Homemade Yogurt in the Crockpot

We've been making homemade yogurt in the crockpot for 2 years now. It is super easy (even older kids can make it) and so much more economical. When buying my milk at Costco, I can make a quart for $.75. Homemade yogurt is somewhat thinner in texture than store bought yogurt, but our family now prefers it this way. We also don't find we need to use any sweetener in our homemade yogurt, it seems sweeter and creamier all on its own. With our size family I find it easiest to have 2 crockpots going at the same time, which will produce 4 quarts of yogurt by the end of the day.

Raw milk, if available, works well too. I like to start my yogurt early in the morning and then put it in the fridge before going to bed. This way the yogurt is cold in the morning. You can also start it late in the afternoon and let it sit overnight. The yogurt will thicken in the refrigerator. Make sure the original yogurt you use has cultures in it- check labels! After that you can use your own yogurt to start the next batch.

• Place 8 cups of whole milk in a crockpot and cook on low for 2 1/2 hours
• Unplug crockpot for 3 hours (leave on counter)
• Scoop out 2 cups of warm milk into a separate bowl. Add 1/2 cup ready made yogurt and whisk together. Pour back into crockpot and stir together
• Cover crockpot completely with a large towel to insulate. I secure the towel with a large band to keep it in place
• Allow to sit for 8 hours or overnight
• Pour into empty containers or mason jars and refrigerate

(This was published previously in my recipes page which I deleted- all my recipes can now be found under "Recipes" in the side bar...)