Homemade Crockpot Yogurt

A few years ago one of the "moms" on my "mommy board" posted a recipe that she uses to make Homemade Yogurt using a slow cooker. I tried it and LOVED it! It is so easy to make and doesn't take a lot your time. The whole process takes about 24hrs, but only about 15 minutes of your time! I used to make it all the time, but had gotten busy with life, that I was just buying tubs from the grocery store. The rising price of groceries, the grocery budget needing tightening. I decided to give it a try again and made some yesterday.

Here is the recipe that my friend typed out on my "mommy message board":

I make it all the time. I literally make a gallon's worth of yogurt almost every 10 days.
Here's what I do: 

I use 2% milk and 1 cup of PLAIN Full Fat Yogurt 

You need to bring it almost to a boil. However, in my experience, I've many times burned the milk and the milk burns in the pot, and it's a mess. So, I do what my MIL does and put it in the slow cooker and put it on high for like 3 hours. That way the milk does not burn and does not boil and i don't have to sit next to the stove worrying that it will.

I take the hot milk and let it cool to 118 degrees. In order to make yogurt, you need a culture and so the first time you do it, you need to buy plain full fat yogurt. 

When the milk is at 118 degrees, stir in the yogurt into the hot milk. I put the warm milk/culture mixture into the oven and away from drafts (but the oven isn't on). I let it stay there for like 7 hours. 

After 7 hours, I put a clean towel over the yogurt to absorb some of the water out and put it in the frig (towel in there) for several hours. I like my yogurt almost cheeselike since I add grated cucumber, dill, green onions, etc and if the yogurt isn't drained well, my yogurt with dill is too watery. I sometimes drain it with 2 changes of towels.

It sounds very time consuming but I have a system. I start the slow cooker at 9 am and let the milk cook in there for 3 hours. At around 1 pm the milk is cooled to around 118 degrees. I add the culture and stick it in the oven and let it do it's thing until 8:30 pm. At 8:30 pm I take it out of the oven and put a towel on the yogurt and when I wake up in the morning, I take the towel off. I always reserve around 2 cups of yogurt for my next batch of fresh yogurt.

Once you've had homemade yogurt, you'll never go back to store bought! I can't stand the taste of store bought yogurt.

It is a really yummy recipe and so easy to do.  The longer you let the towels soak up the liquid, the thicker the yogurt will be. I usually soak up the liquid for about 12-14hrs.

We add granola, smashed fruit, maple syrup and other flavorings before eating. Also, you can add a few teaspoons of vanilla during the process of stirring in the starter yogurt for vanilla flavored yogurt.

I really like the cost factor and being able to get a gallon's worth of yogurt for about $3.50. I buy the milk at Aldi's $2.59 and then the "starters" about .40¢ each. A 32oz tub of yogurt is usually about $3.50! 

ENJOY!

Homemade Crockpot Yogurt

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