Have you considered making your own yogurt? It’s surprisingly easy and with a nod towards wholesomeness, I find myself returning to this recipe throughout the year. Yogurt’s ability to be a blank canvas lends itself nicely to exploring seasonal fruit. Don’t waste time with the sugary stuff at the store. Just master this basic yogurt recipe and tailor it to your tastes. Did I mention this is easy? You don’t a yogurt maker. You will however need the following items:

Sauce pot
Cooking thermometer
Mason jar (I use the 1/2 gallon size but you could use a series of smaller ones)
An insulated cooler ( I use the standard Igloo brand lunch cooler)

Ingredients

Half-gallon of organic full fat milk
2 tbsp plain yogurt (organic and full fat)
1 tbsp sugar

Directions

Add the milk to the pot and slowly heat to 185 degrees F stiring frequently to keep from scalding. You do not want the milk to boil!
While it is heating prep your sink basin or a large bowl (large enough to hold your milk pot) with an ice water bath.
When the pot of milk reaches 185 degrees F, immediatly remove it from the heat and place it in the ice bath.
The tempurature will begin to lower. When it reaches 110 degrees F, stir in the 2 tbsp of yogurt and the tbsp of sugar and blend it well.
Next, pour the milk miture into your mason jar(s) and seal tightly.
Place the jar(s) in the cooler and complete submerge with hot tap water. If the jar(s) lifts or begins to float, try placing something on top of it like a small plate to hold it under. Ideally you want the milk mixture to be completely submerged.
Close the cooler and leave for 7 or 8 hours.
After the 7 or 8 hours have passed, remove the jar and chill in the refrigerator for a few hours until cool.
Then, eat it! Some folks might want to drain off the some of the separated whey from the top but it's not necessary. You can stir it into the yogurt for more protein!

Yogurt is loaded with nutrients and healthy kitchen crafts are my favorite! It’s full of protein, vitamins, and minerals but it's also worth mentioning that yogurt is a fermented food. Similar to other fermented gems like kombucha, miso, and kimchi, yogurt fosters the growth of healthy gut bacteria which can help restore damages caused by antibiotics. Ugh… yes please!

What do think? Would you attempt making your own yogurt? I encourage you to give it a try. It’s a foundation for all kinds of deliciousness.