Yogurt is the perfect snack food. It has protein, calcium and probably most importantly, probiotics (the “good bacteria” that promote a healthy digestive system). Homemade yogurt is cheap, easy and green. Make your own and think of all those little yogurt containers you won’t have to toss!

You need yogurt to make yogurt. The cool thing is after you make your first batch, you can save some for your next batch. I recommend taking the starter for your next batch out when your yogurt is first made and storing it in a separate container. That way you won’t have to be annoyed when SOMEBODY uses the last of the yogurt and you have to buy more to start your next batch (to be fair, that somebody is more often me than my dear husband).

You don’t need a fancy yogurt maker, but I do recommend a thermometer. You can wing it without, but until you get the hang of it, a thermometer will help give you consistent results.

Ingredients
2 tablespoons plain yogurt (choose a brand with active live cultures)
1 quart milk (I use whole milk)

Method

• Set out the yogurt so that it is room temperature when added to the milk.
• Slowly heat up milk in a non-reactive pot, stirring occasionally, until it reaches 180 degrees or until it forms a skin. Don’t let boil.
• Turn off the heat.
• Once the temperature drops to 110-115 degrees, stir in the yogurt. You can either just wait for the temperature to drop or if you want to speed up the process, you can set the pot in a sink filled with ice water.
• Place mixture in a heated glass or ceramic container with a lid (running it under hot water should do the trick). I use Mason jars.
• Cover and keep in a semi-warm place for 8-12 hours (or up to 24 hours). I pour the yogurt in a heated mason jar and place it in an insulated lunch bag.

That’s it. Easy, right?