thursday. yogurt-making.

making yogurt is so flipping easy! not only that, but it's so flipping good for you. how easy is it you ask? well, if you ask me, anything that only requires one ingredient is pretty darn easy.

milk. real milk. most importantly, non-homogenized. well, and a cup or two of your last batch of yogurt to mix in to get the cultures going. that's it!

1. bring one gallon of milk to 160-180 degrees in a big pot on the stove. this will make a LOT of yogurt. don't let it boil! you'll have to start over. take it off the heat as soon as you get to the right temp (160 is perfect).
   
2. let the milk cool to between 110-120 degrees (shoot for somewhere in the middle).
3. take out 2 cups of milk and add to a medium-sized bowl, and mix in your 1-2 cups of yogurt starter—or dannon plain yogurt if you don't have a start already! mix. feel free to add probiotics from your health food store or super supplements type place.
   
4. add the mixture back into your warm milk pot, and mix well.
5. pour the contents into the inner bowl of your crock pot, put the lid on, wrap it in a couple towels and set it in your oven—no heat on! just turn on the light in your oven.
6. let it sit for 8-12 hours depending on how tart and thick you like it.
7. if you want to make greek-style yogurt, take your final product and strain through cheesecloth or a t-shirt to your desired consistency—I usually strain mine for about 3 hours, making it a sour cream-like texture. see my post on greek yogurt for more info!
   
8. flavor however you like and store in mason jars or tupperware in the fridge for 2+ weeks! try fruit, honey, maple syrup, or a spoonful of homemade blackberry jam does the trick for me!

p.s. if you save the whey (the watery stuff that strains out through the cloth, you can use it for lots of things! i.e. add to your vegetable stock, pour over your dog's dinner for extra nutrients, feed it to your flower bulbs, use in place of water when baking ... don't throw it out!