Raw Milk Yogurt

Yogurt is easy to make.  Now, I have taken approximately a year and a half to get this to where I want it to be.  I couldn't quite figure out what I was doing wrong.  Something just wasn't right.  Come to find out, my thermometer was broken and I had been heating the milk too high.  Oops.  Now that I know this, viola, my yogurt has been a perfect success! Now you can do this without going through all the issues I did! I don't even bother putting it into a bowl anymore....it lasts me two days.  Sometimes, I will make yogurt cheese with the other half of the gallon.  Whatever you decide, have fun!

3 1/2 quarts Raw milk, preferably, but organic whole milk is next best

2 cups raw cream, or organic cream, not half and half, pure cream

3 TB culture previous batch or commercial yogurt

Cheesecloth

Mix together milk and cream into a gallon sized bowl.  Heat milk in a large stock pot to 110 degrees, should be slightly warmer then your pinkie.  Remove from heat.  Take 1 cup of heated milk and mix culture thoroughly together till blended.  Remove 3 TB of milk prior to pouring the mixed culture back into the pot.  Stir well.  Pour milk into one gallon glass jar or four glass quarts jars, cover with lids.  Shake jar(s) to mix well again. 

Place the gallon jar into a large stock pot and fill with hot water.  Do not over the jar, leave 2 inches or so above the water.  Place lid on stock pot and wrap two towels around the stock pot to keep warm.  Let sit for at least 13 hours and no longer than 24 hours.  My favorite has been the 15 hour mark. 

Once you are ready to check the yogurt, tilt the jar to the side and the yogurt should pull away from the glass in a thick mass. 

  

I will take half of the gallon jar and strain in the cheesecloth for up to 3 hours. 

Take a wooden spoon to stir around the yogurt to keep the whey draining.  Keep the whey, the by-product, for a later use. 

Empty the cheesecloth into a bowl and blend with a hand held blender till smooth.  Here is where you can add *flavor to your yogurt.  Refrigerate.  Will last up to 2 weeks before going "bad", but will last up to a week before it gets eaten all up! 

Makes 1 gallon of Yogurt.

*Flavoring

2 cups of yogurt

1/2-3/4 cup Honey

Blend till smooth.

2 cups of yogurt

1/2 cup peanut butter

Blend till smooth.

2 cups of yogurt

1TB of real vanilla extract

Blend till smooth.