Yogurt

It turns out that a half gallon of milk makes a WHOLE LOT of yogurt. Or, in my case, semi-yogurt.

AFTER starting my yogurt in the slow cooker I read that I shouldn't use ultra-pasteurized milk. Pretty much all organic milk on the shelf is ultra-pasteurized, which has led me in the past to consider going milk non-organic. I keep buying organic though because I figure it keeps that many more fields pesticide free (organic cows have to eat organic grass...)

Anyway, I got more of a Kefir appearance, but it does taste like yogurt, and it is thicker than plain milk. I'm hoping to go buy some fruit and make fruit yogurt drinks out of it. Maybe I'll find some recipes that call for yogurt too. This is like a repeat of the cucumbers. Can you preserve yogurt?

Anyway, I loved my recipe and I will definitely make yogurt again (on a smaller scale), so I thought I'd share!

I got this recipe from this site:

Step 1: Pour 1/2 gallon NOT ULTRA-PASTEURIZED milk into slow cooker (2%/skim/lowfat is fine)
Step 2: Heat on Low setting for 2 1/2 hours (set a timer and go about your life)
Step 3: Turn off slow cooker and let sit for 3 hours. Keep the lid on. (again with the timer)
Step 4: Measure 2 cups of the warm milk into a separate bowl and mix in 1/2 cup yogurt with live cultures.
Step 5: Return mix to slow cooker, cover, and wrap the slow cooker in a towel overnight or 8 hours.

Okay, so this is like making bread, do something, wait, do something, wait, etc., but it's incredibly easy, not messy at all, and I have to believe regular milk would have turned out a nice thick yogurt. Even kefir-like it tastes good.

I put my milk on at 4pm then checked it 3 hours later (after dinner), then mixed the culture in around 10:00.

Now, any ideas of how to use all this good stuff?