Making Yogurt in a Crockpot

We eat a lot of yogurt. The active cultures in yogurt and kefir are a boon to good health. Aiding in digestion and utilization of nutrients, strengthening the immune system, keeping candida and other unwanted pathogens at bay, even contributing to healthy skin... yogurt should be a staple of every good diet.

Have you found that yogurt can be pricey? Especially if you want to buy organic! Especially for a big family...

I have been making our yogurt since grad school days. Since good quality milk is much cheaper than yogurt, I have found that making yogurt at home keeps our grocery budget from skyrocketing. In times past, I made a quart of yogurt at a time. Then, I upped it to two quarts. Now, with six yogurt eaters in the family, we can easily eat a quart a day! I was getting weary of making yogurt over and over again...

So I decided I would try to make a gallon at a time. I thought using my crockpot would be the best solution for this large volume. I found that using a crock pot to make yogurt can't be more simple!

In my experimentation, I started with the how-to on Nourishing Days. (Read the detailed steps here.) However the instructions there are for making only two quarts... which may be exactly the volume you need to make for your family. If so, visit Nourishing Days for the exact timing for each step. But, if you are like me and need to make a gallon... here's how I tweaked the timing to make the process work for me.

Like I said, it's really simple. But times do matter because temperatures matter with yogurt. You may want to follow the timing laid out below, but use a thermometer to double check temperatures... just to be sure. Crock pots may vary in their performance, so using a thermometer the first time may prevent failure.

• Pour one gallon of milk in a crock pot set on low.
• Leave for 5 hours and 45 minutes. At that point, the milk should be 180 degrees.
• Turn the crock pot off, unplug it. Let cool for 4 hours. At that point, the milk should be 110-115 degrees.
• Ladle out about three cups of the warm milk into a bowl. Gently wisk in one cup of plain yogurt (either from a previous batch or from store-bought yogurt if this is your first time). Then gently wisk this four cup mixture back into the whole batch of milk.
• Wrap the crock pot in two heavy towels to keep in warmth, and leave it alone to culture for 8-12 hours. (Less time equals less tart, more time yields more tart.)
• Move the lidded crock pot crock to the refrigerator and let set for about 8 hours. During this time, it will thicken, or what I call "set".
• At that point, you can stir up the yogurt and transfer to quart glass jars for storage.
• You may want to add some maple syrup to one quart for sweetened yogurt. Or some all-fruit preserves for flavored yogurt. Or, you can just keep it plain for use in smoothies and other recipes.

Not difficult at all, right? It does take about 24 hours, but none of the steps require much work.

One note: I used non-homogenized milk, which I won't do again. Because the milk sits still for so long while heating, the cream separated to the top. In the end, there were some tiny lumps of creaminess. It didn't affect the flavor or the usability (especially since most of our yogurt is for smoothies), but I plan on skimming the cream off next time.

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For your health,

Two Links

Dear Readers,

I hope that you are well! Even though I am still technically taking a blogging break, I have two links I want to share with you.

First, I have wanted to post about lacto-fermentation for a while. Simply, this is a process by which food can be preserved. Lacto-fermented foods are hugely beneficial to our systems since they contain prolific friendly bacteria. They are served as a condiment with each meal in order to increase the assimilation of the meal's nutrients. Sally Fallon includes a chapter on these foods in her book Nourishing Traditions. Now Shannon at Nourishing Days is posting a series on making these foods. It's worth checking out!

Second, I would like to share with you an interesting article on an investigative report into the lead content of crock pots... You might be thinking "Yikes!" The article is eye-opening. When lead content is below the approved FDA level, manufacturers are not required to disclose the amount that leaches into food. Yet it is the cumulative amount that effects our bodies. Read the article if you're curious... and be sure to read the first comment too!

May the rest of your week be full of joy with your family and in the kitchen!

Simple Changes -- Substituting with Plain Yogurt

I am continually amazed at how useful Plain Yogurt has proven itself to be in our family. Really, we go through quarts of it! (It is really simple to make at home.)

Did you know that you can use Plain Yogurt as a healthy substitution for Sour Cream? You should try it! It can be used in dips, in Mexican dishes, dolloped on soups or chili. Where else do you use Sour Cream? In most cases, I bet you could make a switch.

You can also substitute Plain Yogurt for Mayonnaise at times. I do when I make Potato Salad. I just mix some fresh herbs, salt, fresh garlic and Plain Yogurt in with cooked potatoes... sometimes I mix in a little brown mustard as well... throw in some green onion, diced bell pepper and black olives... or whatever veggies strike your fancy... and Voila! You've got some healthy potato salad. I get rave reviews on my potato salad at picnics. No one even knows it's loaded with probiotics ;-)

So what do you use Plain Yogurt for? I'd like to know...

For more Works For Me Wednesday Tips, check out WeAreThatFamily.

The What and How of Yogurt, Plus a Bonus Recipe!

I received an email earlier today about making yogurt. As I started to type out the information, I decided to share it for every one's benefit. The friendly bacteria found in yogurt is a necessary component of good health. People Groups spanning the entire course of history have included some form of cultured food in their diets. A proper balance of Friendly Bacteria in the colon has been found to control yeasts and other harmful pathogens, produce certain B Vitamins, aid in the digestion and absorption of nutrients, and establish a strong Immune System. Like I said, it is one very significant part of a healthy body!

Can you make yogurt?
It is actually a lot more simple than most people think. I have friends that even make it without a yogurt maker. You can use the pilot light in your gas oven for the right temperature. Or you can wrap a quart jar in a heating pad. I do use two yogurt makers, which keeps things very convenient. I'm thankful for my appliances!

Here's what I do:

• Heat two quarts of real milk to 180 degrees.
• Cool to about 112 degrees.
• Mix a portion of the warm milk into 1/4 cup of yogurt, either from your previous batch or from store bought plain yogurt. (I use store bought yogurt for a starter about every sixth time. And, usually, I can buy that yogurt on Manager's Special at my grocer's so this is not a significant extra cost.)
• Mix that mixture into the rest of the warm milk.
• Culture for 14 hours. (The proper instructions say to culture for about 8 hours, but we like tang! and lots of friendly bacteria.)

One of my children's favorite breakfasts is Orange-y Yogurt with granola sprinkled in. Since our yogurt is a nicely thick consistency, I can mix about 2 cups of it with a cup of Orange Juice. I add in a couple of swirls of honey and stir it until smooth. Yum-O. : )

A word about commercial yogurt. If you do not make your own, use only plain yogurt purchased from the store and add in your own sweeteners and fruit. The amount of sugar or artificial sweeteners in flavored yogurt feeds the unfriendly yeasts and bacteria in your system and negates the benefits of the friendly bacteria.

When eating daily yogurt is not a possibility or when we need extra Immune Support, this is the probiotic we use. It has a triple coating "to protect beneficial microflora during the rigors of shipping, storage, and the acidic journey through your stomach. Other products claim live microflora at the time of manufacture, but [this one] guarantees the delivery of live microflora to your colon." My children are able to swallow this tiny pearl as well.