How I Make Yogurt

1 small cooler
3 3-cup mason jars, with lids and rings or 2 4-cup and 1 pint mason jars
1 8 cup Pyrex glass pitcher
1 stainless steel spoon
1 oil/water thermometer
1 microwave
Hot water from the tap
1 quart of milk
1 cup of yogurt

Make sure all your accessories are clean and preferably sterilized. Fill all three jars with 110 degree water from your tap set them in the cooler and then fill the cooler to just the shoulder of the jars. The reason I only fill the water in the cooler to the shoulder of the jar is so the lids and rings don't rust from being under water for 12 hours. Use the thermometer to figure out your water temperature. I am lucky enough to have the hottest water from the tap be at 110 degrees Fahrenheit, which is what you want your water temperature for the yogurt to be. Fill the Pyrex pitcher with all of the milk. One minute at a time heat it in the microwave stirring and checking the temperature till it reaches 110 degrees Fahrenheit. Slowly stir in the cup of yogurt, this will lower the temperature slightly. Take a jar out of the cooler, pour the water into the sink, and fill the jar with the milk-yogurt mixture. Screw the ring down over the lid on the jar and place the jar back into the cooler. Do this for all three jars then close the lid of the cooler.

Since you want to keep your water temperature between 110 and 90 degrees Fahrenheit for 12 hours you will need to replace the water when or before it reaches 90 degrees. I have noted in my kitchen it is about every 2 hours and I set my kitchen timer accordingly. When you replace the water simply open the lid, remove the jars, pour the water out, run the tap to 110 degrees, place the jars back into the cooler, fill to the top of the shoulder of the jars, close the lid, and reset the timer. The refilling process takes about 2 minutes. After 12 hours, remove the jars and set them in the refrigerator for one day before enjoying your homemade yogurt. When you open the 3rd jar, make more yogurt.

The yogurt I like, and use for the initial starter, costs around $4.50 a quart. The milk I purchase for making yogurt is around $3.00 for 2 quarts. So as you can see I'm yielding just over 2 quarts of yogurt for $1.50 less than the cost of one. Also as an F.Y.I. most persons who cannot consume milk, like myself, can eat yogurt because of the beneficial bacteria which aids in digestion. And you can use yogurt to bake with. I made some delicious cornbread just the other day using yogurt instead of milk. But that's a recipe for another day.