How to Make Homemade Yogurt: Two Ways

This homemade yogurt is so good and easy to make. You will never need to buy store bought yogurt again!

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You know that feeling you get when you accomplish something you thought was completely unobtainable?

That was how I felt when I made my first batch of yogurt.

I always put off learning how to make dairy products at home thinking it was going to be a lot of work.

I thought I would need fresh milk from the cow in my backyard – but you don’t.

I thought I would need some expensive, special equipment – but you don’t need that either.

It’s actually really simple and it doesn’t take too much time.

And to top it all off, it’s a lot cheaper than buying yogurt at the store every week.

What you need:

1/2 gallon of whole milk

1/2 cup plain yogurt with live active cultures

Crockpot (or stock pot if you want to make it on the stove)

Thermometer

Cheesecloth

Colander

Here’s what you do:

If you’re making it on the stove: Pour the milk into your stockpot and heat over medium heat stirring frequently to prevent the milk from scorching. Heat the milk until it reaches 180F and then remove the pot from the stove.

If you’re making it in a crockpot: Pour the milk into the crockpot and put the lid on. Set the temperature to high and cook it for 3-4 hours or until the temperature reaches 180°F. It took my crockpot 3.5 hours for the milk to come to temperature.

Once the temperature reads 180°F, turn off the crockpot or stove and allow the milk to cool down to 110°F. It will take a couple hours to cool.

You can put the pot in an ice bath to help it cool quicker. It will only take about 15-20 minutes to cool this way. If you decide to use an ice bath, stir the milk a couple times as it cools as it won’t be cooling evenly.

While you’re wait for the milk to cool, measure out the yogurt and set it aside to let it come to room temperature.

When the milk is cooled, ladel some of it into the yogurt and mix gently.

Gently pour the yogurt and milk mixture into the pot of cooled (110F) milk and gently mix it in using back and forth strokes. DO NOT STIR. It is important you do this part gently so the yogurt will set properly.

After mixing, put the lid back on the pot and wrap a large bath towel around it to keep it warm. You can now set it aside to thicken for 10-12 hours or overnight.

In the morning, lift the lid to your pot to find your beautiful (probably clumpy) yogurt.

Now, you have two options.

Option One: You can call it a day and mix the yogurt until smooth, pour it into glass containers and refrigerate. You are done and have a wonderful, tangy, healthy, homemade yogurt!

Option Two: You can strain the whey from the yogurt to make a thicker, more Greek style yogurt.

Separating the Whey

To separate the whey, set up a colander over a large bowl and line it with cheesecloth.

Pour the yogurt it into the cheesecloth lined colander and let it strain at room temperature. The longer you let it sit, the more whey will come out and the thicker your yogurt will become.

Once your yogurt has reached your desired consistency, pour it into a glass airtight container. I used mason jars for mine and also these glass yogurt jars which are really cute.

You can store it in the fridge for up to two weeks.

How to Use It

Most mornings I add the plain yogurt as is right to our morning smoothies.

Another favorite way is topping it with some yummy homemade granola and fresh fruit to enjoy it as a light breakfast or snack.

The kids don’t really like the tanginess of the yogurt as much as I do, so I add some honey to theirs and they eat every bite.

You can switch up the flavors of the yogurt by adding some vanilla, a homemade berry sauce, or mixing in your favorite fruit preserves.

How did it come out? Share it with me on Instagram by mentioning @thehomesteadmother or use #thehomesteadmother

Until next time –