One day, as the earth rotated, and the birds sang, Lola passed around a link to a Crockpot Yogurt recipe. I was intrigued enough to say "Hey! I need to make that!" I hate how exorbitantly expensive just plain old yogurt is so I thought this would be a great economical method of always having yogurt around.
My first batch turned out great. I shared my success with Vicky and all was eaten. It was just as thick as a normal tub of Fat Free store bought yogurt but I wanted my second batch to be a little thicker without having to do anything special like straining through cheesecloth or adding gelatin.
Below is the process I followed exactly for this second batch. Mixed a little more powdered milk in this one. Tasted superb and thickened beautifully. Just perfect!
Ingredients
1 large crockpot with at least a low setting
3 quarts of milk, 2%
3/4 cup of fat free yogurt as a starter
1 1/4 cups of powdered dry milk (helps it thicken)
2 tablespoons of vanilla extract
1 teaspoon of honey
2 large THICK cotton blankets or bath sheets.
1. Turn crock pot on LOW. Pour all 3 quarts of milk into crock pot. Cover with lid. Cook on the LOW setting for 2.5 hours.
2. After 2.5 hours, UNPLUG the crockpot. Let it sit, with the lid on, for 3.5 hours.
3. At the end of 3.5 hours, scoop approximately 2.5 cups of the hot milk out of the crockpot, and pour into a small plastic bowl.
4. With a whisk, gently stir in 3/4 of a cup of fat free yogurt, 2 tablespoons of vanilla extract, 1 1/4 cups of dry milk powder and a teaspoon of honey.
5. After mixing that for approximately 30 seconds, add it back into the crockpot and blend the mixture together for another 30 seconds.
6. Put the lid back on. Spread first blanket or towel on counter or table where yogurt can sit UNDISTURBED for 9 hours. CAREFULLY lift and place ENTIRE crockpot in middle of the spread out blanket or towel. Hot milk splashes so please be careful. Wrap it up like a tender little package. Then do again with the second thick cotton blanket or towel. Check the time and let it sit for 9 hours.
DO NOT TOUCH IT. DO NOT CHECK IT. FORGET IT. DON'T WORRY ABOUT IT. LEAVE IT ALONE. 9 HOURS.
7. When 9 hours has passed, carefully unwrap the package, and lift the lid. If you take a spoonful, it should behave like you see in the video here. Take the crockpot portion (not the base) and put it in the refrigerator if you have the room, and let it continue chilling.
A clear "liquid" should rise to the top like you usually get in yogurt containers. Some people like to mix this into the yogurt and eat it. I like to drain mine off for thicker yogurt. You can soak it up with a clean paper towel if you would like.
Otherwise, after it chills, you are all done! Divvy up into separate containers for storing and eating.
You just made yogurt in a crockpot :)
There are dozens of methods, and dozens of recipes and dozens of different ways people have to make yogurt, and they will all offer their advice. I'm just giving you the method that worked for me, flawlessly, with less than 15 minutes of "touch time" and fuss. Make it this way at least once, get the hang of it - then try all the other cool stuff.
HINT: If you start this at 4pm (providing you go to bed around 11pm and are home at 4pm) you won't be tempted to peek at it while it's resting for the 9 hours.
Hit me up if you need something explained better.... Happy Yogurt Making!
Erika L. Rich is a Blogger, Social Media and Internet Marketer, Programmer and lover of all things Webby. She enjoys leveraging all of today's current internet technologies and helping others learn their way around the continuously changing and challenging maze of the Internet. She offers one on one consulting, full fledged, all out campaign management to get you or your business noticed. Read more at http://www.weberika.com
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