making yogurt

We posted something on our family blog about making baby yogurt recently, and I found a website that had an illustrated guide that looks like it would work well. You can check it out HERE.

We have made several batches now, and it is really easy, once you get the hang of it. We have a French press coffeemaker that I've been using to make our yogurt. A wide-mouth jar would work almost just as well. Before starting, be sure to sterilize all utensils and containers you want to use. I just boil water and fill/soak everything for about 5 minues.

My steps end up being:

1). Pour whole milk into the French press (approx. 1/2 gallon), and put the whole thing into a large cooking pot full of water without covering. Using a cooking thermometer, heat the milk to 180 degrees F.

2). Cool the milk at room temperature (we tried cooling in the fridge and room temp. is just as easy) stirring often until milk reaches 112 degrees F. Set out starter (3 to 4 Tbl. of plain yogurt) while milk cools.

3). Once cooled, add some of the hot milk to the starter and stir. Then rejoin with rest of hot milk. Add 1/3 to 1/2 cup fat-free powdered milk for additional nutrition and to thicken. This has really made a difference for us, though it is optional. Stir thoroughly, cover with plastic wrap and/or lid to keep bacteria out. The French press has a very small hole in the top which allows me to keep the thermometer submerged and yet easily visible for checking the temperature during incubation. However you do it, keep your thermometer visible in such a way that you will not have to disturb the yogurt. Any stirring, jiggling etc. will mess it up, trust me!!

4). Incubate for 4+ hours keeping the temperature between 90 and 120 degrees F. I have found that resubmerging the French press into the warm water used in Step1, and covering with a towel keeps the temperature for 4+ hours. I still check every hour or so, but really it holds very well. The cooler method used on the link above looks great too, if your cooler is really clean, which ours is not. :)

5). After 4 hours, check to see if it is done by tilting your container or touching with a clean finger. Four hours works great for us. We then refrigerate in a different container, let it sit for another hour at least before serving and then add fruit or whatever before giving to baby. Your baby will eat it plain (so they say), but I like to combine it with something. Keep a few tablespoons out as a starter for your next batch. The kicker here is that you need to make your next batch within a week. It is still much cheaper than store bought yogurt. TIP FROM LINK ABOVE: I just noticed that you can also freeze some of the yogurt as a starter and thaw the next time you're ready to make yogurt. That sounds like a good alternative!

Your batch of yogurt will keep in the fridge up to 2 weeks.

I'm still a beginner, but have enjoyed the process of making yogurt. It's fun! After your second batch you'll hardly have to pay attention to what you're doing and if you're at home anyway it takes little effort to do. Babysit that first batch, and don't give up if it fails the first time. My first batch was not edible! Since then it has worked great.