Homemade Yogurt

Place ½ gallon of milk in a pan and heat it up to 180F or until it is about to boil but make sure you take it off before it boils.

Remove from heat and cool to between 110F and 120F. If you do not have a thermometer, insert your finger and it is ready when it is still warm but you could leave your finger in there without discomfort.

Place one sliver foil packet of HMF Replete or yogurt starter into the jar that the yogurt will be incubated in. Add the milk to the HMF Replete or yogurt starter and stir.

**Natural Grocers sells yogurt starter**

If you have a yogurt maker:

Place water into the yogurt maker.

Place the jar containing the milk into the yogurt maker.

Option 1, If you do not have a yogurt maker:

Place a heating pad in a corner on your counter where it will not be disturbed. Fold a bath towel until it is the size of the heating pad so you have a protective layer between the heat source and where the jar will sit on top of it. Wait for it to get to the temperature that it will be stable at. Place your hand on top of the towel and make sure it just feels gently warm. Put the jar on the top of the towel and cover with another towel to create a warm environment to incubate. Allow it to incubate for 24 hours.

Option 2, If you do not have a yogurt maker:

If you have an oven that has an old-fashioned incandescent light in it that will warm the oven without turning it on, you can place the jar in it. It would be best to check the temperature with an oven thermometer to ensure it is cozy warm in the oven.

At the end of the 24 hours, open the jar and suction the whey (yellow liquid) off the top of the yogurt attempting to disturb the yogurt as little as possible.

Place the jar of yogurt into the fridge and chill for 8 hours. As it sits in the fridge it will continue to thicken and the whey will continue to separate. If you like thicker yogurt, you can continue to suction off the whey as it appears.