My yogurt recipe

For this recipe you would need:

• a 2-quart yogurt maker such as "Yogourmet"
• A double boiler
• a digital thermometer

2 quarts milk (ideally raw, organic, grassfed)
1/2 Tbsp plus 1 tsp. (is that 2 1/2 tsp?) unflavored gelatin (or one pkg from the store)
4 Tbsp. plain (unsweetened unflavored) whole milk yogurt (store or previous batch)

Put water in the bottom pan and start it heating up. Reserve about 1/3 cup of milk in a measuring cup. Add milk to the top pan and insert thermometer. (Since I use raw milk I need to heat it to 160 F to kill competing bacteria). While milk is heating, add gelatin to the reserved milk in the measuring cup to dissolve. Set aside. Turn off heat when milk reaches 160 and set the top pan with the milk into the sink with an inch or so of cold water to start in cooling down. Slowly pour the gelatin milk mixture into hot milk while whisking briskly. Prepare the yogurt maker according to instruction and get your container ready with the yogurt starter. When milk has cooled to 112 degrees F pour into container and whisk or stir well. Milk should be between 108 and 112 F. cover and put into yogurt maker. Set timer for 5 hours. Move the yogurt into the fridge without disturbing it and give it at least 10-12 hours before opening it. Cream will be at the top. The yogurt will still thicken slightly after that but it should be stiff enough where you can scoop with a spoon and leave a smooth mark.

There are other ways to make yogurt but this is what I do. I invented the part where you add the gelatin (which I buy in bulk at azure standard) after you take it off the heat. It seemed to have improved the thickness of my yogurt. Good luck!

Blueberry sauce for plain yogurt

I thought I would share this idea for those of you who would like to make plain yogurt more interesting without it becoming the sugar-bomb that flavored yogurts are.

I make our yogurt in a quart size yogurt maker. I add gelatin just before I start cooling it down and let the yogurt incubate or 5 hours. It comes out with a wonderful thick consistency and tangy taste. Of course for most of us including my kids and husband this tangy taste it too much to enjoy eating it straight. In a pinch I eat my yogurt with some frozen blueberries thrown in and a small handful of granola. No other sweetener. For the kids I usually use honey or if I have time I make a blueberry sauce, which when strirred in turns plain yogurt into something very similar to a store version.

I don't actually have exact measurements. I just use a small saucepan and fill it half with frozen blueberries (bulk from Azure Standard). I add some water, maybe half a cup in which I have dissolved some arrowroot powder (could use cornstarch) for thickening. How much water and thickening agent depends on how you like your sauce, do you want more blueberries or more sauce and do you want it runny or like jelly? I start heating it to boiling and add some honey, maybe 3 Tbsp (?) I make it rather sweet. Too sweet when eaten straight since it will be mixed with yogurt and is supposed to sweeten it too. Again, depends on how sweet you want it. Just try it and experiment a little. When you think you hit on the right combination for your family write it down!

Then I just keep the finished sauce separate in the fridge and mix up little with yogurt before serving. Not sure what would happen if you added it to your whole batch of yogurt. Might work.

This could also be done with strawberries, raspberries etc. but you would deal with seeds then unless you strain it.....too much work!

This is how my husband eats the yogurt if there is no blueberry sauce around: He uses Nesquick Chocolate Syrup and makes chocolate yogurt out of it!!!! Yuck!!