Creamy, thick, silky smooth, slightly tart is what yogurt is all about. Eating this homemade yogurt sends me into a dreamy relaxed state. This is a tasty healthy meal or snack that comes together with only two ingredients and is unbelievably easy to make.
What is Yogurt
Yogurt is typically milk that has been fermented at a certain temperature along with some kind of bacteria that results in a thick, creamy, semi-solid food. Other “milks” can be used to make yogurt. However, milk will produce a super thick consistency without adding additional thickening ingredients.
What You’ll Love About Yogurt
Yogurt can be eaten plain, greek style, added to recipes as a substitution, and used to make a zillion of different smoothie or parfait variations.
Tips for Making the Best Yogurt
- Use the highest quality milk you can afford
- If you’re using a cream, like half and half, or heavy whipping cream make sure it’s organic and the only ingredients are milk
- If you want a really thick yogurt, without dripping it through cheesecloth, then use cream
- Ferment it for the full 24 hours to remove almost 100% of the lactose, this is great for sensitive tummies, or for the Keto Diet
What to Serve with Yogurt
- Fresh fruit, chopped up, like berries, or a banana
- Nuts, or seeds, or both
- Spooned on honey
- Topped with nut butter
- Anything you love to eat with yogurt! This includes savory dishes too!
Recommended Tools
Yogurt Maker
Yogurt Thermometer
Yogurt Starter (this feels like a tool)
Tips for FOODFIT/SCD DIET
24-hour yogurt is perfect for the FOODFIT diet because the fermentation process eliminates a lot of the sugars. The result is a creamy, delicious protein rich snack or meal. It's a good substitute if you're in a hurry, or don't feel like eating meat. Plus, you can top it with berries, nuts, and seeds to get your good fats and fiber. It's a dream come true!
How to Make Yogurt (Step by Step)
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Cook Time: 10 mins
- Total Time: 15 mins
- Yield: 8 cups 1x
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Fermentation
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
Creamy, thick, silky smooth, slightly tart is what yogurt is all about. Eating this homemade yogurt sends me into a dreamy relaxed state. This is a tasty healthy meal or snack that comes together with only two ingredients and is unbelievably easy to make.
Ingredients
- 8 cups (2 Liters) pasteurized milk or cream **If SCD DIET & using cream, use organic
- 1/2 cup plain, store-bought greek yogurt or 2 packages of powdered yogurt starter
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan, bring the milk or cream to a boil and immediately remove it from the stove. I shoot to hit 80 degrees celsius on my yogurt thermometer.
- Cool to room temperature or cooler, 40-42 degrees celsius on the yogurt thermometer. You can refrigerate it to expedite the process. Or, protect it from curious cats. Wink!
- If you’re using yogurt as the starter then pour 1 cup of the cooled milk or cream into a separate small bowl, add the yogurt, and mix it gently with a whisk.
- If you’re using a yogurt starter, then pour 1 cup of the cooled milk or cream into a separate small bowl, add the 2 packages of yogurt starter, and mix gently with a whisk.
- Add the starter mix to the yogurt fermenting container, and combine them. I use a whisk, whisking 10 circles clockwise, then 10 circles counter clockwise.
- Add the yogurt fermenting container to the yogurt making machine. Follow the manufacturer’s suggestion for using the machine, but do not follow their suggestion for fermentation/cooking time.
- Plug in the machine and ferment the yogurt for 24-30 hours. I only do it for 24 hours.
- After the time has elapsed, then pull out the yogurt fermentation container out of the machine and place it immediately into the refrigerator to thicken and firm up.
- Keep in the refrigerator for 8 hours prior to eating it.
Notes
The cook time is short on this recipe, because when you’re done cooking it on the stovetop the yogurt maker takes over and does all the heavy lifting.
