Had I known making yogurt at home was this easy, I would have started it years ago. Not-to-mention how extraordinarily delicious it is and economical. Think of your favorite high-end organic brand. That’s how this homemade yogurt turns out for me every time.
There are lots of different ways people will tell you to make yogurt. I find this way to be the easiest way to make yogurt at home, and it has always turned out great for me. (knock on wood) I’ve never had it fail yet. I make it almost every week when my sheep are in milk. It seems to keep a long time. The oldest jar I’ve found in the fridge was one month old and still fresh as ever. I have even frozen some short-term. Just thaw it slowly in the fridge.
Here’s what you’ll need For Plain Yogurt:
- Instant Pot with yogurt function
- Half gallon of milk
- 2 Tbsp culture (see notes)
1. In the clean Instant Pot liner add some of the milk and whisk in the culture so there are no lumps, then add the remaining milk. Whisking well again. If you leave lumps, you will have lumpy yogurt.
2. Cover with a glass lid or the IP lid with seal removed.
3. Hit “yogurt” button, then make sure the “normal” setting is selected.
4. Set the timer for 20 hours.
5. Once the IP display reads YOGT your yogurt is done. You can either jar it up or put it in the fridge to set up a bit then jar it. If you wish it to be thicker you can hang it in a nut milk or jelly strainer bag tied to the handle of a pitcher to strain off the whey. The longer it hangs, the thicker it will get. I find pint mason jars to be the best storage container for us.
Here’s what you’ll need For Vanilla Yogurt:
- Instant Pot with yogurt function
- Half gallon of milk
- 2 Tbsp culture (see notes)
- 1 can sweetened condensed milk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- In the clean Instant Pot liner add some of the milk and whisk in the culture so there are no lumps, then add the sweetened condensed milk and vanilla, whisking until smooth. Then add the remaining milk. Whisking well again. If you leave lumps, you will have lumpy yogurt.
- Cover with a glass lid or the IP lid with seal removed.
- Hit “yogurt” button, then make sure the “normal” setting is selected.
- Set the timer for 20 hours.
- Once the timer is done and your IP display reads YOGT your yogurt is done. You can either jar it up or put it in the fridge to set up a bit then jar it when you have time. If you wish it to be thicker you can hang it in a sterilized dish towel to strain off the whey. The longer it hangs, the thicker it will get. I find pint mason jars to be the best storage container for us. See how I make sour cream to see my set-up for hanging.
NOTES:
Heating Milk: I do not heat the milk and let it cool as most people will for a few reasons; 1. It destroys the benefits of using raw milk, 2. It’s an extra step that isn’t necessary. My yogurt turns out perfectly every time without heating and cooling the milk, 3. I don’t have time to sit and babysit slowly heating milk to temp and then wait for it to cool down to just the right temperature again. I’ve got other things to do.
Culture: Any plain yogurt with live active cultures should work. I have great luck with Chobani Plain Greek yogurt or I use 2 Tablespoons of my own plain yogurt if I have some. Fresh is best, but I haven’t had a problem with using weeks old culture. I also don’t measure a perfect Tablespoon. I just scoop and dump.
The incubation time can be adjusted anywhere from 8-36 hours. The flavor and thickness will vary depending on the incubation time and the nature of your milk. Don’t be afraid to play around with this. If you find yourself a victim of poor planning like I often do, and your yogurt will finish in the middle of the night or while you’re away, etc, simply set the timer so it continues to incubate until you are ready to refrigerate it. However, if you happen to forget it, leaving the raw milk yogurt at room temperature for any amount of time will not make it go “bad” or deem it unsafe. Please do not throw it out if advised to by people who don’t understand the nature of raw milk and home fermenting. In fact, we make a delicious version of cream cheese spread by actually hanging the yogurt at room temperature for a day, add salt and hang another day. Raw milk doesn’t “go bad”. It just changes form or flavor. Taste test it to see what your next step should be. Maybe it wants to be sour cream instead?
Why remove the seal? I’ve only ever used a glass cover that fits my IP, but I’ve heard the seal from the IP lid can harbor odor from other foods that will leech into your yogurt, so if you don’t want last night’s chicken soup flavored yogurt, remove the seal if you’re using the IP cover.
Why “normal” setting? If you hit the yogurt button and you see the “less” setting is lit, hit the yogurt button one more time to get to the “normal” setting. This “less” setting did work for me when I didn’t know any different, but I was told that this is not the right temp for incubating yogurt. I have since used the “normal” setting and it does indeed make better yogurt. The “less” setting is for proofing dough. The “normal” setting is for incubating yogurt. Please don’t throw your yogurt away if you made it on the “less” setting. If it smells like yogurt, and it tastes like yogurt, you made yogurt. Enjoy it. See notes for incubation time.
Flavorings: Aside from the base of sweetened condensed milk and vanilla, add whatever other ingredients you want to make different flavors JUST BEFORE you are ready to eat it. Adding the extra fruits or honey will alter the bacterial environment and shorten the shelf life. We like to add fruit, jams and jellies when we’re in the mood for different flavors. This Daily Greens powder is a SUPER healthy mix-in we love too.
There you have it. The easiest way to make no-fail raw milk yogurt that is the most delicious yogurt you will ever have.
Enjoy!
P.S. Easily turn your plain yogurt into sour cream and cream cheese. See how HERE.
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