Do It Yourself Tuesdays: Make Your Own Yogurt!

May 12, 2009     Posted in Cool Stuff

[Ever see something you want but don’t have the money to buy? Ever get sick of studying/watching TV and have the urge to get crafty and make things on your own? We know! Us too! We just don’t know where to start, which is why we got some of CollegeCandy’s craftiest writers to share their favorite DIY projects with everyone. These things are easy, fun and a great way to save some serious cashola.]


By Carly

We all love yogurt—it packs the power of protein, it tastes great, and it goes with pretty much anything. Slop it on top of some cereal, and there’s breakfast. Yogurt with fresh berries and honey makes a good snack or a small lunch. And fresh yogurt can be used to make curries, raita, or other delicious dinner sauces.

Drooling yet?

Here’s the thing – all that yogurting can get really expensive. But you don’t have to buy it!  Seriously. You can make your own, and it’s so simple! And natural! And cheap! (What? You don’t get this excited about yogurt?)

Step 1: Head to the grocery store and buy a half-gallon of 1%, 2%, or whole milk (skim doesn’t work very well for yogurt-making). While you’re there, pick up a small (4-6 ounces) container of starter yogurt. It should be plain or vanilla. This is the last container of yogurt you will ever have to buy.

Step 2: Put the whole half gallon of milk in a big pot, and place that pot in an even bigger pot that’s filled with a couple inches of boiling water. Cook until you can see bubbles in the milk.

Step 3: Take your small yogurt container out of the fridge and bring it to room temperature.

Step 4: Stick your bubbly milk in the freezer for about 15 minutes, until it’s still warm but won’t hurt your finger if you pop it in.

Step 5: Get a small bowl, and empty the yogurt container into the bowl. Take a few spoonfuls of the boiled milk, and whisk it together with the yogurt until it’s smooth and liquidy.

Step 6: Add the milk/yogurt mixture from the bowl to the rest of the boiled milk. Mix.

Step 7: In a glass or plastic container (or several), leave the boiled milk (now including the yogurt) in a very warm place, such as your oven with the pilot light on, for 5-10 hours. Overnight is fine.

Step 8: Wake up, wash those crusties out of your eyes and go to your kitchen. Voila – yogurt! Remove it from the warm place and enjoy! If you like it thick, feel free to drain off the whey by soaking the yogurt in a sieve with paper towel or cheesecloth. Or just mix it and eat it as is.

Yummmm!

7 Comments on "Do It Yourself Tuesdays: Make Your Own Yogurt!"

  1. Charlotte says:
    Tue, 12th May 200912:47 pm 

    Yogurt…warm??

    And where does the flavor come in, won't it taste like boiled thick milk?

    Lol this is probably why I suck at cooking.

  2. Tellie says:
    Tue, 12th May 20093:17 pm 

    Umm, Ewww.

    It would probably be cheaper just to buy your own yogurt especially with milk being as expensive as it is. What if you want flavoring? Then buying the "strawberries" definitely doesn't make this endeavor cost effective.

    This also sounds like a health hazard…leaving milk out overnight? Especially when it is summer and humid, the milk will spoil!

    I would never ever ever do this. Ever.

  3. Annie says:
    Tue, 12th May 20094:25 pm 

    Make sure the yogurt you use as a starter has active cultures.

    Tellie:

    Hello? This is how yogurt is made. Why would it be a health hazard?

    As for the cost, a gallon of milk around here costs about three dollars while a minuscule plastic container on flavored yogurt costs anywhere from 50 cents to a dollar. Yogurt can in fact be eaten unflavored and strawberries aren't that expensive anyway. You can also use less expensive fruits. Ever think of banana yogurt or apple yogurt? You can stir in vanilla extract and make a homemade McDonalds fruit and walnut salad, whatever.

    That being said, yogurt does gross me out a little. XD Nice article though.

  4. beth says:
    Tue, 12th May 20094:35 pm 

    Re-run :) Someone else posted this one a few months ago. But its' a good idea though.

    http://collegecandy.com/2008/04/25/make-your-own-…

  5. beth says:
    Tue, 12th May 20094:42 pm 

    Tellie- that is how yogurt is made commercially… I'm not sure how you thought it was made… It isn't a health hazard if it is refrigerated after it is thickened. The warmth is required for the bacteria to culture, thickening the yougurt. Good bacteria that is. Any bad bacteria is killed off when the milk is scalded and the jars are sterilized.

    It is definitely cheaper to make your own. Like Annie said, a GALLON of milk is only about 3.50, and you get get tiny yogurt packages for what… 5 for 4 dollars?? and you also control what goes in it- No preservatives, no chemicals, just milk, and yogurt cultures.

    There are TONS of people in the United States, not to mention the rest of the world who make their own yogurt, as well as cheese, butter and many other dairy products- as long as you properly sterilize everything like you are supposed to, there is no health risk.

  6. Tellie says:
    Wed, 13th May 20095:47 am 

    I know how yogurt is made. Obviously none of ya'll live in Florida. If I leave a loaf of bread out for a couple hours in the summer, it will start to mold. I prefer MY yogurt be made in a controlled, sanitized environment, and at the right temperature :)

  7. Beth says:
    Wed, 13th May 20099:09 pm 

    LOL I live in Georgia, I think they invented bread boxes with us in mind.

Tell us what you're thinking...