Are you craving nutritious, easy-to-make homemade yogurt? Two simple ingredients can be used to make fresh, homemade yogurt in no time without a machine.
Yogurt is a typical food worldwide. Making yogurt at home is a rewarding and cost-effective way to enjoy fresh, creamy yogurt. This post shows how to make homemade yogurt, but if you want to learn how to make your own starter, then check this post for the details.
Ingredients You’ll Need to Make Homemade Yogurt
- Milk: Whole milk is ideal for making yogurt starters because its higher fat content yields creamier yogurt. You can also use 2% milk or skim milk, but the texture and richness of your yogurt may differ. For the best results, use milk that has not been ultra-pasteurized, which could affect the fermentation process.
- Yogurt starter: This yogurt with live bacteria ferments the milk to produce the starter.
Equipment Needed
Yogurt-making requires very little equipment. You can make it without a thermometer, but it is helpful if you have one. If you don’t have a thermometer, no worries—you can watch this video for more information.
- Instant-read thermometer
- Pot or saucepan
- A Clean, Sterile Container: To prevent contamination of your yogurt and for storage.
- Wooden spoon
Step-by-step instructions on how to Make Homemade Yogurt Starter from Scratch
Step 1: Prepare the Milk
Start by heating the milk to about 180°F (82°C). This helps denature the proteins in the milk, preventing the yogurt from becoming grainy. It also ensures that any unwanted bacteria are killed, creating a clean environment for the yogurt culture to thrive.
- Pour the milk into a saucepan and heat over medium heat. The purpose of heating the milk is to destroy harmful bacteria and help the yogurt develop character, flavor, and structure. The heat also denatures the whey protein and coagulates it to help the yogurt thicken.
- Stir occasionally to avoid scalding, and use a thermometer to check the temperature. If you don’t have a thermometer, no problem. You can watch the video where I walk you through how to make the starter without a thermometer.
- Once the milk reaches 180°F, remove it from the heat.
Step 2: Cool the Milk
Allow the milk to cool down to about 110°F (43°C). This is the ideal temperature for adding the yogurt culture. If the milk is too hot, it will kill the bacteria; if it’s too cool, the fermentation process may not work effectively.
- You can speed up the cooling process by placing the saucepan in a cold-water bath.
Step 3: Add the starter
After removing the milk from the heat and cooling it to about 110°F (43°C), it’s time to add the yogurt starter. Mix the starter with some milk until combined, then add the mixture to the rest of the warm milk.
Step 4: Incubate the Yogurt
To ferment correctly, the yogurt must stay at a consistent temperature of around 110°F (43°C). You can incubate the yogurt in several ways:
- Oven Method: This is my preferred method of incubating the yogurt starter. I usually make the yogurt at night and leave it in the oven overnight. You can leave the oven light on to maintain warmth or turn it off; either will work.
- Yogurt Maker: If you have a yogurt maker, follow the manufacturer’s instructions for incubating the yogurt.
- Thermal Cooker: Wrap the container in a towel and place it in a thermal cooker or cooler to maintain a warm temperature.
- Insulated Cooler: A well-insulated cooler can maintain the heat long enough to make yogurt if you don’t have an oven or yogurt maker. Add warm water or a heating pad to keep the temperature around 110°F.
- Crock Pot: You can use the crockpot to make and incubate the yogurt.
Let the yogurt incubate for at least 4-6 hours or longer for thicker yogurt. The longer it ferments, the tangier it will be. After 6 hours, check the yogurt to see if it has been set to your liking. If you prefer a thicker yogurt, you can leave it for an additional 2-4 hours.
Step 6: Check the Yogurt
Once the yogurt has reached its desired consistency and flavor, it’s time to stop the fermentation process. To do this, move the yogurt container to the refrigerator, where it should be stored for at least 2 hours to set further.
The yogurt should have a creamy texture and a tangy flavor. It may also have some whey (a clear liquid) on top. Don’t worry; stir the whey back into the yogurt for a smoother texture, or strain it off for thicker yogurt.
Step 7: Use the Yogurt and Save some for Future Batches
Once you’ve made your homemade yogurt, you can use a small amount (about 2-4 tablespoons) as your starter culture for future batches.
Testing for yogurt Consistency
When unsure if the yogurt is ready to be refrigerated, do the consistency test. Dip a clean spoon into the mixture and gently move the spoon back and forth. If the yogurt still has the consistency of milk, continue to incubate for another 2 hours. Test again. Yogurt is ready to be put in the refrigerator when it is lightly gelled and has the consistency of thin pudding.
How to Store Homemade Yogurt
Once the yogurt is set in a sterilized container, store it in the refrigerator at 40 F or lower. This will stop bacteria from making more lactic acid, which can make yogurt taste increasingly sour. Yogurt will keep for about 10 to 14 days if held in the refrigerator at 40°F or lower
Tips for Perfect Yogurt Every Time
- Freshness Matters: Ensure that the store-bought yogurt you use as the initial starter is fresh, as older yogurt may have weaker bacteria.
- Temperature Control: Consistency in temperature is key. Fermentation won’t work correctly if the milk gets too cool or hot. Use a thermometer for the best results.
- Straining: If you prefer Greek yogurt or thicker yogurt, strain it using a cheesecloth or a fine-mesh sieve. This removes excess whey, leaving you with a creamy texture.
- Sweetening: While plain yogurt is the most common base, you can add natural sweeteners like honey or maple syrup after the yogurt has set.
- Substitute dry starter according to package directions, generally one 5-gram package per quart of milk.
- Powdered milk works well. Reconstitute powdered milk with water to make 1 quart and substitute for the fluid milk in the recipe.
- Adding fruit and other flavors: If you’d like to add fruit and other ingredients to your yogurt, do so after it has been incubated. This ensures you don’t upset the bacteria and prevents them from doing their thing, creating creamy homemade yogurt.
Causes and Solutions for Common Mistakes
- Watery separation of whey and curd: This means the incubation time is too long. Shorten the incubation time and refrigerate yogurt as soon as it becomes firm.
- Yogurt does not firm up: This may be due to an inactive culture or milk temperature that is either too low or too high. Use fresh yogurt starter every 5 to 6 batches since the bacteria activity decreases over time. The temperature must be 108°F to 112°F for yogurt bacteria to grow correctly. Too high a temperature kills the good bacteria, and too low a temperature prohibits growth, so use a thermometer to control the temperature.
- Fresh milk, fresh starter, clean equipment, and yogurt should be covered during incubation to prevent off-flavors.
How to Make Greek-Style Yogurt
Draining whey from the yogurt thickens the mixture and produces a consistency like pudding or spreadable cheese.
1. Cut a piece of cheesecloth twice as wide as the bowl or container used to drain the yogurt. Fold the cheesecloth in half to make a double layer and line a strainer.
2. Carefully spoon the desired amount of yogurt into the cheesecloth and place it over the draining bowl.
3. Cover the container and refrigerate. Drain the yogurt for 2 to 4 hours, and your Greek yogurt will be ready to enjoy.
Health benefits of Homemade Yogurt
Source: Hadjimbei, E., Botsaris, G., & Chrysostomou, S. (2022). You can read more details of the health benefits here: https://www.mdpi.com/2304-8158/11/17/2691.
Enjoy homemade yogurt with fruits, granola, or your favorite recipes. Happy yogurt-making!
More Similar Recipes
How to Make Homemade Yogurt Starter from Scratch
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Happy Cooking!
Linda!!
How to Homemade Yogurt from Scratch
Equipment
- Instant-read thermometer
- Pot or saucepan
- A Clean, Sterile Container: To prevent contamination of your culture, make sure your containers are clean and sterilized.
Ingredients
- 4 cups Milk 1 quart
- 2 tablespoons Yogurt starter
Instructions
- Wash all equipment to be used for the recipe.
- Add milk to a 2-quart saucepan. Place the pot on a stovetop and heat slowly to 180-185 F, occasionally stirring to prevent milk from burning on the bottom. Use a food thermometer or candy thermometer to monitor the temperature. The milk will steam and form tiny bubbles on the pot’s side.
- Turn off the heat when the milk reaches 180-185 F. Remove milk from the stovetop and leave it at room temperature. Cool milk to between 108-115 F.
- When the milk is cooled, pour one cup into a small mixing bowl. Add the yogurt starter to the milk, mix, and pour the mixture back into the warm milk. Cover the pot and incubate the yogurt between 108 and 115 F for 6 to 10 hours.
- Once it is set, store the yogurt in the refrigerator at 40 F or lower. Your yogurt is ready to enjoy.
Notes
To use nonfat skim milk, stir ¼ cup of nonfat milk powder into cold milk before starting Step 2. This will produce a thicker yogurt. Use glass, food-safe plastic, or metal containers with lids. Pour milk into a small container, which will incubate faster and can be used to make pre-portioned yogurt. REFERENCE
Master Food Preservers of Humboldt and Del Norte Counties / University of California Cooperative Extension
College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences. University of Illinois, U.S.
Hadjimbei, E., Botsaris, G., & Chrysostomou, S. (2022). Beneficial Effects of Yoghurts and Probiotic Fermented Milks and Their Functional Food Potential. Foods, 11(17), 2691. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods11172691
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