Ingredients:

• 4 cups grass fed whole milk
• 2 tablespoons plain yogurt with live active cultures (this will be your starter)

Equipment:

• Saucepan
• Whisk
• Bowl
• Towel or shoal
• Jars or containers with lids

Instructions:

1. Heat the Milk:
   • Pour the milk into a saucepan and heat it over medium heat.
   • Stir occasionally to prevent a skin from forming and to avoid scorching.
   • Heat the milk to boil. This step is crucial as it kills any unwanted bacteria and denatures the proteins so that they set together rather than forming curds.
2. Cool the Milk:
   • Remove the saucepan from the heat and let the milk cool to the point when if you insert you clean pinky finger, it doesn’t burn. This is the optimal temperature for the yogurt cultures to grow.
   • You can speed up the cooling process by placing the saucepan in a sink filled with ice water, stirring occasionally or just let it rest on the counter and monitor.
3. Add the Starter:
   • Take 2 tablespoons of plain yogurt with live active cultures and add it to a bowl.
   • Add a cup of the warm milk to the bowl and whisk until smooth.
   • Pour the mixture back into the saucepan with the rest of the milk and whisk to combine.
4. Incubate the Yogurt:
   • Pour the milk mixture into jars or containers with lids.
   • Place the jars in a warm environment to maintain a warm temperature for 6-12 hours. Some ways to do this include:
     • Using an oven with the light on.
     • Placing the jars in shoal and then placing it in the oven.
     • Wrapping the jars in a towel and placing them in a warm spot.
5. Check the Yogurt:
   • After 6 hours, check the yogurt. It should be thickened and tangy. If you prefer a tangier flavor, let it incubate longer, I like mine tangier, so I let it sit for close to 24 hours.
   • Once the yogurt has reached your desired thickness and taste, transfer the jars to the refrigerator to cool and set for at least 2 hours.
6. Enjoy:
   • Your homemade yogurt is ready to eat! You can enjoy it plain or add fruits, honey, nuts, or homemade granola.

Tips:

• Save a few tablespoons of your homemade yogurt to use as a starter for your next batch.
• For a thicker yogurt, you can strain it using a cheesecloth to remove some of the whey.