Homemade Plain Yogurt Recipes

EASY HOMEMADE YOGURT

Steps:

• Pour the milk into a pot and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking. Reduce heat and simmer, about 10 minutes; do not let it boil over.
• Remove pot from heat and allow to sit for 30 to 60 minutes. Dip your finger into the milk every once in a while to determine when you can leave your finger in the milk for 10 to 15 seconds without burning. Pour in the yogurt; there is no need to stir.
• Put the lid on the pot and carefully wrap a blanket around it. Place the wrapped pot in a slightly warm place where it will be undisturbed for 6 to 10 hours; overnight is best. Transfer to the refrigerator to allow the yogurt to continue to thicken.

HOMEMADE YOGURT

Steps:

• In a Dutch oven, heat milk over medium heat until a thermometer reads 200°, stirring occasionally to prevent scorching. Remove from heat; let stand until a thermometer reads 112°-115°, stirring occasionally. (If desired, place pan in an ice-water bath for faster cooling.), Whisk 1 cup warm milk into yogurt until smooth; return all to pan, stirring gently. Transfer mixture to warm, clean jars, such as 1-qt. canning jars., Cover jars; place in oven. Turn on oven light to keep mixture warm, about 110°. Let stand, undisturbed, 6-24 hours or until yogurt is set, tilting jars gently to check. (Yogurt will become thicker and more tangy as it stands.), Refrigerate, covered, until cold. Store in refrigerator up to 2 weeks.

HOMEMADE YOGURT

Steps:

• Place milk in a large saucepan over medium-high heat; cook until it reaches 180 degrees, stirring occasionally to prevent scorching, 5 to 7 minutes. Let cool to 115 degrees.
• Whisk together 1 cup milk and the yogurt. Stir into remaining milk.
• Transfer to a 1-quart mason jar. Wrap jar (without lid) in 2 clean kitchen towels, completely covering sides and top. Let stand undisturbed in a warm place until yogurt has the consistency of custard, 4 to 5 hours.
• Refrigerate uncovered jar; when it's cool to the touch, about 30 minutes, screw on a tight-fitting lid.

HOMEMADE PLAIN GREEK YOGURT

Steps:

• Heat milk in a large saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until it is steaming, barely bubbling and registers 180 degrees F on an instant-read or candy thermometer. (Do not leave unattended--it can boil over very quickly.)
• Carefully pour the milk into a clean, heat-safe 5- to 8-cup container. Let stand, stirring frequently, until cooled to 110 degrees F. Combine yogurt with 1/2 cup of the 110 degrees milk in a small bowl, then stir the mixture back into the warm milk.
• Cover the container and wrap in a clean kitchen towel to help keep it warm. Place in a very warm place (see Tip) and let stand, undisturbed, until thickened and tangy, at least 8 hours and up to 12 hours. Refrigerate until cold, about 2 hours. The yogurt will thicken a bit more in the refrigerator.
• Line a large fine-mesh sieve with 2 layers of cheesecloth and place over a large bowl. Spoon the cooled yogurt into the cheesecloth, cover and refrigerate for 8 to 24 hours, depending on how thick you want it.

HOMEMADE PLAIN YOGURT

Steps:

• Place a large pot on the stovetop and place sterile 5 half-pint canning jars inside. Fill with enough water so that the jars are immersed up to their necks. Set the burner to low heat. The goal is to be able to maintain a consistent temperature between 110 degrees F and 115 degrees F (45 degrees C) for 4 to 6 hours. Check the temperature using a candy or meat thermometer periodically.
• Meanwhile, pour the milk and dry milk into a large saucepan. Stir to dissolve the powder and set over medium heat. Heat until just steaming; your thermometer should read 180 degrees F (82 degrees C). Remove from the heat and place the pan so the bottom is sitting in a bowl of ice water. Cool until the temperature has dropped to 115 degrees F (45 degrees C).
• When it reaches the temperature, remove it from the heat and stir about 1 cup of the milk into the plain yogurt until thoroughly blended. Stir this mixture back into the pan of milk.
• Pour the milk mixture into warm glass jars to within 1/2 inch of the rims. Set in the warm water bath. The water level should be up to the level of the yogurt in the jars. Cook uncovered and be sure to maintain the temperature at 110 to 115 degrees F (45 degrees C) for 4 to 6 hours. I like to do 6. Do not stir or poke the yogurt at all during this time - even if you are tempted! Doing this may cause it to become watery.
• When the time is about up, you can check the yogurt by pressing gently on the top or tipping the jars to see if it is set. It is done when the yogurt is firm and there is a thin layer of yellowish liquid on the top. Remove the jars from the water and dry off. Seal with clean lids and rings. They should be good to keep in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 weeks.
• Be sure to save a little extra out as a starter for the next batch. Over time your homemade yogurt will start to lose it's potency as starter (like making a copy of a copy of a copy), so every fourth or fifth batch you may want to use store-bought yogurt as starter. Just make sure it says ''live active cultures'' on the container. Good luck!