24-Hour Yogurt

For those of us who have difficulty digesting lactose, this is a great way to be able to eat yogurt. However, if you deal with casein intolerance, this won't work for you, as it doesn't get rid of casein.

Ingredients:

1/2 gallon whole milk
Yogurt starter OR
Probiotic capsules to equal at least 25 billion OR
1/3 cup Yogurt from a previous batch

Heat the milk in a saucepan on the stove until it reaches 180*.
Use a candy or milk thermometer.
I heat it pretty fast and use a flat bottom whisk to keep the bottom from scorching.

I cool it quickly by floating a 6 quart pan in a big bowl of cold water and pouring the milk into the pan.  Using the thermometer, I cool it til it reaches 110*.

There are a lot of different ways to incubate the milk.  My method of choice is to use my Yogourmet yogurt maker with squatty half-gallon jars.

I put the yogurt starter or probiotic capsules or yogurt from a previous batch in the jar and then pour the milk over it, mixing it thoroughly.  I then put the lid on the jar and the jar in the yogurt maker.

Let it incubate for 24 hours and then refrigerate.

Another method I have used for incubation is to put the jar in the oven with either the pilot light on, or the electric light on.  I tested the oven to see if it would keep at about 110*.  If it was too warm, I propped the door open a little with a wooden spoon.  It worked great.  I had a double oven, so didn't have the problem of having no oven during the incubation period.

Some folk use a foam cooler with hot water in bottles and towels to insulate, or a heating pad under the jar that won't turn off automatically.

Multiple small bottles can also be used instead of one large one if using any of the non-yogurt maker options.