Simply Live- Yogurt

It is is early afternoon. What are you doing? Getting ready to start your yogurt, of course!

Here is how yogurt making might look at my house.

3pm- Pour one gallon of milk into my crock pot (I use Wright Dairy One percent with great results. If you are using store bought milk, please use whole milk. The others don't work very well. If you choose to try a reduced fat store bought milk, use twice as much yogurt starter to try and make it work- no promises, though)
Turn crock pot on low and cover

6pm- (or after 3 hours) turn off crock pot

8pm- (or after 2 hours) Dip out one cup of warm milk and whisk in 1 cup of yogurt. This will add all those wonderful bacteria that will make your yogurt. You will need to buy PLAIN yogurt that is very fresh (check the date). Next time you can use your own yogurt for the starter. I recommend a Greek organic yogurt that says it contains LIVE active cultures. Pour the starter mixture into the crock pot and stir. (The first time you make this you might want to check the temperature of the milk in the crock pot before you add the starter. The culture is sensitive to heat and if it is too hot it will kill the culture, too cold will not encourage proper growth. You want it to be around 100 degrees. If yours is too hot you can add cold milk or wait for a little longer.)
Cover the crock pot and pile layers of quilts all around it to insulate it (I use two big thick ones)

The next morning- (or at least 8 hours) Uncover your crock pot and see the thick yogurt inside (if you don't, then something went wrong. You can still use this milk for baking bread or pancakes)

I add another step by draining off some of the liquid to make it thicker. You don't have to do this, but I love it thicker. All you do is pour the yogurt into a CLEAN old pillow case and hang it over a bowl (to catch the liquid coming out). I hang mine from the handle on my upper cabinet doors, much to T's chagrin. Once liquid has slowed to an occasional drip, you open the pillowcase and dump out your yogurt.

If you would like to make a lower-fat type of cream cheese, leave the yogurt (or some portion of it) draining for the day and then scrape it out and use it like cream cheese.

Don't forget to save some of your yogurt for making your next batch. You need to use it within about two weeks so that the cultures are still active.

You can make smaller amounts if you don't use much or you can make some as yogurt and the rest as cream cheese.

Try it (in a small amount at first if you want). The taste is amazing and the savings is incredible. The benefits of the pro-biotics in fresh yogurt and incredible. They will help with all sorts of digestion trouble including heart burn, upset stomach, constipation and diarrhea. Pro-biotics also boost the immune system, help fight off all kinds of infections and will help with yeast infections and fungal issues. Yogurt is great for the skin and is soothing to itchy, irritated spots.