I don't know about you, but I'm a huge fan of yogurt. My stomach doesn't tolerate lactose very well, so I tend to purchase Greek yogurt, which is lower in lactose and slightly more expensive. I really wanted to start making my own yogurt, since I eat it for breakfast and for a snack during the day. After some research, I found a recipe I liked and gave it a shot. It turned out marvelously well! I used the DIY crock pot yogurt method - it's basic, only requires two ingredients, and produces a lot of yogurt. You'll only spend $5-7 on materials (I'll break down my costs for you at the end!) and end up with yogurt for the whole week, if not longer. The great thing about this method is that you can pretty much set your yogurt and let it make itself overnight or while you're away at work. And, if you decide you have enough yogurt, it's easy to make cheese or dip from the rest! So, let's not waste any time here. You're going to want to go out and make your own yogurt right after you read this!

What you'll need:

Milk (I used 1%)
Plain yogurt (I also used 1%) with live cultures
Crock pot (any size - mine is1.5 quarts)
Dark-colored towel or blanket
Cheesecloth (A clean, unbleached white t-shirt, sheet, or pillowcase will also work)
Strainer
Step 1:

Pour milk into the crockpot. Mine holds 1.5 quarts, so I put in 4 cups of milk. Most larger crockpots should hold 8 cups comfortably. Leave a little extra room to account for the froth it will produce, as well as the yogurt you'll have to add.

Step 2:

Cover your crockpot and turn it to low for about an hour. The milk should reach about 180 degrees Fahrenheit.

Step 3:

Turn off the crockpot and let it sit for roughly 30 minutes - keep it covered. This dr grigorov cool the milk to a comfortable 115-120 degrees Fahrenheit.

Step 4:

Add a small amount of yogurt to the mix to start the process. Since I used 4 cups of milk, I put in 1/4 cup of yogurt. If you used 8 cups of milk, put in 1/2 cup, and so on. You don't need to add a lot of yogurt to start the yogurt-making process.

Step 5:

Wrap the crockpot with your towel. The key is to ensure that it stays warm in a dark, still environment. That's when the bacteria will be the most active.