Want to save money and know what's in your yogurt? May Grandma always used to make her own, and my sister reminded me how to do it. It's pretty easy to make your own. Here's how:
1. Pour milk (I use 1 gallon) into large pan. Set yogurt starter-"store bought" yogurt out to warm on counter top (I use at least 2 cups).
Bring milk to scalding point-it will get a bit of a "skin" on top.
Remove from heat and add sweetner. I like to use Splenda and it only takes about 1/2 cup because milk is already sweet. You can experiment with the amounts and sweetners that you like. Stir well and then let it cool to room temperature.
2. Once the milk has cooled to room temp. it is time to mix in the yogurt starter-stir well. If you do it too soon and the milk is too warm, it will kill the starter and the yogurt will not set up. If it is added too late, after the milk starts getting cold, it will not activate the starter, and it will not set up. So, this step is important. Timing will depend on how much milk you are doing and how hot it got, so just keep an eye on it. It will probably be at least 30 -60 min. to cool. Then, comes the fun part. You can add whatever flavorings and colorings you like. Some that we like are vanilla, strawberry, raspberry, peach, blackberry. We buy the big bottles of syrup (they also make sugar-free) at bulk places, like Winco or Smart and Final.
Ya, this picture is out of order. When will I get it? It should be second.
3. Put newly mixed yogurt into clean, dry containers and set on a cookie sheet in the oven. My grandma always just turned the oven light on overnight to keep it warm enough to set up. If you don't have a light, you can slightly preheat the oven but be sure to turn it off before you put the yogurt in. Too much heat is bad! About containers-I use glass jars and plastic containers and they all seem to work equally well.
This is what the yogurt will probably look like after it has set up overnight. After it is stirred, it will look "pretty".
Savings:
1 gallon or 4 quarts of milk: $2.70
1 quart of yogurt: $2.49
Homemade yogurt is less than 1/3 the cost of storebought.
3 comments:
Love all your helpful hints.
We make yogurt on and off but never thought of using flavored syrup! How much do you use to flavor a gallon of milk???
How much does a bottle of the syrup cost?
Thanks! We eat two large containers of yogurt a week. I am really excited to try this!!
I checked at Winco the other day-it's about $6.50 a bottle. We also mix it with icecream and the kids use it for snowcones. So, if this is too big for your family, you could easily use the smaller bottles of flavorings. I just flavor it to taste.
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