Matcha Yogurt
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How to Make Homemade Yogurt
If you’ve followed along for a while on my journey here then you already know I love probiotics and “live” food. I’ve shared with all of you how I make homemade sauerkraut, homemade kimchi, and homemade fermented dill pickles. I also made kombucha at home for over a year though I never posted my recipe for it. I did share this shot of one of my kombucha batches but just never found the time to get a post up on it. So it goes sometimes as a food blogger.
So, how do you make homemade yogurt? Well, there are basically 2 ways to make it. One involves purchasing yogurt culture starter and the other involves just adding a bit of plain yogurt to milk (and a little heavy cream, as I do here).
Beware that the resting time on this is 12 hours. You can experiment a little with this but I’ve found that this is the time range where I like mine. Letting it sit for less time may result in a little less thick and a little less tangy yogurt.
Special equipment that I use for this:
- Electronic probe thermometer (a candy thermometer will probably work, too)
- 3 pint canning jars with lids, cleaned and ready to go (this makes a little more than 2 pints)
- Large crockpot with a “keep warm” setting
- Fine sieve mesh strainer
- 2 large, thick bath towels
Homemade Vanilla Yogurt Recipe
- 4 cups whole milk (Do not use organic milk – due to it ultra-pasteurization, it doesn’t work well in yogurt-making)
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream
- 1/2 vanilla bean, split in half lengthwise (omit if you’re making plain yogurt)
- 3 generous tablespoons plain, whole milk yogurt
- In a medium saucepan, heat milk, heavy cream, and vanilla bean over low heat. Insert the probe of the thermometer into the milk and heat, stirring occasionally, until it reaches 195º. Don’t try to rush this step or you will burn the milk and cream.
- Remove from heat.
- If you’ve removed the probe, place it back into the milk mixture and let cool to 110º – 115º. If you want to rush this step along, fill your sink with 2-3 inches of cold water, add some ice, and then set the pan in the ice water for just 3 minutes or so. The mixture should still be steaming a little but this cuts the cool-down time in half. Remove from ice water and let finish cooling to 110º – 115º.
- While the mixture is cooling, preheat your slow cooker by turning it on “keep warm”.
- When the mixture has reached 110º – 115º, use the fine mesh sieve and strain the mixture into your jars. (you can skip the straining step if you’re not using the vanilla)
- Put lids on the jars and place in the preheated crockpot – I put mine right in the center of the crock.
- Place probe in crockpot and put the lid on the crockpot
- Monitor the temperature for a few minutes – mine stays pretty steady at around 111º. You need the temperature to stay right around 110º.
- Leave like this on the keep warm setting for about 45 minutes.
- Without removing the lid, carefully slide the probe out of the crockpot
- Turn crockpot off and unplug it.
- Cover the crockpot completely with the 2 towels, gently tucking an edge or two under the crockpot, until it’s completely covered.
- Let sit for 10-12 hours.
Remove the jars from the crockpot and refrigerate until cool. You now know how to make easy homemade vanilla yogurt!
Now, I have found the crockpot works best for me for making this but there are a lot of other methods out there. Some people place the pan in their oven with the light on and the door closed, which may be a better alternative for you.
I also like my vanilla yogurt really vanilla-y, so feel free to adjust the amount to your taste. Also, this is a pretty thick homemade yogurt but if you want it even thicker, let it cool and then scoop out into a muslin-lined strainer set over a bowl and let it drain in your refrigerator for a few hours.
Why would you want to make your own yogurt? What are the benefits of making homemade yogurt? Personally, I like that I can make this at home and leave out all of the sugar and other things that store-bought yogurt is typically full of. Studies show that full-fat yogurt is better for you than low fat, but I struggle to find any full-fat yogurt at my local grocery stores. In fact, Aldi is the only place I can find it a full-fat version and they only carry plain, which is actually what I started this whole yogurt-making journey with.
Of course, be sure and save a few tablespoons of your yogurt so you have some on hand when you make your second batch!
I hope you give this a try and love it – don’t be afraid to play with your food!
French Onion Soup
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Pasta Carbonara
Ahhh….pasta carbonara. So few ingredients yet a rich, incredible dish that every pasta lover should have in their recipe arsenal. I’ve had this post written for a long time but getting the photos has been another story. I can promise you that making this is WAY easier than documenting it, mostly because it’s so delicious that whenever I make it we just want to dig right in and eat it – it’s definitely a pasta dish best when served fresh.
Easy Pasta Carbonara Recipe
- 1 lb. bucatini or spaghetti (I prefer De Cecco) + 1 teaspoon of kosher salt for cooking pasta
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano, plus an additional 1/4 cup for serving
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 6 ounces pancetta, cubed or sliced
- 3-4 cloves garlic, minced
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
A couple of notes before you start:
- Start your pasta cooking, have your egg & cheese mixture mixed together, your garlic minced and your parsley chopped before you start, then you’re not rushing or pressured when the dish is ready to put together.
- One of the keys to a carbonara sauce is cooking the sauce while the pasta cooks. This ensures that the pasta will be hot and ready to toss with your sauce when you need to. This will also ensure that the eggs cook just a bit, which accomplishes two things – not eating raw eggs and making a creamy sauce that clings to your pasta.
- Instead of draining my pasta, I use tongs to scoop it out and toss it right in with the garlic pancetta mixture. This may be a little messier but it’s faster and ensures I have reserved hot pasta water when I need it.
Directions:
- In a small bowl, blend your eggs and cheese together well using a fork or whisk
- Bring your pasta water to a boil, add salt and pasta and stir well. Bring back to a boil and cook for 10 minutes or according to directions on package, while completing the steps below.
- In the meantime, once the pasta has been cooking for about 3-4 minutes, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
- Add pancetta and cook until fat is rendered and the pancetta begins to crisp up, stirring often, about 4-5 minutes.
- Reduce heat to medium, add garlic and stir constantly over heat, about 2 more minutes.
- Shut the heat off of the pasta if needed, while you complete the sauce.
- Using tongs, pull pasta directly out of the water and toss into the pancetta garlic mixture, tossing it all together.
- Quickly add the egg and cheese mixture, tossing well again.
- Using a ladle or measuring cup, add about 1/4 cup of hot pasta water to the cooked pasta mixture and keep tossing.
- If needed, add more water in 1/4 cup increments until creamy sauce forms. You may end up adding close to a cup of water. Toss well after each addition.
- When you have a creamy sauce, plate pasta immediately, sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper, additional Parmesan, and chopped parsley.
- Serve and enjoy!
This dish is really all about timing because obviously, there aren’t a lot of ingredients involved. Again, having everything chopped, mixed and as prepared ahead of time as possible makes this much easier to throw together.
Invest in the best cheese you can for this, as it’s really the star of the dish.
Once you have this down, you’ll find yourself making it pretty often. It’s a perfect pasta dish for an easy weeknight dinner, a romantic dinner for two or a dinner party with friends or family.
Want to make carbonara with bacon instead? Go for it! I’ve done it and it’s delicious. I’ve also tossed roasted, chopped asparagus into this and it’s divine. Don’t limit yourself – you can use this as a base for all kinds of ideas.
Mangia!
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