Today we have a very fun post from a very fun guest blogger, Maria Lichty of the food blog Two Peas and Their Pod. She is going to tell us all about homemade yogurt, something I’ve yet to make and am now super excited about trying!
Like our last guest, Maria has been commenting and posting menus on This Week for Dinner for years (and she’s another of my blogging friends I have actually met in person!). Maria is a sweetie and writes about her cooking adventures with her husband, Josh (hence TWO peas). They have a great food blog (hello oodles of amazing vegetarian recipes) and you can read more about Maria and Josh in a recent interview on The Pioneer Woman’s Tasty Kitchen website. Without further ado, I present Maria!
First of all, I am thrilled to be a guest blogger for TWFD. I have been following Jane’s blog for quite some time now. I love her recipes, photos, stories, sense of humor, ok – I just love everything about Jane. She is the best, but you all know that.
Today I am going to share a recipe that will change your life for the better – homemade yogurt. I love yogurt. I enjoy it for breakfast, a healthy snack, or even dessert. I usually eat one a day. Greek yogurt is my favorite – I love Fage brand. Unfortunately, it is not cheap. A single, 6-oz. serving is usually $2.00 or more. Not so friendly on the pocketbook if you eat one every day. I tried to cut back on my yogurt intake because it was so expensive, but depression soon set in. Not really, but I missed it! 🙂 I decided it was time to start making my own yogurt at home.
I really wasn’t sure how, so I did some research and consulted with my Twitter friends. I purchased a yogurt maker and set up my “yogurt lab.” I was amazed at how easy it was to make. Basically, you heat up some milk, cool it down, whisk in a 6-oz. yogurt with the milk, and then let it “sleep” in the yogurt machine for 12 hours. How simple is that?
Instead of paying $2 every day for yogurt, I just purchase one Greek yogurt to use as my starter and then I have a week’s worth of yogurt. Making our own yogurt has saved us a lot of money. Yes, we had to buy the yogurt maker, but it has already paid for itself”¦and then some.
I always start my yogurt at night so it is ready when I wake up in the morning. It really is that simple. And it tastes just as good, maybe even a little better, because homemade recipes always come with extra love!
Here is my basic recipe:
- 42 ounces fresh milk, we use skim
- 6 oz. plain yogurt, we use fat free Fage for our starter (use your favorite brand)
- Pour milk into a high-sided saucepan. Place a candy thermometer on the side of the pan. Heat the milk until it reaches-180 degrees. The milk will start to climb the side of the pan.
- Remove pan from heat and allow the milk to cool to lukewarm-110 degrees. To speed up the process you can place the pan in an ice bath. Sometimes I do this and sometimes I am just lazy and let it cool on its own. Both ways work.
- When the yogurt is cool, put the yogurt starter in a large bowl. Stir in some of the milk. Whisk well. Make sure the yogurt is dissolved. Add the rest of the milk and whisk until smooth.
- Pour the mixture into the jars of the yogurt maker. Follow the yogurt maker’s instructions. We usually do ours so it rests overnight. It takes 10-12 hours. We usually let it rest for 12 hours because we like our yogurt thicker.
- When the yogurt is done resting, chill it in the fridge with the lids on the jars. The yogurt will stay good for 10 days.
Make sure you choose a yogurt starter that has live active cultures.
Use the freshest milk and yogurt you can find.
I use fat free Greek yogurt because that is the yogurt I like. You can use a yogurt with fat. It just depends on your preference.
I use fat free milk and yogurt and the finished product is thick enough for me.
You can use your homemade yogurt as the starter, but only once.
If you want really thick yogurt you can strain it with a cheese cloth or coffee filters.
So what are you waiting for? If you are a yogurt fanatic like me, start making your own. It is so easy, a lot cheaper, and it’s good for you!
For an extra special treat, try a yogurt parfait with fresh fruit and homemade granola. Double Yum!
Thanks again Jane for letting me do a guest post. Come visit Two Peas and Their Pod anytime – our kitchen is always open! 🙂
- You can make flavored yogurt by adding honey, fruit, or jam, but we prefer plain. I usually add fresh fruit and sometimes a drizzle of agave nectar to my plain yogurt.
Hi! My name is Jane Maynard and you've landed yourself on my blog, This Week for Dinner™. Every Sunday I share a weekly menu...and count on you to share yours! You'll also find other deliciousness that I hope you'll enjoy!
Thanks Jane for letting me be a guest blogger:) I hope your readers enjoy the post and start making their own yogurt. It really is the best!
Maria definitely is a sweetie! I really need to try making yogurt. Jane – your blog is the first food blog I stumbled across before I started blogging. I was Googling the calorie count of a Dunford Donut and your blog came up and really sparked my interest in blogging. So thanks! I’ve been more of a lurker lately, but still really enjoy your site!
I really need to make yogurt. I buy 2 large tubs a week and it’s about 8 dollars a week just on yogurt. Ridiculous! Thanks, Maria!
This looks amazing!!
I’ve always wanted to try making yogurt. Has anyone done it without an official “machine”? I’ve seen recipes using a crockpot or even the oven. Do I dare?
This reminds me of my mother’s attempts at making yogurt when I was growing up in the 70s…She had those blue yogurt making cups and everything!
I’ve been thinking about using my crockpot, as I have a crockpot-based recipe – I think this weekend will be time to finally try it! I always blanch when I spend so much on my precious yogurt!!
Thanks for the kind comments:)
Kami-you can make the yogurt without a yogurt maker-we got one because we had a gift card to Williams Sonoma:) I love our maker, but you can use your oven. Here is a post with the information: http://www.applepiepatispate.com/dairy/homemade-yogurt/
I hope this helps!
If you want to purchase a yogurt maker, I like this one: http://astore.amazon.com/twpeanthpo-20/detail/B001I6Q48W
I absolutely love homemade yogurt and have been making it for years. I make it similar to this recipe, but I have never used a yogurt machine. Instead I pour the yogurt and the starter into a thermos (any size that works, I make a gallon of yogurt at a time) and put the lid on tight. It keeps the milk insulated and warm. It sets up in about 8-12 hours. Also, you can add sugar and vanilla to the milk at the very beginning before heating it, but it cannot be used as a starter later.
I’m so glad maria wrote this post b/c I probably never would have thought about making yogurt…love all your comments and I think I just might have to give it a try!
Thanks Maria… I was so inspired that I bought a yogurt maker on-line today! I can’t wait to try your recipe!
Thanks for reminding me how easy and tasty homemade yogurt is. I usually make it by putting it in a glass jar on my veranda in the summer. I’ll have to try a thermos to sate a winter craving!! Thanks again!
I’ve been wanting to make yogurt but still doing more research on how to do it without a yogurt maker. But this post is really helpful. Glad to find your blog through Maria.
I made the black bean/sweet potato soup for lunch today and loved it!
To all those who want to know how to make yogurt without a yogurt maker–I have tried many methods. My crockpot even on low setting was too warm and the yogurt scorched around the edges. Not good. My favorite method is to pour the warm (110-120 degrees) milk/yogurt mixture into glass jars or plastic containers, and place them in a small cooler lined with a fleece blanket. Wrap the jars well, close the lid, and wait 8-12 hours. Refrigerate. I get thick creamy yogurt every time. Also, I mix up powdered milk to make my yogurt, which allows me to skip the first step of heating the milk to 180 degrees.
Looks fantastic!!! Love Yoghurt
Has anyone ever tried making it with a scraped vanilla bean pod in it? I’m thinking it would be good but some of my experiments with vanilla beans aren’t so good…
Wow, this is a great idea! Looks like it can be made with our without a yogurt maker so anyone can make it. Thanks for sharing!