Homemade Yogurt- Easy Shmeasy

I admit, I was a little bit..... okay, a lot bit naive when it came to yogurt making.  I had these dreamy ideas of making my own yogurt that was just as creamy and delicious as the Dannon vanilla yogurt I buy at the store. Talk about major disappointment after taking my first bite of my homemade yogurt!!! Because it isn't full of sugars- natural and artificial, preservatives, gelatin, or artificial colors.... it tastes nothing like Dannon. BUT, don't let that deter you from making it because let me tell you a few of the health benefits of yogurt.  Then, I will tell you a few ways you can enjoy it.

• Yogurt is full of helpful bacteria (probiotics) that help kill harmful viruses
• The longer the yogurt sits on a store shelf, the less probiotics it has
• It is a good source of protein, B complex, calcium, potassium, phosphorus, and folic acid
• Yogurt can help with all sorts of stomach issues-bloating, diarrhea, and constipation
• You get to control what is in it, no need to worry about additives,  preservatives, or....corn syrup!

With the health benefits, I have peaked your interested and you are saying, "okay Marisa, I'm convinced, now how do I make myself some yogurt?" Funny that you would ask because I'm going to tell you.

Don't make the mistake I did when I first ordered my yogurt starter. I tend to get excited and just jump right into things without reading instructions thoroughly. So my first yogurt starter required a yogurt maker, which I don't have. It required the temperature to stay consistent for hours and hours. I tried using my crockpot, but failed big time. So, Read the requirements before ordering!

I ordered my yogurt starter from Cultures for Health.  On the second try I bought the Viili starter because there is no need for the yogurt maker, and it is the closest thing to my dearly beloved Dannon yogurt.

It is really quite simple to make.

First Batch:

The first time you make it, you will mix your dry yogurt starter with 1/2 cup of milk. Cover it with a coffee filter or napkin. Set it on your counter for about 24-48 hours until it is thick (it won't run up the sides of the jar when tipped). Place it in your fridge for 6-8 more hours to finish culturing.

Subsequent Batches:

After the first batch, you will then take 1 TBS  of your already made yogurt, add it to one cup of milk and stir. You can make larger batches as long as you keep the same ratio, I like to make a quart of yogurt at a time, so I use 4 cups of milk and 4 TBS of yogurt.  Then you will let it sit, covered, on your counter for about 12 hours (until it doesn't run up the sides of the jar). 

You just need to make sure that you start making your next batch of yogurt before everyone eats the last batch!!!

And for those of you that are bad at reading directions (like me). Here is a picture tutorial:

Like I said, it isn't going to come out tasting like your store bought yogurt, but that is good because that yogurt isn't good for you, and this yogurt actually is!!!

So here are a few ideas of how to use it.

• We LOVE to add it to our fruit smoothies
• Add a touch of honey or stevia to sweeten it up a bit
• Sweeten with honey or stevia and add fruit or granola (or both)
• Use in place of sour cream

Now it is your turn, tell us how you use your yogurt!!!

~marisa