The recipe from the blog didn't have you use the powdered milk, but without it the yogurt turns out pretty runny. With one cup of powdered milk, the yogurt turns out thick and creamy.
1. I whip one cup powdered milk into the 8 cups (1/2 gallon) of liquid milk. I do this by first whipping it into two cups of milk then adding that to the rest of the milk.
2. I also whip one cup of sugar into the milk. I didn't use to sweeten the yogurt, but I found I had to add too much jam to make it taste good afterwards. The sugar is to taste, so you can add more or less, but I like about one cup.
3. Turn the crockpot on low for 2 1/2 hours.
4. After 2 1/2 hours, unplug your crockpot. You are just going to let it cool down for a little while. On the original recipe, it has you let the milk cool down for three hours. I have found that 1 1/2 hours was enough time. Maybe this varies from crockpot to crockpot. Because of my prior yogurt making experience, I know that you want the milk temperature to be between 122 F and 130 F. Definitely not hotter than 135 F. Too hot will kill the yogurt, but between 122 and 130 degrees F is the optimal temp for yogurt making. It will help to have a cooking thermometer (mine is digital) to get the exact temp. You can leave it for three hours like the recipe says, but mine is the right temp at 1 1/2 hours.
5. Anyway, when the temperature is right, or after the 3 hours of cooling, you will whisk the 1/2 cup of yogurt into the warmed milk.
6. Then put the lid back on and cover the crockpot with a heavy towel of two. You will leave the crockpot like this for 8 hours or overnight.
In the morning, viola! you have thick, creamy, delicious yogurt! It is sweetened and tastes good as is, but it also tastes good with some jam to flavor, so we usually mix in a spoonful or so to make it extra yummy! Now you have a half gallon of yogurt for less than $2!
Emily is so lucky! She always wins things. You will recall that not too long ago she won a new bike. Well, last night we attended the softball awards night. They had a prize drawing. You guessed it, Emily won. She won a bat bag, which we'll exchange for a new mitt. A few months ago she won another prize drawing--a movie. And last year when we went to Disneyland, 3 or 4 times she was given freebies in the park. Disney employees would just walk up to her and give her prizes. What a lucky girl. I wish some of that would rub off on me!
Emily's softball team placed 4th at State.
