Making yogurt is easier than you think and you can make far better yogurt than you can purchase. The first thing you will need to do is purchase a container of yogurt with active cultures in it...this will get you started the easy way. I like the one make by The Greek Gods, plain Greek yogurt.
You will also need a container for making the yogurt in, a large casserole dish works well. Just make sure it will hold one gallon of milk easily. You will also need a pot large enough to heat one gallon of milk for this recipe.
So, here goes.....
On the stove in your large pot, bring one gallon of milk to 180 degrees Fahrenheit. During the heating process, you will want to stir it pretty frequently to keep it from burning on the bottom of the pot. Also, don't rush this. Bringing it up to temperature slowly is not only the safe way to do it but it helps so you don't burn it in the bottom of the pot.
Once the milk has come up to temperature, remove it from the heat and let it cool to about 100 degrees. At this time add one cup of the Greek yogurt and stir in in well.
Pour the entire pot into the casserole dish and place it in your oven. If you have a gas oven with a pilot flame, you are done till tomorrow. If you don't have a pilot flame or you have an electric oven simply turn on the light and close the door.
Check in 24 hours and you will have yogurt! Be sure to reserve one cup in a container for your next batch. You can line a colander with good cheese cloth and place the yogurt in it to remove some of the whey. This will produce a thicker product. You can even leave it in the cheese cloth, tie up the corners and hang it for another 24 hours for yogurt cheese. You can mix in chives, a bit of garlic powder and it makes a great topping on crackers. Add ingredients that make you happy and enjoy!
