Homemade Yogurt In The Crockpot

When I first heard about making yogurt homemade, I was skeptical. First of all, I do not like plain yogurt. Yucky. Also, I suspected that homemade yogurt would be runny and require lots of temperature measuring (time consuming). And to boot, I do not have a fancy yogurt maker or a dehydrator.

However, thanks to Stephanie and my friend Audrey (who walked me through the process over the phone before I tried it the first time), I have discovered that I can easily make delicious, thick, flavored {read: sweetened!} yogurt at home in my crockpot! Here's how:

You will need:

1/2 gallon (8 cups) of milk. I use 1%, but I think it would be divine with whole milk. {Update: It is divine with whole milk!}
1/2 cup plain yogurt starter (I just buy an individual sized cup of plain Publix brand yogurt for $.50)
Sweetener of your choice (I use 1/2 cup of raw honey)
1 TBSP vanilla (optional)

Now, yogurt making is easy, but it does require a time commitment! I start either in the morning on a day I know I will be home or in the late afternoon, if I want to let the crockpot sit overnight.

First, pour the 8 cups of milk into the crockpot. Turn the crockpot on low, put the lid on, and heat the milk for 2 1/2 hours. After that time, turn your crockpot off (unplug it!) and let it sit, covered, for 2 1/2 - 3 hours.

Then, remove 1-2 cups of the yogurt. Add the plain yogurt (your starter) and whisk in. At this point, I also whisk in the 1/2 cup of honey and TBSP of vanilla. Add the yogurt mixture back into the crockpot and whisk to combine. Cover the crockpot and wrap it in a thick towel to insulate it. Now you let the yogurt culture by letting it stand like this for 8+ hours. Most of the time I let it stand overnight.

The next morning, wha-laa! You have yogurt!

Yogurt being strained

Now, you can stop here, or, you can continue to thicken your yogurt further by staining it (which is what I do). To strain it, take a strainer, line it with a coffee filter, and place it over a bowl. Then ladle your yogurt into the strainer and place the bowl/strainer combo into the fridge where your yogurt can cool. After several hours, the whey will strain out of your yogurt, leaving it nice and thick! Scrape the yogurt out of the coffee filter and into a container (pour your whey into a container, too--don't throw it out!!!). This yields approximately 4 1/2 cups of yogurt and 3 1/2 cups of whey.

After the yogurt is thickened, you can add additional sweetener, if you desire.

Now, you're probably wondering, "What the heck do I do with the whey?" Whey is very nutritious, containing vitamins, minerals, and all those fabulous probiotics. If I don't plan on using it right away, I freeze the whey in ice trays (and then store in a freezer bag) for later use.

Here are some options for using your whey:
- Use as a replacement for buttermilk in recipes (it works great as the buttermilk substitue in Banana Pancakes!)
- Use as an acidic medium for soaking grains
- Add the frozen cubes of whey into smoothies for additional nutrition

Some additional notes on yogurt making:

• When I first started making yogurt, I added a package of unflavored gelatin in along with the starter and sweetener in an attempt to make sure my yogurt thickened. However, I have found that this does not make much of a difference!

• Some people suggest adding powdered milk to your yogurt to help it thicken. I have never tried this.

Homemade yogurt is now a favorite at our house! Try it for yourself.

Are any of you expert yogurt makers? What works/doesn't work for you?




Linked to Mouthwatering Monday, Tempt My Tummy Tuesday, Tuesdays At The Table, Tasty Tuesday, and Delicious Dishes.

Homemade Yogurt In The Crockpot