do it yourself -- yogurt

my mom and dad used to make homemade yogurt when i was younger. i didn't really like it. it was tart, not sweet, and didn't taste like the "candy" varieties (ahem, yoplait) i was used to. i guess my taste buds have grown up because i am a plain yogurt lover. a year ago, i decided to make my own. i found some recipes on allrecipes.com (<-click here to see them) and had fun experimenting. back then i didn't have a yogurt maker so this is what i did instead: (you really need a cooking thermometer to make this.)

in a large glass bowl, heat 4 cups of milk to 180-185 degrees (i use the microwave). once the milk has reached desired temperature, let it cool to 115 degrees while covered with plastic wrap. mix some of the warm milk with 2 tablespoons of plain yogurt containing active cultures. before adding the yogurt, stir 1/3 cup powdered milk into the warmed milk. then pour the thinned yogurt into the bowl, (you don't need to stir it again) re-cover the bowl with plastic wrap as well as a towel and put in a warm place where it will stay between 112-115 degrees. i used a hot pad, but a heating blanket will work too. let it "incubate" for 6-8 hours. the longer you leave it, the thicker and more tart it will get. then refrigerate for at least 4 hours.

i've had to play around with the recipe a few times to get it right and once i got my yogurt maker, (thanks mom and dad!) i had to experiment some more to get the results i wanted. my batches always end up with a layer of clear liquid on the top. i never stir it in, just pour it out before i use it and it stays nice and thick. just remember this yogurt is "homemade". it doesn't have the gelatin, or other stabilizers to give it the same texture of store bought yogurt.

i came up with the following on my own because the recipes that came with my yogurt maker didn't give me the texture i wanted.

yogurt maker yogurt:

heat 2 cups milk until it reaches 180-185 degrees. meanwhile, pour 1 cup powdered milk in a pint measuring cup. fill the measuring cup with cold water until the level reaches 2 cups. stir in the powdered milk until well combined. mix 2 tablespoons plain yogurt with 2 tablespoons of the cold milk. then, mix the hot milk with the cold milk but do not add thinned yogurt yet. pour the hot/cold milk mixture into the yogurt maker jars. divide the thinned yogurt among the jars, but do not stir it in. place the jars in the yogurt maker, cover with the lid and turn the timer on for 6 to 7 hours. when the yogurt is done, put the lids on the jars and refrigerate them for at least 4 hours.

i love to eat yogurt with this granola recipe, (<-click link), substitute it for sour cream, and add it to smoothies.