Making yogurt at home can seem quite daunting. It’s certainly a labor of love, but it’s incredibly rewarding! As a snack, in smoothies, or on pancakes, you’ll be so happy you made your own! This homemade recipe can also make a great frozen treat-line a bread tin with cling film, just pour in the yogurt, and set overnight!
The equipment you’ll need:
A HEAVY saucepan
Thermometer (one that can clip to the side of the pan makes things easy!)
Spatula
Whisk
Small measuring cup
Ingredients:
½ gallon of milk (2% or whole is best!)
½ gallon of yogurt (with active cultures)
- Heat the milk.Pour the milk into the heavy saucepan and set over medium to medium-high heat. Warm the milk to right below boiling, about 200°F. Stir the milk gently as it heats to make sure the bottom doesn’t scorch and the milk doesn’t boil over.
- Cool the milk.Let the milk cool until it is just warm to the touch, 112°F to 115°F. Stir occasionally to prevent a skin from forming.
- Thin the yogurt with milk.Scoop out about a cup of warm milk with a measuring cup and add the yogurt. Whisk until smooth and the yogurt is dissolved in the milk.
- Whisk the thinned yogurt into the milk. Pour the thinned yogurt into the warm milk while whisking gently.
- Transfer the pot to the (turned-off) oven. Cover the Dutch oven with the lid and place the whole pot in a turned-off oven — turn on the oven light or wrap the pot in towels to keep the milk warm as it sets (ideally around 110°F).
- Wait for the yogurt to set. Let the yogurt set for at least 4 hours or as long as overnight — the exact time will depend on the cultures used, the temperature of the yogurt, and your yogurt preferences. The longer yogurt sits, the thicker and more tart it becomes. If this is your first time making yogurt, start checking it after 4 hours and stop when it reaches a flavor and consistency you like. Avoid moving or stirring the yogurt until it has fully set.
- Cool the yogurt. Once the yogurt has set to your liking, remove it from the oven. If you see any watery whey on the surface of the yogurt, you can either drain this off or whisk it back into the yogurt before transferring to containers. Whisking also gives the yogurt a more consistent creamy texture. I love to add vanilla beans that I’ve scraped out of the pods-I just fold them in!
Transfer the to storage containers, cover, and refrigerate.
Homemade yogurt will keep for about 2 weeks in the refrigerator.
BLACKBERRY COULIS
My fondest memories are those spent on Bere Island, during the summertime. There’s really no place quite like it in the sun! Amongst the wild herbs and plants that grow here, are blackberries. One of the activities we would do when were younger, was go on long walks and pick blackberries along the way, either to be made into jam or as a healthy snack!
This coulis goes great with homemade yogurt or ice cream…you’ll probably be eating it with a spoon!
What you’ll need:
250g blackberries
50 g caster sugar
1.2 tspn vanilla extract
Put the blackberries and sugar into a saucepan with 2 fl oz of water. Bring to the boil, and then let simmer. Stir in the vanilla. Remove from stovetop, and let the mixture cool. Once room temperature, blitz all the ingredients in our food processor. Strain through a sieve-be sure to use a ladle or spatula to really rub the blitzed mix to get as much out of it as you can! Keep in an airtight container, like a jam jar, and it should last anywhere from 3 weeks to 3 months.
Cookin' with Carmel 