It’s incredibly easy to make yogurt at home. I had no idea how simple it was until I tried it myself. As one of our users, Marita, writes on Cookbooker, “I was scared to make my own yogurt“. Before I made it, much like Marita, I’d assumed it was like microbiology – you had to have precise temperatures and amounts, and monitor it carefully like some sort of science experiment.

It’s not.

Wireless Yogurt

Three simple steps. You’ll need some yogurt (any yogurt from any store will do – regular is fine, and it can be flavoured too. In fact commercial yogurt works well as it has quite active little critters in it), a couple of jars (ours are from Del Monte canned peaches we got at Costco) and a thermometer. Some towels or an insulated lunch bag also help.

Heat the milk

1. Heat up some milk.

Whole milk is best, we’ve found, though I suppose you could use low fat if you want it runny and less delicious. Heat it to about 190 F, stirring so it doesn’t stick to the pot. Then let it cool to just under 120 F. For a couple of quarts (about 1.5 litres) this takes up to 30 minutes.

Jars and lunch bag

2. Mix a bit with your existing yogurt in a bowl.

I use about half a cup of yogurt for both of my two large jars. Pour the yogurt/milk mixture it into your jars. I like to warm the jars with some water first. They don’t need to be sterilized or anything like that – I just give them a wash.

Warm and wireless spot

3. Put the lids on and put them somewhere warm for a few hours.

This is where the wireless comes in. The little cupboard in our living room where we have our cable modem, backup drive and wireless router (Ours is a Time Capsule) has a constant temperature of 90 F or so, and it’s a great spot for making yogurt. I usually keep it in an insulated lunch bag, but I suppose anything would work – an old sweater, some towels. We’ve also used the oven with the light on.

That’s it.

Were you expecting anything else? When we make it, usually in 4 hours we have smooth, creamy yogurt. We pop it in the fridge to firm up a bit more and we’re done. It tastes great, and my daughters like it with a bit of jam or maple syrup mixed in. When there’s only half a cup or so left, I make some more using this as the starter.

The only times I’ve messed it up have been when I’ve been tempted to fiddle with the temperatures. I was in a hurry once and put the milk in when it was hotter than 120 and I think I must have killed off some of the wee beasties, as it just didn’t set very well. I’ve heard people leaving it overnight, and presumably this might have helped. Instead we just started over.

For a long and interesting article on this, check out the New York Times. Marita recommends The Home Creamery by Kathy Farrell-Kingsley, a book I’m definitely going to check out.