Heating Pad/Canning Jars Yogurt

[JoMama]

I've been making this for about 15 years ... it is EASY ... it works ... and it is fabulous!


Heating Pad / Canning Jars Yogurt


Don’t waste your money on a commercial yogurt maker!

Equipment needed:

6-quart stainless-steel kettle

Cheese or yeast thermometer (Needs to go from about 100 degrees to 220 degrees. An instant-response meat thermometer will do fine.)

4 quarts fresh whole milk (Skimmed may be used … but I love whole milk.)

Heat diffuser or flame tamer (Bent up metal coat-hangers work great on electric stoves.)

Three 1-quart wide-mouthed canning jars, with lids and rings, sterilized

Two or Three 1-pint wide-mouthed canning jars, with lids and rings, sterilized

Electric heating pad (Go look in your bathroom closet! ATTENTION: Make certain it is a model you can adjust to not having the timer turn it off automatically at 20 minutes.)

About 4 heavy bath towels.

Yogurt starter (Health food stores can provide you with a Bulgarian yogurt starter.)

Place the milk in a large stainless-steel pot and gently heat to 180 degrees, using the flame tamer and the thermometer. Remove from the heat and cool the milk to 115 degrees. Have all other equipment ready as this temperature is important. Have the jars ready. Have the heating pad set at low heat on counter. Use a glass 2-cup measuring cup and remove 1 cup of the milk from the pan. Stir about 1 tablespoon of the yogurt starter into the milk. Stir this mixture into the milk in the pot. Stir well so that you will produce a smooth yogurt. Quickly fill and seal the jars and then place all jars on the heating pad. Cover well with the heavy bath towels so that the jars stay warm for the night. After 8 hours, you will have a thick and usable yogurt. If you let it sit longer, however, up to 16 hours, you will have a much more tangy yogurt. Refrigerate.

NOTE: When you make your next batch of yogurt, you will not need a new powdered starter. Remember to save 1 of the pints of yogurt from the previous batch. Stir this into the 115 milk as your starter. Of course you will need only 3 quarts plus 2 cups of milk. You can keep making your own yogurt like this forever!

[Uncle Bob]

Great idea!!! Have you ever used any type of flavoring in the yogurt?

[JoMama]

Originally Posted by Uncle Bob

Great idea!!! Have you ever used any type of flavoring in the yogurt?

Although I've never added anything to the heating pad yogurt I've made, I guess things could be added afterwards.

While with the U.S. Navy, we lived in Iceland for a year ... Icelander's 'yogurt' (called Skyr & actually a cheese - I think) - albeit thicker than our 'Yankee' yogurt - is served plain ... but topped with some heavy cream (there goes my cholesteral count ... awww, what do all those doctors know anyway!!!) and a sprinkle of sugar ... HEAVENLY!

[Callisto in NC]

Sounds really expensive and complicated. What does it normally cost you to make such a thing?

[JoMama]

Besides the cost of the heating pad or canning jars ... figure a gallon of milk (@ $4) and yogurt starter (@ $3) & you get at least a gallon of yummy yogurt. Hope that helps ... really good stuff!

[Yakuta]

O.K. simpler than this to make yogurt. About 1/2 gallon of milk and a small container of plain yogurt (any brand will do, you can get them 4 for a dollar).

I think I have posted my recipe many many times here. All you do is leave the yogurt so that it is room temperature. Bring milk to a rolling boil, stir the yogurt and milk in a clean container. Stir a little milk in the yogurt first before pouring the rest. Put it in the warmest part of your house or if you live in a cold place, turn your oven to 180, then shut it and then put the yogurt in it.

In the morning remove and refrigerate and in a few hours it should be nice and thick like the one you get commercially.

[Leolady]

Originally Posted by Yakuta

O.K. simpler than this to make yogurt. About 1/2 gallon of milk and a small container of plain yogurt (any brand will do, you can get them 4 for a dollar).

I think I have posted my recipe many many times here. All you do is leave the yogurt so that it is room temperature. Bring milk to a rolling boil, stir the yogurt and milk in a clean container. Stir a little milk in the yogurt first before pouring the rest. Put it in the warmest part of your house or if you live in a cold place, turn your oven to 180, then shut it and then put the yogurt in it.

In the morning remove and refrigerate and in a few hours it should be nice and thick like the one you get commercially.

I have always used a sterilized 2 quart or one gallon thermos jug to make my yogurt in. That way you don't have to worry about using any electricity at all to keep it warm enough. It always makes a great product and you can make as much as you want in that one container.

[Yakuta]

Hi LeoLady, that sounds like a good idea for the initial setup but I like to refrigerate it for several hours the next day so it sets really well and for that reason I put it in a container with a lid. This way I can use what I want and leave the rest and use that later.