Homemade Yogurt

There is nothing more delicious and easy to make than homemade yogurt. All you need is a good bacterial culture starter, milk and a warm/room temperature spot in the house. My family has been making yogurt for generations and the recipe with specific techniques are passed down generation to generation. Homemade yogurt is fresh, healthy, easy-to-make in large batches and cheaper than the store-bought alternative. Are you ready to uncover the secret of making yogurt at home and getting it right each and every time? Here it is (shhhh... ;)

© Everything Family Guide

Materials

• A container with a fitted lid (plastic, stainless steel or glass; they all work).
• 1 cup Milk (preferably 2% and up; I use higher fat content for my growing kids but you can also keep it light for a healthier version)
• 2 Tbsp thick fatty yogurt (Greek yogurt is the best!)
• A pot for warming the milk

Procedure

1. Thoroughly wash and dry the container. 
2. Spoon 2 tbsp yogurt in the container and place the lid. Now shake the yogurt very well so that it coats all the corners of the container (hence the fitted container; to avoid messy spills).
3. Now take the lid off, make sure the yogurt is coated in all corners of the container (if not, then repeat step 2).
4. In the meantime, pour the milk in the pot and bring to medium low heat. When you start to see little bubbles form on the top edges of the pot, then turn off the heat.
5. Now, COMPLETELY cool the milk (I emphasize the word "completely" because if you don't then you won't get yogurt but runny goop..hehe). Check the temperature of the milk with your pinky finger; if it is at room temperature or just slightly warm, then the milk is ready).
6. The most important step is this one. PLEASE DO NOT MOVE THE CONTAINER WHILE OR AFTER POURING THE MILK! So place the container before pouring, in a safe, unreachable or unmovable spot (like the inside of a turned off oven or in the corner of the counter close to the stove). Milk needs a warm environment to begin the fermentation process of making yogurt. If you move it, then you won't make yogurt. 
7. Carefully pour the room temperature milk in the container and cover with the lid.
8. Finally, cover the container with a cheese cloth without moving the container and leave it as is for 1 whole night (around 12 hours).
9. Now the hardest part begins...waiting. I know you are tempted to see if your yogurt is ready but don't open it or it will be wasted and there will be no yogurt. This happened to one of my friends, but she got it right once she followed all my steps.
10. The next morning, carefully remove the cheese cloth and open the lid. Touch and taste from the corner of the container and if it is thick and acidic, then your yogurt is ready. (If the yogurt is not ready, place the lid and cheese cloth back on (w/out moving the container) and leave it for another 12 hours.) You are ready to serve homemade yogurt. Note: It is best to keep homemade yogurt refrigerated.

Enjoy! Tell me how it turned out...
Annie