquid accumulated on top.
Strain out some of coagulated milk solid for even texture!
9. Strain the yogurt for creamy and more consistent texture.
If you like thicker yogurt, strain it one more time through cheesecloth and let extra moisture dripped down
10. If you like creamier, thicker (Greek style), strain it again through cheesecloth and let extra moisture drip down for 30 mins.
Oh YES!!!!
11. Refrigerate yogurt till set.
12. Enjoy it with some berries and honey! ( Save one cup -freeze it so you can use it as a starter for your next batch. )
I like it with fresh berries and local honey
Pour it into an individual jar and have it ready for breakfast to go.
Your yogurt recipe made me positively hungry! And I’d like to challenge myself to make yogurt myself, but….I live in Honduras right now. It’s not easy to find anything labeled “organic”, so can I use regular whole or 2 percent or even skim milk and regular plain yogurt instead? I’m afraid that trying anything labeled “organic” here will also mean that it will make me sick… Thanks, Mona
Wow Honduras? How wonderful…I want to live in tropical, hot and humid place someday. I’m dreaming & dreaming till that day…..oh back to your question: of course you can use regular milk and regular plain yogurt! Don’t get yourself sick and let me know how it turns out. xoxo Christina
Looks wonderful! I wonder if I could make it with almond milk using almond (Amande) yogurt as a starter?
Love the pretty little container too. Just makes it look so inviting and perfect. 🙂
Thanks, April! You just got me thinking here….why not, right? Let’s try it out. Maybe you will start new almond yogurt line! “April Almond Yogurt” …..mmmm that really sounds good….
Can’t wait to try…thanks for sharing! Where did you find those adorable jars?
World market, my friend. $.99 per jar!! 😉 xoxo – christina
Wow – I’ve been wanting to try this for ages but it always seems so complicated. Thanks for making it look so straightforward – will definitely try it now. Looking forward to using soya milk for a dairy free alternative 🙂
Ps. Say hi to buggie from my 3 pooches!
Haha! Yeah I will. Ruff ruff! You have amazing baked goodies in your blog. I’ve gotto try some of your recipes!!!! xoxo -Christina
How long will the yogurt last in the fridge?
Mine lasts more than a week. I’m sure it will last longer than that…but i usually finish it within 7-10 days anyways. 🙂 Enjoy~~ xoxo
The major difference between soymilk and “regular” milk (predominantly cow’s milk in the United States; goat and sheep’s milk are other options) is that one is derived from a plant and the other from an animal. Although ethical, hypothetical, or debatable issues frequently arise when discussing this subject, this answer is going to deal strictly with the nutritional differences between these two kinds of milk.*:..,
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