Homemade Vanilla Yogurt

If you've never had homemade yogurt, you really should try it.  Tart, delicious and GOOD for you!

Recipe courtesy of food.com
Photo courtesy of treehugger.com

7 Servings

Ingredients:

4 cups milk (your choice whole-skim)
½ cup powdered dry milk
1 tablespoon vanilla extract*
4 -6 tablespoons sugar**
½ cup yogurt starter (unflavored plain yogurt with active cultures)

Directions:

Set yogurt starter out to warm to room temperature.

Heat the milk to almost a boil. (I like to microwave in a glass bowl). Cool the milk (to a "barely warm"/ babies bath temperature).

Add dry milk, vanilla and sweetener of your choice; stir well.

Stir in yogurt starter (do not whip but mix very well).

"Cook" the yogurt using your preferred method and time (longer makes a firmer, more tart yogurt). I like to cook about 10 hours in my yogurt maker. Chill 4 hours before eating.  Eat alone, stir in fresh fruit, or top with granola. Yummy!

*For plain yogurt, leave out vanilla.

**Optional.  Substitute with an equivalent amount of splenda or honey, or leave out sweeteners completely.

I have never tried it, but many people have been successful making yogurt in the slow cooker.