Homemade Yogurt - Cooler Method

Contributed by Susanna Holcomb

Original Source: www.thefrugalgirl.com

 

Okay here is the link to the homemade yogurt recipe. I am linking to the original in fairness to the author. :) Here is what I do that is a little different. I don't boil my containers...I just make sure that they are clean. I also pour boiling water in the cooler. I found that it cools off too much otherwise. I will say that I keep my cooler in our unheated garage so the temperature outside does effect it. I also make the yogurt in the evening and let it sit overnight - much longer than 3 hours. This does result in a much more tart yogurt. It is a thinner consistency than store bought but that is because we are not using pectin. Often I make 2 gallons at a time and mix whole milk and 2%. Why so much? Because it does not take that much longer to do 2 gallons at once and it will... keep in the fridge for up to one month. The other change that I do is this - I make 1/2 of the batch vanilla and put it in half-pint mason jars. (they were much cheaper than other small glass with lid options.) This allows my 8 year old and others to have a serving of yogurt with ease. The plain yogurt I make in quart mason jars. I put both in the cooler as the size of the container does not effect the culturing time. Still not convinced to make yogurt? A gallon of milk = a gallon of yogurt. In my neck of the woods a gallon of milk is $2.98 and the last time I bought a quart of plain yogurt it was $1.97 (x4= $7.88) If your family eats a lot of yogurt is worth it to at least try it. Oh, do you like fruit in your yogurt? You can add jam, jelly or fresh fruit to it after it is made. Happy yogurt making!

 

The recipe (from The Frugal Girl):

Homemade Yogurt (makes 4 quarts, which will keep for at least a month in the fridge)
For vanilla yogurt directions, see the bottom of the recipe.
Ingredients
1 gallon of milk
1 cup yogurt starter(you can use a small cup of plain Dannon or Yoplait yogurt, or you can use a cup from your previous batch.)
1. Place four quart glass canning jars, four lids, and four screw-tops in a large pot. Fill with an inch of water; cover with lid and heat to boiling. Boil for ten minutes. Leave the lid on the pot and move it off the heat until you are ready to use the jars.
2. Pour one gallon of milk into a large, heavy bottomed stockpot or Dutch oven. Heat the milk to 185-190 degrees Farenheit(90-90 Celcius).
3. Place the pot in a sink filled with cold water and let the milk cool to 120 degrees fahrenheit(50-55 degrees celsius)
4. Stir one cup of yogurt starter into the cooled milk, using a whisk. Stir well to ensure that the starter is thoroughly incorporated into the milk.
5. Pour the milk into jars, and put the lids and bands on. Place them into a cooler.
6. Heat one gallon of water to 120 degrees F(50-55 degrees C) and pour into cooler.
7. Shut cooler lid and leave in a warm place for three hours. When the three hours are up, place the yogurt in the refrigerator.
To make a delicious vanilla version of this yogurt, add 1/2 to 1 cup of sugar to the four quarts of milk when it’s cooling in the sink. Then stir in 1-2 tablespoons of vanilla, depending on your preference, and proceed as usual with the recipe.