The one and only alarm on my phone plays around 5:30 p.m. a few days a week. And no, I don’t wake up to an alarm. The alarm I have is labeled ‘yogurt’ or something phonetically like what Siri thinks she heard.
I make yogurt about twice a week for my roommates. It is a great way for us to save money and have yogurt that Senior Avery Trinh, one of my roommates, claims is, “better than store bought yogurt.”
First, I will explain how I make yogurt, then I will explain how you, your dorm-, room-, or housemates can make your own. Fortunately, the process takes less than thirty minutes of hands-on work.
I make yogurt in a vintage 1974 Salton Yogurt Maker, which is likely not how you will make it. First, I preheat one quart of milk until it has frothy bubbles at the top. Then I let it cool with a thermometer inside the milk that tells me when to add the starter. Third, I add a Tablespoon of the culture (which is just a fancy word for adding already made yogurt) to the milk. Then, I leave the potential yogurt in five individual containers in the yogurt maker for eight to ten hours, which is why I have a yogurt alarm. Otherwise, who knows how long I’d leave the yogurt in there. Finally, I put the yogurt in the fridge for four hours and it is ready to eat.
You, on the other hand, will need a different method to make your yogurt unless you have a yogurt maker. The concept is the same, it just includes a little bit more fine tuning.
What you will need:
- Milk (however much or little you want)
- A large container to serve the yogurt out of or individual containers. Make sure the containers are sealable.
- A thermometer
- Starter (A heaping Tablespoon of culture (yogurt) per quart of milk. Always err on the side of too much.)
Instructions
- Heat milk over 180 degrees Fahrenheit. You can heat the milk in the microwave or on the stovetop.
- Let cool to 108-115 degrees Fahrenheit, then add the starter. (This process is very forgiving. If you miss the temperature window, just heat the milk and try again. I’ve done this on multiple occasions and it hasn’t affected the quality of the yogurt.) The instructions from my Salton Yogurt Maker say to “Mix thoroughly.” This is so that your yogurt doesn’t turn out lumpy. Then seal the container and put the yogurt in a lukewarm place for about eight to ten hours. This can be an oven or anywhere that will stay lukewarm (100-115 degrees Fahrenheit) for that portion of the time. My Dad simply turns on the oven light to do this.
- After those eight to ten hours, put the yogurt in the fridge. It should be formed and ready to eat after it sits for about four hours.
- If you want to continue making yogurt, be sure to save sufficient yogurt to make the next batch.
