Yogurt is so good for little bellies! It has calcium for bone strength, as well as protein and fat for those fast growing toddlers.
At my house we go through yogurt FAST so it saves me money and shopping trips to just make it myself. Aside from that, I know what is in it! Two ingredients. Milk and a yogurt start. Can you say YUM!
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All the Ways to Use Yogurt
Smoothies, Oatmeal, Parfaits. Oh my! Yogurt is good in many ways. I always like to use it in place of sour cream in recipes (but lets focus on the toddlers for now). My little one really likes yogurt oatmeal. We eat it almost every morning.
How to Make Yogurt
This is the fun part. And the easy part!
Ingredients:
- 1/2 gallon of milk
- 1/2 cup yogurt with live culture
Heat the milk in a pot until it boils. Stirring frequently.
Once the milk boils, pull it off the stove and let it start to cool down.
Pull out about a ladle full and put it into a bowl to cool. You should also put your yogurt start out on the counter. Once the ladle portion and the yogurt start are room temperature, mix them together.
They say you can mix it into the rest of the milk once you can put your little finger into the pot of milk for 10 seconds without burning yourself (worst direction ever). I admit though, this is how I test it too!
Once I have everything mixed together I actually put it into a crockpot with a lid on because it holds heat better. I wrap the crockpot in a towel and blanket to keep it warm and then leave it safely on top of the fridge for 8-10 hours. (overnight is my favorite).
The longer you leave it out the more tart the yogurt is. But is also is a fine balance of leaving it long enough to get thick. So 8-10 hours is the perfect timing for a mild and yet thick and creamy yogurt.
Then without opening the lid of the crockpot, put it into the fridge for another 6-10 hours before you eat it.
Tasty and versatile!
Sweetening Homemade Yogurt
Sweetening yogurt can be tricky. If you add sugar after its made, it turns it into a much runnier version of what you started with. I prefer to just add some maple syrup or honey or blue agave. Those still make it runny, but are a slightly healthier option.
Another way is unsweetened applesauce. That is how I sweeten it for my little one. Keeps the texture pretty thick, but is a tasty flavor and more nutrition!
Lastly, I have heard that you can use a can of sweetened condensed milk with your 1/2 gallon of milk from the very start. It should thicken right along with everything else. This gives you sweet yogurt with the thick and creamy consistency we all love.
