Crockpot Yogurt

Recipe Description:

The most difficult part about making yogurt is keeping the temperature of the ferment stable and warm for a long enough period of time for the bacteria to do thier work. Using a crockpot as your fermentation vessle will make holding the temperature steady easier without the need for a yogurt maker.

Prep Time: 30 Minutes

Cook Time: 6 Hours

Servings: 8 servings

Difficulty: Moderate

Recipe Ingredients:

8 cups milk

starter culture that includes Lactobacillus bulgaricus, Lactobacillus acidophilus, and Streptococcus thermophiles

Recipe Instructions:

Heat the milk to 185⁰F in a double boiler or in a heat proof bowl that snugly fits on top of pot of simmering water.

Remove the milk from the heat and let it cool to 105⁰-122⁰F. Placing your culture in milk that is too hot will kill the culture and milk that is too cool will not allow the reaction to occur.

Stir in the culture and place the yogurt into a glass container that has a tight fitting lid (I use pyrex dishes but I know others who use baby food jars). For store bought yogurt or homemade yogurt add ½ cup yogurt per 1 gallon of milk. If you are using cultures purchased from a cheese making supplier then follow the package instructions.

Set your jars in bottom of a slow cooker and fill with water and set it to “warm” setting. Be sure to keep a close eye on the temperature of the water.

Incubate the yogurt for 6-8 hours.

The trick is to keep the temperature of your yogurt between 98⁰ and 130⁰F. I have tried the crockpot method written above, but my “warm” setting was too hot. My solution was to turn the crockpot on low for 15 minutes. Then I turn the crockpot off and wrap in a towel and place it in a warm oven (preheated the oven to the lowest setting then turned it off and let it cool for 10 minutes before placing the yogurt in the oven). This method seems to give me the best results. You will have to play with the settings in your own home to come up with a solution that works best for you.

To stop the reaction, place your yogurt in the refrigerator. You can now flavor your yogurt with anything that you want. I like to add fruit and honey or fruit and maple syrup to mine.

Author: koalaspirit

I am an at home cook whom loves to use real food ingredients. I love canning and fermenting foods while they are in peak season. View all posts by koalaspirit

Recipe Description:

Recipe Ingredients:

Recipe Instructions:

Author: koalaspirit

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