My children devour yogurt. I was searching for a way to make homemade yogurt without having to buy a yogurt maker. I found an incredibly easy way to make homemade yogurt.
The Crockpot.
I was thrilled when I found this wonderful recipe on the delicious site, A Year of Slowcooking. I promise it really is simple. You’ll feel like a homemaking queen when you make this easy treat!
Everything you need to made easy homemade yogurt.
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Milk {I’ve used Skim or Whole}
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Starter yogurt {for the active cultures}
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Fruit {if you choose}
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Crockpot {of course}
How I make Homemade Yogurt the easy way:
Start your yogurt making fun on a day that you plan to be home all day. It’s an easy process, just slow going.
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I fill my 6 qt crock pot with the amount of milk needed. If I want two quarts of yogurt, I use 2 qts of milk. {See, you’re smart. You get the idea.} I let the milk sit in my crock pot, on LOW, with the lid on–for 3 hours.
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After 3 hours I add in 1 cup “starter” yogurt. This is what grows your lovely active cultures. I’ve used plain yogurt or flavored. Like everything, it’s all about what I have. I whisk the starter yogurt into the warm milk I also add sugar or Splenda at the point. Again, it’s all about preference here. Some wait until the yogurt is done and simply sweeten with natural honey or fruit.
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UNPLUG your crockpot and let it sit for 8 hours. The original post that I got this recipe from suggested wrapping your unplugged crockpot in a towel while it sits. I do that.
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Drum roll please!!! Now after 8 hours your yogurt is nearly ready. At this point I mix in the fruit that I’d like to add. We make blueberry, blackberry, strawberry, peach, etc. The yogurt is not thick. It’s like low-fat yogurt and thin. But we like it and the price is RIGHT!
See. Simple.
*The first time I made this I was confused and thought that the volume would expand. My reasoning was the milk would get thicker and therefore increase the volume. I learned though the amount of milk I used was the exact amount of yogurt it would yield.
I always make my homemade yogurt with skim milk because that is what we drink. I do have friends who use raw milk, goats milk and other natural varieties. I’m just not there yet, wink.
This is homemade Strawberry Yogurt.
Strawberry and Peach Yogurt.
Storing homemade yogurt is very easy too. I simply use small plastic containers. By doing this the yogurt is ready for little tummies at a moments notice.
What are your questions or thoughts?
Because I love meeting new people and sharing, this post is linked to Raising Homemakers, Works for me Wednesday and Frugal Friday.
I love my homemade yogurt! These are great directions for someone without a yogurt maker. By the way, if you want thicker yogurt, you can drain it in the refrigerator for a couple of hours before adding the fruit. Most people use a coffee filter in a colander. I use a piece of unbleached muslin. The yogurt is nice and thick within a couple of hours, but if you leave it overnight you get a great substitute for cream cheese.
Thank you for those “thickening” tips. We’re use to it being somewhat thin, although it’s not bad that way. My older son said it’s like a “thick smoothie.” He’ll pour his in a cup and drink it, lol. Like a lot of homemade things, people have to take the basic directions and make it work for them
We recently made homemade yogurt too! Here's the recipe I found. We let ours rest in the crockpot overnight.
http://jessatinchristalone.blogspot.com/2011/05/new-ideas-for-my-crock-pot.html
I've made yogurt for years, though not in a crock. The past year I've used goat milk from our beautiful Nigerian dwarf goats. TOO YUMMY!!!
To make thicker yogurt, I will sometimes add a tablespoon of gelatin. It's not necessary, and when I'm turning my yogurt into yogurt cheese it can't be used. (It binds the whey, which is what you drain out of the yogurt to thicken it for yogurt cheese – which turns out rather like a cream cheese.) But for those who would be happier with a more solid yogurt, a little gelatin makes a big difference. Just sprinkle it over your milk before starting, and mix it in after several minutes.
I will try a little gelatin next time we make it. It is ooooh so yummy
If I wanted to make vanilla yogurt how much vanilla would you suggest I add?
My mom once bought my little girl those dannon drinkable yogurts. This sounds like a great alternative since it is thin. New treat for the lunch box!
Thanks!
Sara@ http://yourthrivingfamily.blogspot.com
Just wondering – how long will homemade yogurt last – do you base it on the expiry of the milk used or
does it have a longer shelf life? Thanks
We eat it within a few days…it goes quick! I’m sorry that I can’t give you an exact time-frame. I usually use milk from the store that I’ve frozen. Recently I’ve been making homemade yogurt from fresh cow milk too.