Yogurt - Hippie Merit Badge

I always think of yogurt making as a very hippie endevour. I'm not sure why. If I were to think about the popular culture of yogurt, (ha, culture of yogurt) in advertising at least, I'd have to think that yogurt is more of a women who can't poop thing than a hippie thing. That's not how I want to think of yogurt though, I'd much rather relate it to hippies.
So, why make yogurt? If you don't eat a lot of yogurt, don't. If you do, then check out the economics. I eat about two quarts of yogurt a week. Dannon plain yogurt is $2.34 per quart. A gallon of milk is $3.45. Since milk is the only ingredient in yogurt, I can compare them directly. Yogurt would cost me $4.68 a week, making yogurt costs me $1.73 a week. Lets say I eat it 50 weeks a year, that's a savings of $147.50. Ok, it's not that much, but it's better than a poke in the head with a sharp stick. On to making yougurt.

Heating milk, notice the skin that has formed.

All you need is milk, at least one pot, a thermometer, a heating pad, and some old yogurt. The steps are as follows.
1. Heat milk to 185 degrees in a pot. If you set up a double boiler you're less likely to scorch the milk.
2. Cool the milk back down to 110 degrees.
3. Add 4-5 tbs of yogurt.
4. Keep warm for 4-7 hours with a heating pad on low/medium or in periodically refreshed hot water bath.
5. Stir the dickens out of it and chill.
Easy peasy. You can get a better explanation than I can type here: How To Make Yogurt

Mmmm, that's good. Makes me want to stop showering.

I'll just fill in a few personal observations after making it myself for a while. First thing is that when you heat your milk you have to either stir it constantly or it will form a skin at about 140 degrees. I used to stir it to prevent that, now I just wait until it gets to 185 and skim the skin off. The end result is the same and I can sit and read a book instead of stirring while it warms. Second, they're not kidding about vigorous stirring after it's done. The better you stir it the smoother the final cooled yogurt will be. Lumpy yogurt tastes just fine but it looks like it might kill you. Third, you can control the sour bite your yogurt has by changing the amount of time you let the little bacteria eat your milk. When you make it the first time it's likely to be more sour than just about any yogurt you buy at the store. Keep it warm for less the next time and you can make it more mild.
I eat yogurt plain but my kids don't like it unless there's some sweetness in it. Maple syrup is awesome for this. Honey, jelly, fruit, granola, lots of things to add. It's also the perfect base for frozen yogurt, which I highly recommend.
 So go make some yogurt, and if you do, let me know. I'll send you your very own Hippie Merit Badge. Seriously.