I have always wanted to make my own yogurt. I tried it several months ago in the crock pot and it was . . . awful. I am very picky when it comes to yogurt. VERY picky. This has kept me hesitant to keep trying it because I hate wasting all of that good milk! I ended up with a credit on Zulily this winter because of a mix up in an order I placed. Anyway, I was browsing and trying to decide what to get with my “free money” and saw this little yogurt maker. I decided to go for it because 1. it was free and 2. I figured if I was going to make my own yogurt, a yogurt maker would probably be my best bet. The brand I got was
the Dash Go Bulk Yogurt Maker.
The day after it arrived, I was ready to try it out. It calls for 5 c of milk of your choice (I used raw cow’s milk) but I ended up with a little more than would fit in the yogurt maker, so next time I will only use 4 c. You heat the milk to 185 degrees F. Once you hit 185 degrees, you cool the milk to 100-110 degrees. Then you add in 1/2 c of plain good quality yogurt or a starter (powdered). I used a plain greek yogurt. Make sure there are live and active cultures! Whisk that into the milk, pour into the yogurt maker, and plug it in! Eight hours later I pulled it out and had a quart of homemade yogurt! I’m not being paid to say this, but this little machine is my new best friend. It’s genius. I know a lot of people have great success making their own yogurt without a machine, but this worked for me and I love it. I put it in the fridge over night and my girls and I tested it out this afternoon.
When it came time to actually try the yogurt, I was nervous. I didn’t want to do it in front of my girls in case I didn’t like it (I didn’t want to alter their opinion of it), but they were anxious so we went for it. I first added a tiny bit of vanilla, some honey, and frozen blueberries to theirs. They gobbled it up. I was still waiting . . . then remembered that my sister told me she used my homemade strawberry jam from last summer to sweeten her homemade yogurt and loved it. Perfect. I got out a bottle and mixed it in. I have to honestly say, I was totally surprised that I loved it as much as I did. I had a huge aversion to yogurt after my first pregnancy (it isn’t pretty coming up . . . ) and it took me years to even eat it again. But this stuff . . . was amazing. Truly, it was SO good. You can make greek yogurt easily by straining this yogurt through a cheesecloth for several hours. I am excited for all of the possibilities.
I am beyond happy with this little “purchase” and would do it over again and recommend it to anyone wanting the “easy” way to make their own yogurt. I am so thrilled to be able to make it at home and know exactly what is going into it. I NEED probiotics in my life and notice instantly when I don’t get them every single day. I am excited to try new combos and experiment with our yogurt from home and not have to wade through the confusing and terrible yogurt section at the store anymore! My oldest daughter is obsessed with Lime yogurt so I need to find a way to make it for her with this!
After dinner tonight I threw in some of this yogurt, the whey from the top, added a little orange juice, a banana, and some frozen blueberries to my Nutribullet and the girls and I enjoyed a DELICIOUS smoothie for a treat.
If you’ve been wondering about making your own yogurt, TRY IT. The crock pot method might work for you, or you might want to invest in one of these machines. Either way, it’s worth knowing that you are feeding your family something REAL and unadulterated.
Wow, awesome! This would be so handy to have. I think I'll look into getting one.