GOaT YOGURT?

Creativity has been alluding me lately and thus my blogging desire has been scant. Perhaps it was the (non) purchase of the goats I had so been looking forward to, the below zero temps which had the (very loud)children running circles around me all weekend, my husband's absense for two days while he attended the funeral of his Grandaddy (and all the somberness that goes with those such things), chickens who don't care enough to even lay (just one?) egg, or simply, writer's block. But here I am, at 11pm, in a quiet house, feeling blessed enough for ten lifetimes. I love my simple life. I love my loud, crazy children, I love my husband who I could hardly stand to be away from for even two days, I love my Momma (who I'm so thankful to have sleeping on my couch because she was in town for a speaking engagement) and my Poppa who I'm sure is very lonely without her at the moment. I love my sister who is my best friend and consistently makes me laugh harder than anyone ever has, my brother who I don't see nearly enough, and my small circle of friends who share in my joys and encourage me along the way.  I love the beauty of the snow- especially on a cold clear night, and the rosy cheeks of children who've just come in from playing in it. And while I can't say that I love my chickens, I enjoy them well enough and am thankful for the peaceful busy-ness they provide me with each morning and evening when I bring them warm water and check for (just one? please?) egg.

So, a friend of mine asked me to share my recipe for yogurt. I make yogurt weekly because Brenna is lactose intolerant, but does very well on goat's milk products. This recipe can be made with goat or cow (or sheep or horse or yak ~hee hee) milk. It is really very simple and economical to make your own yogurt. I encourage you to give it a try!

You can make any size recipe you wish. For this recipe I used about 1 and 2/3 quart of milk, which will produce that same amount in yogurt. I usually make two full quarts at a time, but did not have enough milk for that this time.

Heat milk slowly and stir regularly to 180 degrees fahrenheit on top of the stove.

Let cool to 115 degrees.

To speed up this process, I usually put the pot in a cold water bath in the sink.

(Just be sure not to get any water in the milk)

When it has reached 115 degrees, whisk in approximately 1-2 Tbsp of store-bought yogurt (or yogurt from a previous homemade batch)  per quart of milk used. For your first batch of yogurt you will have to purchase a small container of store bought yogurt. Make sure it says it has "live active cultures". For future batches, just save a few tablespoons from your homemade yogurt to use.

As you can see here, I don't measure exact amounts- a large spoonful will work for two quarts.

You may also add as much or as little sugar (or maple syrup, or honey) as you would like at this point, and some vanilla extract  if you prefer a vanilla flavor (or lemon, orange, maple extracts etc...) You need to have all these ready and add them quickly so that your milk does not cool too much.

If you plan to add berries, wait until the yogurt has "set" or it will be too runny and won't set properly. Also, goat's milk yogurt tends to be thinner than store bought yogurts and so some people like to add some unflavored gelatin or some powdered milk at this point to help it set firmer. I don't mind the thinner consistency, so I leave these out.

At this point, you need to pour your milk into your jars and insulate your yogurt to keep it at around 110 degrees for 8 hours. There are many different ways to do this. The easiest way I've found is to wrap each jar in a towel and set them in an igloo cooler with another jar (or two if you can fit it) of very hot tap water.

and wait...

Brenna just loves her yogurt with berries :)