Making yogurt at home requires only two ingredients. And, while store-bought yogurt may be convenient, you can't beat the rich, creamy, and wholesome goodness of homemade yogurt. Use it with granola, parfaits, and other favorite recipes.
Today, I share with you a recipe that my mom and grandmom have been using for years. In fact, my mom made yogurt almost every day of her life. To her, it was a part of her daily routine. Also, she did not use any special equipment or thermometers.
I distinctly remember my mom's routine
- The milkman would bring milk at 7 pm every day.
- Then, she would take it to the stove and bring it to a boil. Then, leave it to cool.
- Once cooled, she'd divide the milk into three portions. In fact, she had specially designated milk pots that never got touched with any curry or spices.
- She'd use yesterday's leftover yogurt to make fresh yogurt at night before she went to bed and left it by the stovetop.
- And, in the morning, she'd wake up at 6 am to make our lunch boxes, and she'd put the prepared yogurt in the fridge so it would be cold for breakfast.
Her process for making yogurt is very simple
- First, heat the milk to a boil (she used raw milk so boiling was important).
- Next, cool the liquid to room temperature (cooling is important for yeast activation).
- Then, add the active bio yogurt to the milk (which was yesterdays leftover yogurt).
- Cover and keep in a warm place for 4 to 6 hours (because yeast multiplies better when left alone in a warm dark place).
- And, when set, keep refrigerated (yogurt taste better when cold but cooling also prevent the yeast from maturing too fast so it does not become too sour).
Ingredients and substitutes
- Milk - I prefer to use at least 3% milk - this will make a thicker and nicer yogurt than the skimmed version. Also, I find that with the 1% there is not enough milk fat for the bacteria to work.
- Active bio culture - I know you can find sachets on Amazon - they are called Active Yogurt Culture. And yet, I strongly suggest you go to the nearest supermarket and look in the yogurt aisle. There will be a yogurt that contains Active Bio Culture. Usually, they are labeled as BIO.
The difference is, that these sachets make yogurt much quicker - I think as little as 30 to 45 mins. While using my method with the live culture yogurt - it takes 3 ½ to 4 hours. And, I'm old-school, so I stick to the old method I know works for me every single time. - Citric-acid (without yogurt starter) - If you do not have active bio yogurt you can also use citric acid.
Step by step instructions (pin)
- Place milk (and cream) in a saucepan and heat on medium until almost comes to a boil.
- Then, turn the heat off and let cool to room temperature (115 F).
Tip - You do not need a thermometer. The milk should be warm like when feeding a baby or when making bread. - Pour the milk in a glass jar or stainless steel bowl - never use aluminum.
Tip - Never use aluminum for marination or when using yeast as it causes oxidation. - Next, add the yogurt to the milk and combine well with a whisk.
Tip - I like to take half a cup of milk in a bowl and add the yogurt. Use a whisk to ensure there are no lumps. Then add this to the rest of the milk. - Cover the milk jar with a clean kitchen cloth or paper hand towel and store in a warm place untouched for 4 to 6 hours.
Tip - Do not put the lid on tightly. The yeast in the milk needs to breathe. - After 4 to 6 hours, the yogurt should have set. Place it in the fridge and let chill for a couple of hours.
Yogurt without a yogurt starter
You can also make yogurt without yogurt as well. Instead, we use citric acid. However, I don't use this method often because I always have active bio-yogurt on hand.
- Place milk (and cream) in a saucepan and heat on medium until almost comes to a boil.
- Turn the heat off and let cool to room temperature (115 F).
Tip - You do not need a thermometer. The milk should be warm like when feeding a baby or when making bread. - Pour the milk in a glass jar or stainless steel bowl - never use aluminum.
Tip - Never use aluminum for marination or when using yeast as it causes oxidation. - Add the citric acid to the milk and combine well with a whisk.
Tip - I like to take half a cup of milk in a bowl and add the citric acid. Use a whisk to ensure there are no lumps. Then add this to the rest of the milk, - Cover the milk jar with a clean kitchen cloth or paper hand towel and store in a warm place untouched for 4 to 6 hours.
Tip - Do not put the lid on tightly. The yeast in the milk needs to breathe. - After 4 to 6 hours, the yogurt should have set. Place it in the fridge and let chill for a couple of hours.
Fruit yogurt
It is straightforward and easy to make fruit yogurt at home. In fact, all you need is fruit puree or fresh finely chopped fruits. I add 1 cup fruit puree to 4 cups of homemade yogurt. And, depending on the fruit you use, you may or may not need a drizzle of honey.
Low-fat yogurt
Low-fat yogurt is made exactly the same way as homemade yogurt. The only difference is that low-fat yogurt is thinner and has a lower fat percentage because we use low-fat milk. The liquid content is higher and the texture is very runny.
How to make a yogurt drink
The most delicious way to use yogurt is in smoothies and yogurt drinks. All you need is one cup of yogurt, one cup of ice, and a dash of honey or agave syrup. Give it a good whiz in the blender and voila... you have a fantastic yogurt drink. Add one cup of fruits, and now you have an amazing fruit yogurt drink. See all my milkshakes, smoothies and drinks
Frequently asked questions
If stored well, refrigerated homemade yogurt will last for you to 2 weeks. It tastes best in the first four days. However, as the active culture in yogurt ages, it starts to develop a sour taste. It is still edible and delicious but best used as an ingredient in yogurt drinks, curries, and baked goods. I usually make my next batch of yogurt on the fourth day of the previous batch. And I love using aged yogurt in my chocolate cakes.
For Yogurt to set two things are Important:
Warmth - Once you add the culture to the milk - you need to keep it a warm place - no moving no shaking. I find a warm switched off oven works best for this.
In winter, my oven is often cold. So, I turn the oven on at 30 C / 70 F for five minutes. Then, I switch it off, and I place the yogurt jar in the oven overnight.
Do not disturb - Do not touch the jar while the bacteria culture is doing its job. Leave it alone. No peaking.
The yogurt bacteria needs to be added to room temperature milk no less than 115 F. If you add culture to cold milk or hot milk, the yogurt will die means the milk will remain milk even after 8 or 10 hours.
Temperature is very critical when making yogurt. You do not need any thermometer, and yet you have to be conscious of it.
What is the right temperature? Usually the same temperature you would use to feed baby milk. Or 110 F similar to making bread
You may also like
- Homemade Greek yogurt
- Yogurt parfait
- Breakfast Granola recipes
- Breakfast pancakes and waffles
- Healthy sugar-free granola bars
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Homemade Yogurt - 2 ingredients
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Ingredients
Make 4 cups
For the yogurt
- 4 cups (1 liter) Whole milk
- ¼ cup (4 tbsp) Plain bioactive yogurt
Low-fat yogurt
- 1 cup (250 ml) low-fat milk
- ½ cup (8 tbsp) plain bioactive yogurt
Fruit Yogurt
- 4 cups (1 liter) homemade yogurt
- 1 cup (250 g) Fruit puree
Homemade Yogurt without yogurt starter
- 2 cups (500 ml) Whole milk
- ¼ tsp Citric Acid
Instructions
Homemade Yogurt
- Place milk (and cream) in a saucepan and heat on medium until almost comes to a boil.
- Turn the heat off and let cool to room temperature (115 F).Tip - You do not need a thermometer. The milk should be warm like when feeding a baby or when making bread.
- Pour the milk in a glass jar or stainless steel bowl - never use aluminum.Tip - Never use aluminum for marination or when using yeast as it causes oxidation.
- Add the yogurt to the milk and combine well with a whisk. Tip - I like to take half a cup of milk in a bowl and add the yogurt. Use a whisk to ensure there are no lumps. Then add this to the rest of the milk.
- Cover the milk jar with a clean kitchen cloth or paper hand towel and store in a warm place untouched for 4 to 6 hours.Tip - Do not put the lid on tightly. The yeast in the milk needs to breathe.
- After 4 to 6 hours, the yogurt should have set. Place it in the fridge and let chill for a couple of hours.
Homemade yogurt without yogurt starter
- Place milk (and cream) in a saucepan and heat on medium until almost comes to a boil.
- Turn the heat off and let cool to room temperature (115 F).Tip - You do not need a thermometer. The milk should be warm like when feeding a baby or when making bread.
- Pour the milk in a glass jar or stainless steel bowl - never use aluminum.Tip - Never use aluminum for marination or when using yeast as it causes oxidation.
- Add the citric acid to the milk and combine well with a whisk. Tip - I like to take half a cup of milk in a bowl and add the citric acid. Use a whisk to ensure there are no lumps. Then add this to the rest of the milk.
- Cover the milk jar with a clean kitchen cloth or paper hand towel and store in a warm place untouched for 4 to 6 hours.Tip - Do not put the lid on tightly. The yeast in the milk needs to breathe.
- After 4 to 6 hours, the yogurt should have set. Place it in the fridge and let chill for a couple of hours.
Recipe Notes
Tips for making homemade yogurt
- Yogurt formation depends on the weather and climate conditions.
- In summer yogurt can be ready in as little as 4 hours while it winters it can take as long as 6 to 8 hours at room temperature.
- Fresh yogurt has a milky taste as it continues to mature it will start to get sour.Â
- Â When yogurt is ready, it's best to let it set in the fridge for a couple of hours more to let the bacteria mature. It will also taste less milky and more like yogurt.
After 3 to 4 hours in the fridge, you will see that the yogurt has a nice creamy and slightly sour texture. - The prepared yogurt now has an active live culture and can be used to make more yogurt. So essentially, you now have yogurt to make more yogurt.
How to flavor homemade yogurt?
- Honey yogurt - One tablespoon honey per one cup yogurt
- Honey vanilla - one tbsp honey, 1 tsp vanilla per one cup yogurt
- Maple Yogurt - One tablespoon maple syrup per one cup yogurt.
- Date yogurt with Silan - One tablespoon silane or date honey per one cup yogurt
- Mango yogurt - 2 tbsp mashed mango flesh per cup yogurt - add 1 tsp honey if you want it sweeter.
- Banana Yogurt - ½ mashed banana flesh per cup yogurt - add 1 tsp honey if you want it sweeter.
Fruit yogurt with jam is a perfect mid-day snack.
- Blueberry yogurt - One tablespoon blueberry jam per one cup yogurt
- Strawberry yogurt - one tbsp strawberry jam per one cup yogurt
- Mixed berry yogurt - one tbsp mixed berry jam per one cup yogurt
- Raspberry yogurt- one tbsp raspberry jam per one cup yogurt
Equipment
Nutrition Information
The nutrition information and metric conversion are calculated automatically. I cannot guarantee its accuracy. If this data is important to you please verify with your trusted nutrition calculator. Thank you
Jayla
My mom made yogurt using this method for years. Old school but so organic. Thanks for sharing Veena
Veena Azmanov
Thank you, Jayla. happy to hear the recipe worked out well for you. Thanks for coming back to write this feedback. Love to hear from people who try my recipes. Have a nice day. Thanks
Shaun
I did not know it was so easy to make homemade yogurt!! Was so intrigued I tried it last week.!! OMG!! Thank you ! It worked.. There is nothing like fresh yogurt and I tasted it for the first time. Thank you for sharing all amazing recipes on your blog in such details.
Veena Azmanov
Thank you Shaun - So happy to hear that you had great success with this recipe. Homemade is always the best of course. Glad you like my blog - thanks !
John
I stumbled upon your post while pinning your yogurt to one of our boards on Pinterest. Thank you for sharing this information. I had no idea you could make yogurt at home. I know it sounds silly, but where I grew up in the U.S. making homemade yogurt is not common knowledge. My wife and I will start making yogurt at home very soon. We will be sure to use the links (affiliate) in this post when we buy the products. Thanks again for sharing this excellent process!!
Veena Azmanov
You are very welcome John. I do make this at least once a week if not more. I love that it has the natural of active culture which is actually very good for your stomach and for loosing weight too. The homemade is of course not sweet like the super market brands so I add a bit of honey and my kids love it. Let me know who yours turns out. Just make sure to keep in a warm place untouched preferably over night.
mirembe prossy
Hello veena
Can you tell me the ingredients that i should ask wen i go to buy them
Veena Azmanov
Mirembe.. you just need to look for a yogurt that says it has active bio culture in it. Thanks
fab
thank you, i'll try
greetins from México
Veena Azmanov
Thank you !
Arlene Mobley
Veena
I love making homemade yogurt but I haven't made it in a long time. I am going to have to make some very soon. I have made it both ways. Using a store bought yogurt with live cultures and by buying the live yogurt cultures online. I have had better luck making homemade yogurt with store bought yogurt than with a live culture packet. And the yogurt turns out so much thicker with the store bought yogurt as the starter.
Veena Azmanov
I have always made yogurt with the store bought never with the started. So wondered how the started worked.. Now I know. I think I'll stick to what I know works foolproof for me.
Gloria @ Homemade & Yummy
What an interesting read. I am into "homemade", but will admit I have never tried making yogurt. We eat it all the time, so perhaps I should give it a try. I used to say the same thing about cranberry sauce....what's the deal with homemade. Once I started making it....I NEVER went back to the bought stuff again.
Veena Azmanov
It's really addictive Gloria.. I got it from my mom and my kids love it too.
Sarah @ The Fit Cookie
I've made some non-dairy yogurt in the past and I've had mixed results. Homemade dairy yogurt definitely is easier to make than non-dairy! But I need to try making some again since it is so good for my digestive health
Veena Azmanov
You must try again Sarah
Julia
Great idea to use live yogurt instead of sachets, I never even thought of that. Thank you!
Veena Azmanov
Absolutely Julia.. has always worked for me.
Fatima Mohammed
Hello veena.Can one use powder milk.
Celeste
fATIMA, You can but it doesn't work as well. It's better to use "real" milk and add in powdered milk if you want to have a higher protein (but really, there's plenty of protein already.) Also, if you are using skim or 1% milk, it is recommended to add in powdered milk as well (not made up! just the powder added to the skim milk). But tastewise, I don't think you can beat making it with fresh, whole milk. Good luck!
Veena Azmanov
Thank you Celeste
Manu Radha Anand Ramachandran
Hi Veena, amazing how something we all take for granted as part of our daily routine. .setting curd for the next day' meal is considered a skill. Must start this again ...living in the Gulf have stopped setying yoghurt at home. TThank you
Adrian
I never thought this was possible... making homemade yogurt. But I have made it four times very successfully. The yogurt is so fresh. You can actully feel the taste is unique... thank you so much.. Nice blog.. I will come back for more..
Adriane
Anonymous
Very touching, no woman can read this and not understand her feelings.... I am glad you have recovered your self worth again Zoya. You are special, unique and a mother. You are valuable to your children, and I know they surely love you although they might not have been brought up to say so. Above all, God loves you and I pray He reveals His GREAT love for you. Keep being a great supportive wife and mother. God bless you.
Anonymous
Hello Veena,
My name is Zoya. My English not very good. I am first of three wives to my husband. I marry 24 years ago when I was only 15 years age and I don't know to cook. My kids all big now. So I feel very lonely at home. My daughter show me some nice things some time on the internet, and one day I find your blog with all cakes and recipes. I like very much, so I try my first cake. It was very good, everybody enjoy. My husband and kids praise me so I do more cakes. For my daughter birthday I make a simpe barbie cake with buttercream, not as nice like you but everybody like it very much. My husband business not doing well last year so I make some cake to sell, people like my cake taste so I get more oder from friend and far away family. Because I help with money my husband also come close to me and appreciate me.
Now you start new blog and I try almost all recipe - now a days kids more modern so they like modern food. My kids enjoy your quiche, bread and rice I make. I also make the ice cream and they like very much.
Veena I want to say thank you to you so much. You bring lite to my life. I only 39 of age but my husbadn was busy with new wife/ my kids all big so I feel my lie all over and no one want me. you show me a way to be happy again. you bring my husband and kids close to me again. I read about you and your family and I am happy you have loving husband and beautiful kdis. Your daughter very lucky to be born to you. You show her self respect.
I pray every day to Al-lah for you. I know that some day you become very successful. You share with open heart and don't ask any in return. I see people write mean comment and breaks my heart. I want you to shae this on your facebook so people can see that what you do make a difference to peopel life.
Love to you from my family. Thank you for helping me support my husband.
Zoya
Veena Azmanov
Than you Zoya. I replied to you privately already so will not repeat here. Thank you so much for this comment. Really means a lot to me.
Swarna
Hi Veena,
I think you mean 4 cups milk in the ingredients, not 4 cups yogurt. Ya, I think making yogurt everyday is common in most Indian homes.
Swarna.
Veena Azmanov
That's true..Thanks Swarna.