Making yogurt is easier than you might think. While it's not necessary to own a yogurt maker−there are many techniques, from using a dehydrator to using a heating pad or placing a jar in a cabinet with a lamp−it does make the process easier and some of them come with nice glass jars you can use to store and transport the yogurt in.
For the past several years I have used an Excalibur dehydrator
to make yogurt, which is great to have if you want to make other things like dried herbs, dehydrated veggies and fruits, and fruit roll-ups.
Keep the yogurt at a steady low heat between 100°F/38°C and 110°F/43°C to give it time to culture. You can also use an Instant Pot to make yogurt, and just extend the time to culture the yogurt for 24 hours if you're making SCD yogurt.
For a quick read on culturing for between 4 to 8 hours, here is a good online source: Harold McGee on Yogurt, The New York Times. When culturing for 24 hours (lactose-free yogurt that is used for the SCD diet) check out Breaking the vicious cycle.
Yogurt Starters
Along with milk, you need a yogurt starter that kicks off the growth of good bacteria (cultures) and turns the milk into yogurt. The yogurt starter contains the bacteria that will digest the lactose (milk sugar).
You can use a plain, high quality yogurt that doesn't contain any additives other than bacterial cultures. For SCD use a yogurt starter that contains only the following bacterial strains: Lactobacillus Acidophilus, Bulgaricus, and Streptococcus Thermophilus.
I use the yogurt starter from GIProHealth and they also sell a dairy-based and a dairy-free yogurt starter. If you want to use store-bought yogurt, here is a list of SCD-compatible commercial brand yogurt starters.
You can also use heavy cream in the yogurt making process to create a sour cream, crème fraîche, and whipped crème fraîche.
How to Make Yogurt
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 4 cups milk cow, goat and sheep milk work well
- about 1 tablespoon yogurt starter
- Sterile container and cover
Instructions
- Pour the milk into a saucepan, place it on a low to medium heat and bring the milk to a steady simmer. When the milk reaches about 180°F/90°C, remove it from the heat off and let cool to room temperature.
- Pour about ¼ cup of the cooled milk into a sterile container that has a cover. Add the yogurt starter and stir to blend well. Pour in the rest of the milk and blend well.
- Place in a yogurt maker or other warm environment, between 100°F/38°C and 110°F/43°C.
- After 4 to 8 hours for regular yogurt (or 24 hours for lactose-free yogurt), refrigerate the yogurt until you’re ready to use it. It will keep for a few weeks in the refrigerator.
How to Drip Yogurt (Greek Yogurt)
To drip yogurt (also referred to as Greek yogurt for it's thickness), I place a strainer in a saucepan, then place a paper towel (cheesecloth, or coffee filter) in the strainer, and finally place the yogurt in the paper towel. I put the saucepan top on and let it drip away, sometimes over night in the refrigerator. Or, you can purchase equipment to strain your yogurt. The longer you drip it the more water drips out, so you can control how thick (and dry) you want your yogurt by how long you let it drip.
Dripped Yogurt {Greek style}
Ingredients
- 2 cups yogurt
- bowl to catch the dripping liquid whey
- strainer of some kind mesh strainer or colander
- paper towel cheese cloth, or coffee filter
Instructions
- Set a mesh strainer or colander over a bowl to catch the dripping liquid from the yogurt (whey). Line the strainer with cheesecloth, a coffee filter, or a few sheets of paper towels.
- Place the yogurt in the lined strainer. Let it drip for at least 30 minutes, or up to at least 6 hours for cream cheese consistency. You don’t need to refrigerate the dripping yogurt, but I tend to do so in case I don’t use it right away.
- Cover and store in the refrigerator for up to a few weeks.
Make Yogurt in an Instant Pot
Equipment
- 1 Instant Pot
Instructions
- Sterilze the Instant Pot container by adding 2 cups of water, place the top on and set it to steam it for about 3 minutes.
- Pour out the water.
- Add the milk to the container and with the top off of the instant Pot, boil it by using a "Boil" setting or a "Saute" setting. Use a thermometer to measure when the milk reaches 180℉ and then turn it off and let it cool to 80 to 90℉.
- Add your yogurt starter to the milk and place the top on the Instant Pot.
- Press the yogurt button and set the time for 24 hours.
- Refrigerate the yogurt for at least 8 hours.
Briget Porteus says
Hi Erica! This will be my first time making yogurt. I have an Excalibur dehydrator and will be using that. I’d like to make at least 8 cups. Can I just use a really large sterile bowl that will fit in the dehydrator? Also, I noticed you said to make sure your container has a lid. Am I to cover the container while it’s in the dehydrator?
Thank you
Briget
Erica says
Hi Bridget! Yes, you can definitely use one large sterile jar or bowl that fits in the dehydrator. Yes, fully cover the yogurt it while it's in the dehydrator to protect it while it's fermenting.
Briget says
Sorry just one more question. Can I use Green Valley’s Lactose Free Organic Plain Yogurt as the starter? It’s their whole milk yogurt
Thank you
Briget
Erica says
Hi Bridget, no worries, I love questions. I just updated this post with newer information about yogurt starter and SCD. I recommend staying with SCD-approved yogurt starters, and avoid lactose-free products in general. Take a look at the info I added for yogurt starters.
Katie tellez says
Can you recommend a good yogurt maker, I’m new to this and want to try it out. Also where is a good place to get starters for Scd diet?
Erica says
I use a dehydrator or my Instant Pot, but read all the ways I describe in this post on how to make yogurt. I don't use a yogurt maker but you can read reviews on shopping sites like Amazon. This post also recommends 2 types of yogurt starter, so see the links in the post here.
CBC says
Can coconut milk/cream be used in making scd yogurt? I need dairy free.
Thanks 😉
Erica says
Coconut milk for sure. I haven't tried just the cream. I have a recipe for it in my SCD book for almond and coconut milk, and it's basically the same recipe for yogurt using cashew, almond, or coconut milk.
Emma C says
I've been making yogurt since the 70's and started originally by wrapping the pan of milk in towels and storing in a dark place. (after the usual heating and cooling of the milk to room temp) I was taught to open it daily and create a small impression to remove some of the whey to make the yogurt thicker.
I've worked my way through 3 liter-sized Salton yogurt makers that each lasted about 7 years. When the third maker broke several years ago, I began just using my oven as the incubator. Leave the light on and it stays warm enough. I do a 12-24 hour incubation.
At this point, I prefer to purchase powdered starter. My current faves are the Yogourmet combined with ABY-2C. I get the tartness of Yogourmet with the low price of the ABY-2C.
I've also experimented with creating my own starter and after some research, stumbled across using pepper stems. You can see the results at https://www.flickr.com/photos/marypatcollins/albums/72157631048207202
Erica says
Thanks for sharing!
Caresse says
I have two of your books and want to try making the yogurt, creme fraiche, etc. I don’t have a yogurt maker, but I do have an instant pot that has a yogurt function. Do you have any tips on how I can adapt this recipe for my instant pot? Thanks so much!
Erica says
I haven't used an Instant Pot yet, but now that you ask I'm going to try it. I have an older Instant Pot that doesn't have a Yogurt setting, so I would have to boil the yogurt in the Instant Pot first. If you have a newer Instant Pot that has the Yogurt settings, I found this recipe: http://createyourjoy.net/2017/10/24-hour-greek-yogurt-instant-pot-recipe/.
carrie says
I love making homemade yogurt. I have added a vanilla bean while heating the milk and then remove it before adding the starter. Do you know if you can do this with other spices? ie. cinnamon
Erica says
I haven't tried but I don't see why not.
Lauren says
My yogurt starter (from GI Pro Health, recommended in your SCD book) says that I should put 1/8 tsp of starter per 2 quarts of milk. I am completely new to this - should I disregard that and put in 1 tbsp? What would be the differences and benefits? (I don't need it to be SCD legal, but SCD meshes well with some of the nutritional guidelines I follow to keep my blood pressure normal. We have many new family favorites from your website!)
Thank you!
Natalie says
Can I make this recipe using coconut milk instead of other milks listed? Will I have the same outcome?
Erica says
While you probably can, it's not the easiest way to make it. I'm actually experimenting with that now, and may post my recipe in the near future, but my favorite two examples for making non-dairy yogurt, so far, are these: http://www.culturesforhealth.com/free-ebooks-fermented-cultured-foods and http://www.giprohealth.com/makingyogurt-2.aspx. Stay tuned!
Hannah says
I am working on my first batch of SCD yogurt with a yogurt maker. Towards the end we realized the temperature rose to 116.5 degrees Fahrenheit. Do we need to start over again? Have the good bacteria been killed? Thank you so much.
Erica says
Based on my experience, your yogurt is probably fine. If it's sour and firmer (not as fluid as milk) you've done it and it's good to go. In general, I try to stay on the lower side of the range.
Needful Things says
Any tips for making yogurt without a yogurt maker? My grandmother used to make ours each night by heating up some milk & stirring in a teaspoon or so of starter taken from the yogurt she'd made the night before. She'd leave it, covered, on the kitchen counter and we had perfect, creamy yogurt for breakfast each morning. She made it look so easy. I've never tried it myself but am eager to because I know it tastes so much better than store-bought.
Erica says
Yes, as long as you leave the yogurt overnight in a warm place it will culture (technically you need it to be at least 100 degrees F, but I think putting near a source of heat will be enough). Good luck!