Why you should make your own yogurt

Basic homemade yogurt in a Mason jar

Super simple, this two-ingredient yogurt recipe, using a Mason jar, is ready in eight hours. You can add maple syrup or another sweetener, if desired.

Yields about 1 quart

Ingredients:

• 3-1/2 cups whole milk
• 1/4 cup plain whole-milk yogurt

Directions:

1. Sterilize a 1-quart Mason jar.
2. In a saucepan over medium heat, heat milk to about 110 degrees F.
3. Remove from heat and whisk in yogurt.
4. Pour into the prepared Mason jar and cover with a clean kitchen towel.
5. Place jar in a warm place in your kitchen.
6. Let yogurt sit overnight.
7. Pour off any excess water, seal with a lid and store in the refrigerator.

Maple vanilla yogurt

You can use a small container of plain yogurt as the starter or purchase a freeze-dried yogurt starter at your health food store or online. If you're using plain yogurt, be sure to choose a brand that has live active cultures.

Ingredients:

• 1 (6 ounce) container plain whole milk yogurt
• 1 cup cream
• 3-1/2 cups 2% or whole milk
• 1/3 cup pure maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, whisk together all of the ingredients.
2. Pour mixture into the yogurt jars that come with the yogurt maker. Seal with the lids.
3. Place jars in the yogurt maker and cover with lid.
4. Set yogurt maker timer to 11 hours.
5. When yogurt is done, let it cool on the counter then store in the refrigerator. The yogurt will seem thin when it is still warm but will thicken up as it cools.

Cook's note: The yogurt, cream and milk in this recipe came straight out of the refrigerator. If you combine the ingredients and let them come to room temperature, reduce the cooking time to nine hours.

More tasty yogurt recipes

Bobby Flay's amazing recipes featuring Greek yogurt
5-Layer yogurt dip
Lemon-herb chicken with yogurt dill sauce