Yogurt

Here is my yogurt recipe which I thought a particular member of our blog would really enjoy. :)

Makes 2 quarts

1 1/2 cups good quality commercial plain yogurt (plain Mountain High yogurt or Trader Joe's Organic Lowfat plain yogurt work well for the culture), or 1/2 cup yogurt from previous batch
2 quarts pasteurized organic Whole Milk (I like to use 'Full Circle'), non-homogenized
a candy thermometer
Two 2qt. pots
Wire whisk
cooling rack
ceramic, glass, or stainless steel shallow dish with lid

Heat each quart of milk in separate pots to about 180 degrees. (It will take longer to heat if you heat both quarts in the same pot.) Keep the lids on the pots as it prevents the milk from scumming up and speeds up the process; but make sure to check frequently so you don't overheat.
Once the thermometer reads between 175-180 degrees, remove pots from stove and place on cooling rack as far from each other as possible leaving the lids off. 
Let cool to 110 degrees- but not below.

Use your wire whisk to gently lift scum off that forms on top of milk occasionally and stir to speed up the cooling process.

Once it has cooled to the desired temperature (110 degrees) pour both pots of milk into designated dish and gently stir in yogurt till no clumps remain.

Cover and place in oven ( I like to use my convection setting on the oven as it keeps a more even temperature) set at 110 degrees. 

Leave for about 8 hours and then place in refrigerator.

 





Notes:
If you make the yogurt in the early afternoon then you can place it in the frig before you go to bed and it will be ready to eat in the morning.
Or you can make it in the evening and let it sit in the warm oven overnight and put it in the frig in the morning.

You may have to experiment with different brands of culture, different dished to put the yogurt in, and the temperature of the oven (can be as low as 95 degrees and as high as 150 degrees) to produce the best yogurt as altitude, temperature, and culture can have great effects on the taste and texture of your yogurt; thought mostly just the texture.

Do NOT use Trader Joe's Whole Milk Plain yogurt (is in a red container) unless you want VERY soupy yogurt- it turns out more like Kefir but with a yogurt taste and has a lot of exuding whey.