Homemade vanilla bean yogurt

You've probably never even thought of making your own yogurt. Surely, it must be some labor-intensive process involving mysterious ingredients and specialized equipment. What if we told you that not only is it super simple, but that you may already have everything you need? Our Homemade Vanilla Bean Yogurt recipe will show you just how easy it can be to whip up this dairy delight in your own home!

While we know yogurt is ancient, it's hard to trace its exact origins. It's likely that it was discovered by accident. Prehistoric humans often stored liquids in bags made of animal skin or stomachs. Bacteria remaining in one of these skins likely promoted fermentation in milk being kept in it, and thus yogurt was born. One legend says yogurt was first discovered by a shepherd, who accidentally left his milk in a goatskin for too long. Upon remembering his mistake, he found the milk had turned into creamy, delicious yogurt.

We're going to assume you won't be using a sheep stomach for your homemade yogurt (but we won't judge you if you do). This means to promote fermentation, you'll have to use a little store-bought yogurt as a starter. The live probiotic cultures in pre-made yogurt are essential to the process of creating yogurt. The good news is that once your first batch is complete, you can use a small amount of your homemade yogurt as a starter next time.

One of the biggest decisions you'll make is what type of milk to use. The higher the fat content in your milk, the creamier and thicker your yogurt will be. We prefer whole milk for this reason, but you can also use 2% or even skim, if you're trying to keep things lighter. Customization is one of the best parts of making your own yogurt. Speaking of which, you can feel free to stir in berries, extracts, or other delicious ingredients either after the yogurt has initially cooled or when you're ready to serve it. Whatever route you go, one thing is for sure: once you have made your own homemade vanilla bean yogurt, you'll never want to bother with store-bought again!


Homemade vanilla yogurt recipe

Homemade Vanilla Bean Yogurt

You'll be surprised at how easy it is to make your own creamy, delicious yogurt at home!
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Prep Time 20 mins
Cook Time 30 mins
Resting time 12 hrs
Course Breakfast, Snack
Cuisine American, Greek, Turkish

Equipment

  • Canning Jars and lids (2 quart size and 1 pint size)

Ingredients
  

  • 1/2 gallon milk
  • 1 Madagascar Bourbon vanilla bean (split and scraped)
  • 3 tbsp pre-made yogurt with live cultures

Instructions
 

  • Heat milk and vanilla bean scrapings in a stainless steelpan over medium heat until it reaches 180 degrees.
  • Pour warm milk into clean canning jars and cool to 115 degrees. This can be done either by leaving on the counter, or placing in a cool water bath.
  • Add pre-made yogurt and stir until just incoporated into milk.
  • Place the jars into the oven, and turn on the oven light (but don't turn on the oven itself!). Let sit for 12-24 hours.
  • Remove jars from oven, and refrigerate until yogurt is set.
  • Once set, pour off liquid from the top. You can optionally strain through cheesecloth for a thicker consistency. Yogurt will keep in fridge for up to 7 days.
Keyword vanilla, yogurt