Description
Learn how to make rich, creamy, and tangy homemade yogurt with only a few simple ingredients. This easy recipe guides you through heating, cooling, culturing, and incubating milk to create wholesome yogurt without preservatives, customizable to your preferred thickness and flavor.
Ingredients
Scale
Essential Ingredients
- 4 cups whole milk (or 2%/skim milk for lighter yogurt)
- 2 tablespoons plain yogurt starter with live active cultures
Optional Ingredients
- Honey, vanilla extract, or fresh fruit for flavoring after incubation
Instructions
- Heat the Milk: Gently heat the milk in a saucepan to about 180°F (82°C) to kill unwanted bacteria and prepare proteins for smooth texture. Stir occasionally to prevent scorching.
- Cool the Milk: Remove the milk from heat and allow it to cool to approximately 110°F (43°C), creating an ideal environment for bacterial cultures to thrive.
- Add Yogurt Starter: Mix a small amount of the cooled milk with plain yogurt starter until smooth, then stir this mixture back into the bulk milk evenly to distribute live cultures.
- Incubate: Pour the mixture into a clean container and cover. Incubate at a steady warm temperature of about 110°F (43°C) for 6-12 hours using a yogurt maker, oven with light on, or warm insulated place to ferment.
- Refrigerate: Once set, refrigerate the yogurt for at least 2 hours to firm up and develop flavor before enjoying.
Notes
- Choose fresh, high-quality milk for best flavor and texture.
- Maintain consistent incubation temperature to ensure proper setting and prevent curdling.
- Use fresh yogurt starter with active live cultures to guarantee fermentation success.
- Keep all equipment clean and sanitized to avoid contamination.
- Adjust incubation time to control tartness and thickness to your preference.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 6 to 12 hours incubation
- Category: Appetizers
- Method: Incubation
- Cuisine: Universal
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/2 cup (120 ml)
- Calories: 90
- Sugar: 7g
- Sodium: 50mg
- Fat: 5g
- Saturated Fat: 3g
- Unsaturated Fat: 1g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 7g
- Fiber: 0g
- Protein: 5g
- Cholesterol: 20mg
Keywords: homemade yogurt, creamy yogurt, yogurt recipe, yogurt starter, fermentation, healthy yogurt, dairy-free yogurt option, greek yogurt, probiotic yogurt
