One way we use the milk we get from our dairy cow is by making homemade yogurt. But you definitely don’t need a dairy cow in order to make your own delicious, healthy yogurt! You can make this recipe using store-bought milk. Yogurt that is both delicious and healthy can be very expensive, especially if you buy a brand that has the live probiotics, which makes the yogurt so healthy for you in the first place. Maybe $10 – $14 for a quart, depending on the brand. Instead, you can make your own for the cost of milk.

For this recipe you’ll need a few things: milk, yogurt, gelatin, an instant pot, and a food thermometer that can read 110°F.

Yogurt starter

In order to make your first batch of yogurt, you need to purchase a yogurt starter. You can purchase a packaged yogurt starter online, or you can simply purchase a small tub of plain yogurt from the store as your starter. Make sure the yogurt ingredients list that it has live or active cultures, otherwise it will not work. These healthy bacteria are what you need to culture your milk and turn it into yogurt.

For your second batch of yogurt, and all the batches that follow, you don’t need to purchase a new yogurt starter. Instead you can just use a bit of yogurt (about 1 cup) from your previous batch to start the next batch.

One thing you’ll notice is that homemade yogurt does not have the same texture as store bought yogurt. You can do some things to help get that thick, creamy store bought texture, but it will never be exact. But truthfully, this is a good thing. Store bought yogurt gets its texture because of the way its processed. Often times once the yogurt is made, manufacturers will add in powdered milk as a thickener. It’s also heavily churned to break down any inconsistencies in the texture. Groceries are all about every-product-must-be-exactly-the-same!

Thickening your yogurt

For this recipe, we will not be adding powdered milk or heavily mixing, but there are a few things that you can do to get a thicker yogurt.

First, you can add gelatin – about 1 tbsp per 1/2 gallon of milk. Gelatin will also add a bit of collagen to the yogurt, so it’s a win-win.

Second, you can strain out some whey from the yogurt by putting it in a tea towel over a strainer and bowl to catch the whey. Strain as much or as little as you like, of course, but not too much because nobody likes dry yogurt (yuck).

Third, if you are using raw milk, pasteurize it. Since raw milk is filled with probiotics already, the existing bacteria will compete with the yogurt bacteria, so the yogurt bacteria isn’t able to fully do its job in turning the milk into yogurt. If you stick with raw milk you will still get yummy, healthy yogurt, but it won’t be very thick.

Using an instant pot without a “yogurt” button?

If you have a instant pot with the “yogurt” button, your job is easy peasy. If you happen to be like me, and do not have a yogurt button, it can still be done! For those wanting to pasteurize raw milk first, click “sous vide” and set to 30 minutes at 180°F. Then let the milk cool to at least 110°F or lower (any hotter and the starter will die) before adding the yogurt starter and gently mix until combined. Next, stir in gelatin until it is fully dissolved. Click sous vide again and set to 8 hours at 110°F. Make sure the pressure release valve is open so no pressure builds up, or you can use a instant pot glass lid if you have one.

After 8 hours is up, remove steel tub from the instant pot and place in the refrigerator with a lid to cool. It is important you put the yogurt in the fridge right away once the 8 hours is up. The longer the yogurt sits in the warm instant pot, or even at room temperature, the yogurt bacteria will continue to culture the milk, and you’ll end up with VERY sour tasting yogurt.

Also, do not mix the yogurt until its fully cooled! If you do, the yogurt texture will be runny and clumpy. Let the yogurt cool in the fridge for 12-24 hours. Then gently mix the yogurt and transfer to a storage container.