Homemade Crock-Pot Yogurt

I was looking into buying a yogurt maker when I came across this recipe  I never knew I could make yogurt in my crock-pot! My crock-pot has been sitting in the cupboard collecting dust for years and now I use it once a week.

Homemade yogurt is easy to make, has no added ingredients, tastes delicious and cuts the price of yogurt to at least half! This recipe yields about 2 quarts of regular yogurt or just over 1 quart of Greek yogurt. The only cost is for the half a gallon of milk (I use half of a gallon) and the initial 1/2 cup of yogurt for your starter. After you have made your first batch of homemade yogurt you can use that for your starter from there on out. So lets do the math:

$5.99 for 2 quart of Store Bought Plain All Natural Yogurt or 1 quart Greek Yogurt
$1.60 for 2 quarts of Homemade Yogurt or 1 quart Greek Yogurt (the cost of the milk)
$4.39 in Savings! That's 75% less then buying it at the store!

Ok, lets get to how to actually make the yogurt. It takes about 12 hours but only about 10 mins of your time. I start it when I get home for work. By the time I go to bed it is ready to incubate. I let it incubate overnights and in the morning I have yogurt!


What You Need
Yields 2 quarts regular yogurt or 1 quart Greek yogurt

1/2 gallon or 8 cups of Milk (I use fat free or 1% but you can use whatever you like)
1/2 cup of Natural Plain Yogurt with Live and Active Cultures (this can be regular or Greek yogurt)
Crock-pot
Towel
Thermometer that reads down to 120° and up to 180°

Additional for Greek Yogurt

Coffee Filters or Cheesecloth

Strainer

Mixing Bowl

What To Do

Step 1: Put the milk in the crock-pot. If your crock-pot has a thermometer, connect the thermometer, set it on low and set the temperature to 180°. If you don't have a crock-pot with a thermometer just set your crock-pot on low and set a timer for 3.5 hours.

Step 2: After about 3-3.5 hrs the milk should reach 180°. If your crock-pot doesn't have a thermometer open the crock-pot and check the temperature. If it is not at 180° close the lid and let it sit for a bit longer and check again. The milk needs to get to 180° to denature the protein. When the milk reaches 180° crack the lid open and let it cool to 120°. This should take about 1-1.5 hours. Check frequently, you don't want it to get below 120°.

Step 3: Once the temperature gets to 120° remove the skim off the top of the milk. Then remove 1 cup of hot milk, stir in the 1/2 cup yogurt and mix together. Pour the mixture back into the crock-pot, give it a good stir and put the top back on.

Step 4: Wrap the crock-pot in a beach or bath towel. Place the crock-pot in the oven (turned off) for about 8-10 hours. *You don't have to put it in the oven but it gives it an extra insulation to help regulate the temperature. The goal here to maintain the temperature as long as possible so the cultures can incubate.

Step 5: Open after 8-10 hours and you have yogurt! It will be a bit runny and may have whey floating on top. Place it in the fridge to chill and firm up. Enjoy or go to Step 6 to learn how to make Greek yogurt. *The yogurt is good for about 10 days in the fridge. Don't forget to save 1/2 a cup to use as a starter for the next batch!

 Step 6: To make Greek yogurt place the strainer on top of the bowl, place 1-2 coffee filters over the strainer covering the holes of the strainer, then fill with yogurt. Let it sit in the fridge for at least 2 hours. The longer you let it strain the  thicker and creamier it will get. Once you have your desired thickness remove the yogurt from the strainer, place in a sealed container and enjoy!