Home-made Yogurt With Our Own Raspberries and Honey!! 

Recently my friend Helaine, who is an organic dairy farmer out in South Dakota, shared with me some of her yogurt secrets.  I have been making yogurt for years and so consider myself an expert…ha. Guess the joke is on me!  Anyhow, my yogurt was lousy compared to the new yogurt recipe and method I now use. Probably the most important change I’ve made is using Stonyfield Organic Yogurt for my starter culture instead of the Dannon.   Also raising the temp to a higher degree.   This has 6 active LIVE cultures in it.  No toxic pesticides used and it is as smooth and creamy as can be.  It comes out as thick as the Greek yogurt right out of the jar, no straining needed at all!

Here is the simplified recipe:

Wash very well your wide-mouth jars either, quarts or the 1/2 gallon jars.  Heat your milk, ours is cow fresh whole milk, to 180 degrees.  (This was a switch for me.  I can control which culture I want to grow without having to compete against unwanted bacteria. And after all I am only after the good buggies at this point!)  I do this on the stove in a large stainless pot.  Let it cool down to 115-120 degrees Max either in the pot or in your sterile jars.  Next simply add 2 tablespoons of the Stonyfield yogurt to each container and place lids on and shake a bit.  If you make the two quart/ half gallon size jars then add 4 tablespoons.  Have a cooler, the kind you pack beer/pop or sandwiches in on picnics, ready and fill it with hot tap water no less than 98 degrees and no more than 115 degrees.  Have the water cover the jars all the way up to the neck. No need to peek because this is a no fail recipe……. This will be thick as Greek with hardly a trace of whey in a matter of 6 to 8 hours.  Honestly, mine has never taken more than 6 hours!  How easy is that??  Amazing stuff.

Also, you can save your Stonyfield yogurt and reuse your home-made yogurt over and over.  Make sure you take it out fresh and not from a jar that was eaten out of.  Because the temp was raised to 180 degrees, you have only the good cultures and it grows the same as the town stuff.

Refrigerate and you can add your own fruit, honey, or even real maple syrup to this.  If you like vanilla flavored just add a tiny drop of vanilla.  EASY and healthy especially with flu season coming!  Happy Advent!