Yogurt Maker

One of my best recent investments: the yogurt maker. I bought it so I could make yogurt that's tastier and less sour than store-bought.

The yogurt maker is essentially a simple device that heats the jars to 45°C, the temperature at which yogurt cultures thrive. From the instructions it came with, I understand you can also make yogurt from soy milk (or other plant-based milk), but so far I've only tested it with cow's milk. Goat milk is next.

The preparation is simple: heat 1 liter of milk (full-fat, from the farm or dispenser; unboiled) until almost boiling, then let it cool until just lukewarm (around 43-45°C). Mix the milk with 1 small plain yogurt (for the first batch it will be store-bought, but then you can use your own homemade yogurt) or with yogurt starter culture, and divide into the yogurt maker jars. Turn on the yogurt maker and leave it for 8 hours (that's the time I like best, though you can experiment with more or less). After 8 hours, put the jars in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours. And the yogurt is ready!

If you want yogurt with a Greek-style consistency, just place the yogurt in cheesecloth and let it drain for a few hours in the refrigerator.