Homemade Thick Vanilla Yogurt Recipes

Steps:

• Heat up the oven by turning on for 3 to 4 minutes; turn the oven off.
• Bring milk to a boil over medium-high heat in a large saucepan. Stir in sugar and vanilla extract until blended. Turn off heat and let sit until warm but not cool.
• Place yogurt in a large container; pour in milk mixture. Cover and place in the oven until yogurt has set, 8 to 16 hours. Store in the refrigerator.

Steps:

• Set 1/2 yogurt starter out to warm to room temperature.
• Heat the milk to almost a boil.(I like to microwave in a glass bowl for 5 minutes on high then 2 minutes on medium). Cool the milk (to a "barely warm"/ babies bath temperature) (cool water bath works well). Add dry milk, vanilla and sweetener of your choice; stir well.
• Stir in yogurt starter (do not whip but mix very well!).
• "Cook" the yogurt using your preferred method and time (longer makes a firmer, more tart yogurt. I like to cook about 12 hours). Chill 4 hours before eating.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 175 degrees F (80 degrees C). Turn off oven when temperature is reached.
• Combine water and milk powder in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the mixture reads 115 degrees F (46 degrees C), 5 to 7 minutes.
• Stir plain yogurt into the milk-water mixture. Add sugar and vanilla extract. Pour mixture into 2 clean, oven-proof containers. Place in the preheated oven until tart and as thick as heavy cream, about 8 hours. Reheat oven to 175 degrees F (80 degrees C) every 1 to 2 hours, or as needed, to keep yogurt at a temperature of about 115 degrees F (46 degrees C).
• Cover yogurt and refrigerate until cooled and thickened to desired consistency, 1 to 3 hours.

Steps:

• Make sure all of your cooking implements are very clean before you start. You will be using a medium sized pot, a large pyrex (or other non-metal) bowl, and some measuring tools and stirrers. It also helps to have a thermometer. I usually pour boiling water over them.
• Stir the agave into the milk, and put it on the stove at medium heat.
• Slowly add the milk powder to the milk, stirring constantly so as to avoid scalding.
• Add the vanilla and stir well right before the milk reaches the boiling point.
• When the milk just begins to bubble, or alternately, when it hits 210 degrees F (just below boiling), remove it from the heat and transfer to a non-metal bowl (something with thick sides works best).
• Let the milk sit until it's just cool enough to hold your finger in for fifteen seconds (or until it hits 105 degrees F).
• Your 1/4 cup of yogurt (starter) should be at room temperature. Add enough of the milk to your starter to mix it into a thin liquid, and add this back to the milk, making sure it's stirred in very well.
• Put plastic wrap over the bowl, wrap it in a small towel, and place it somewhere warm where it won't be disturbed (I use a rice cooker on the warm setting).
• Let it sit for 6-12 hours, making sure not to peek or otherwise move the bowl. The time will vary depending on how warm it is where the yogurt is left to ferment, but as a rule, warmer spots will take less time and cooler spots will take more, but leaving the yogurt anywhere warmer than 110 degrees should be avoided, as it may kill the active cultures. For me, nine hours works best.
• When it has finished fermenting, the plastic will puff out and your yogurt will be sitting in a yellowish syrup. This is just the whey, and it is up to you whether or not you want to drain it off. Place the yogurt in the fridge and let it get cold before serving.
• Reduce the milk powder to 3 tbsp and omit the agave and vanilla for plain yogurt that can be used in recipes.

Steps:

• Place 4 pint glass canning jars (lids & rings, too) into your canning pot with about an inch of water. Cover and boil for 10 minutes. Turn heat off & leave to sit until you are ready to use jars.
• Pour 1/2 gallon of milk into heavy bottomed stock pot & heat to 185°-190°F.
• Measure out sugar & scrape vanilla bean into it. Stir well.
• Remove milk from heat & place entire pot into sink of cold water. Add sugar/vanilla bean/vanilla extract & stir. Cool to 120°F.
• Add 1/2 cup starter yogurt & stir thoroughly so there are no little clumps of yogurt.
• Remove jars from canner & add milk.
• Add lids & rings to jars and place back into canner.
• Fill with 1 gallon of the hottest tap water you can get and place back on stove at the warm setting. Let sit for 3 hours.
• Place yogurt into refrigerator for 3 hours.
• Enjoy or place strainer & cheesecloth over an empty bowl & allow yogurt to strain for 1-2 hours in refrigerator & place yogurt back into jar for thicker Greek style yogurt.