Homemade Vanilla Yogurt! Cream Cheese Too!

There are so many different yogurt-making methods out there that it took me a few try's to perfect it. My main goal was to create simple vanilla Greek-like yogurt, without a machine (aka just another contraption I will have to find counter space for). I also wanted to find a method where the yogurt could set in the actual jar it would be stored in, which is a time saver. And I didn't want to be limited to just one size jar, like the yogurt makers come with. I wanted to have single servings for quick and easy snacks (half pints) and quarts for filling up the kids LunchBot containers for school.

I tried the slow cooker method but it wasn't thick enough, just a pot full of runny yogurt. I also tried the stovetop/slow cooker combined method - cooking it on the stove and letting it set in jars in the slow cooker on "warm" with the lid cracked, but that was too warm and the yogurt came out a little curdled.

I was really skeptical of the oven light method - it seemed too good to be true - Prepare yogurt on the stove, pour it in jars, and let it set in the oven for 12 hours with only the light on to warm it. BUT IT WORKED! So simple!

Here goes ~

1 Gallon Whole Milk
1/2 Cup Plain Yogurt (with live cultures)
1 Quart Heavy Cream
1 Cup Powdered Milk
3 Tbsp Vanilla Extract
1 Cup Sugar
Thermometer

• Set Yogurt out in medium sized bowl to warm to room temperature
• Heat milk and heavy cream to 180 degrees, stirring constantly
• Cool to 110 degrees (setting it in a sink filled with cold water works well)
• Stir in powdered milk, sugar, and vanilla extract
• Take out 2 cups of milk mixture and add it to the bowl of yogurt, mixing well.
• Stir yogurt mixture into milk mixture
• Pour into jars and set in oven for 12 hours with the light on.
• Finally, put lids on and chill in the fridge for a few hours before indulging. Our favorite toppings are honey, granola and fruit! Ta-Da!

A few tips ~
• Don't forget to set aside a small amount for cream cheese before adding sweeteners
• Save 1/2 cup of your homemade yogurt in a separate container to use as starter in next batch
• Honey prevents yogurt from setting, so just add it in when you're ready to eat it. • I've read homemade yogurt stays good in the fridge for up to three weeks, but I wouldn't know because we go through it in three days! :)
• To make an even thicker yogurt, you can follow the instructions below for making cream cheese, except leave it in the refrigerator for only an hour instead of five.


Cream Cheese Instructions:
To make cream cheese all you need is a batch of unsweetened yogurt! And you should be able to whip that up in no time now! I like to set aside a pint of the cooled milk and add about a Tbsp of yogurt starter.
•Place a clean kitchen towel (I used a flour sack cloth) into a colander. Place the colander in a bowl that's big enough to hold it. Add the yogurt to the lined colander and wrap the cloth over the top to cover it. Leave it to drain for five hours in the refrigerator.

It's like magic!