Yogurt (DASH Yogurt Maker)

I'm super excited about this post. I love yogurt. I don't love how expensive it is ($1-$2 for an individual cup, I know the larger containers are cheaper per serving but most of us are guilty for paying for convenience when it comes to certain items) nor do I love all of the added sugars, thickeners, dyes and other ingredients that are really unnecessary. I don't love the unsustainable nature of those little cups either, those little cups add up to a lot of garbage. I've wanted a yogurt maker for sometime time, probably over a year. I've researched different brands and have looked around, but I didn't want to pay $50 for another appliance that would take up precious space. Now, paying $15 for another appliance to take up precious space, that's more acceptable. I was at a Target store a couple of weeks ago and saw this DASH seven container (glass jars!) yogurt maker on clearance for $21. It retails for $30 at Target and $40 at other online retailers. I considered purchasing it right then and there, but I thought to myself- There are several Target stores in my area, one of them is bound to have it on clearance for less. I took 5 minutes and called about 5 stores and I was right. One of the Target stores had it on clearance for $15. I didn't go out of my way to save $6, I stopped at the Target that had it for less on my way home from a client's office the other day after work. I actually purchased 2 because I was going to test the temperature during the process because I read some reviews that it ran at about 120 degrees instead of 110 degrees. The first one I opened has been running at the correct temperature, so I'll see if someone wants the un-opened box, return it or keep it for the extra jars (Those range from $15-$20 just for an extra set). All that is required for your first batch of yogurt is one plain store bought yogurt and milk. After the first batch, you just use one jar from the prior batch to culture the next batch. I chose a whole milk that is relatively local, non-homogenized and pasteurized at a lower temperature than normal milk. A half gallon was $3.89. I chose the Stonyfield Plain organic yogurt because when I looked at the ingredients there was milk and 6 active cultures. Other plain yogurts had thickeners, less cultures and cost more. The yogurt was on sale for $.89. I plan on trying to make some reduced dairy or non dairy yogurts in the future with homemade nut milk that I plan on leaving the nut sediment in. The cultures need protein, and many boxed non-dairy milks (except for soy) do not have that much protein, if any in a serving. In the end, I know that a yogurt maker is not vital to make homemade yogurt, but I do not have a place where I can put the yogurt to culture at an appropriate temperature for a prolonged period of time. So paying $15 to have a place is worth it to me.

Ingredients:
36 ounces of milk (I used whole milk- and the final product came out pretty thick)
6 ounces of high quality plain yogurt or 6 ounces of yogurt from a prior batch

Directions:
I read several recipes for yogurt and most of them called for heating the milk to 180 degrees and then cooling it to about 110-115 degrees before adding the yogurt. It was said that heating the milk made the yogurt thicker. I decided to heat the milk to 110 degrees and then add the pre-made yogurt. Why would I want to heat the milk up again after it has already been pasteurized? Even though I prefer Greek yogurt, I enjoy regular yogurt as well, so I can deal with it if the yogurt comes out runny.

Heat the milk to 110 degrees and then whisk in the yogurt. Evenly divide into the cups. Place the cups without the individual lids and then cover with the large lid. Set the timer to 8-11 hours (depending on how tangy you want your yogurt) and let it be. You'll either wake up to or come home from work to yummy fresh yogurt. I don't mind plain yogurt, but sweeteners and fruit can be added according to your own tastes if you so desire. I plan on adding maple syrup. I recently discovered the Brown Cow brand of maple yogurt (made with real maple syrup- not fake flavoring) and it is amazing.

Note- I read some people's complaints about cleaning the individual jars because of the lip and the curved glass. I try not to be judgmental, but Good Lord people, it's not that hard! I didn't have issues cleaning the jars at all. With that in mind, some people preferred using a larger glass bowl to make clean up easier and to make a larger quantity of yogurt. This I might try if other in my house decide to eat more yogurt or if I just want to make a larger batch. The question is do I have a bowl that is short enough to fit?