Homesteading: Making Yogurt

Our theme this year is "homesteading in the city", where we celebrate making and doing for ourselves, with all the comforts of modern life! Today I'm making yogurt in the Instant Pot. 

Homesteading in the city, with the Instant Pot

I make a batch of yogurt about once a month. It makes a great breakfast as a parfait with honey or jam, fruit, nuts and granola, or as a smoothie with frozen fruit and greens. Yogurt is a terrific base for dips and sauces, and can be used as a marinade for meat and seafood. You can strain yogurt to make curds, which can be used as a spread for bagels. The whey is an excellent liquid substitute for cooking and baking, and a refreshing drink.

Yogurt is fermented milk that has been heated and mixed with live bacteria. According to Wikipedia, the origins of yogurt are unknown, but it may have been invented in Mesopotamia around 5000 BC. Yogurt is used as a food source, and the probiotic bacteria is good for maintaining a healthy gut. When stored in a chilled environment, yogurt keeps much longer that milk, so is a good technique for preservation. Yogurt is typically made from cow's milk, but goat and other milk types can be used, including non-dairy soy and coconut milk.

Milk source for yogurt
(line art by Pearson Scott Foresman)

To make yogurt, heat the milk to about 180 degrees, and then cool it to about 115 degrees. This prevents the milk proteins from forming curds. Add the bacterial culture, and then ferment the milk between 86-115 degrees for 8 hours. Keep the yogurt in the refrigerator. Optionally, strain the yogurt through cheesecloth and a sieve to produce a thicker yogurt consistency or curds. Keep the whey, which is full of protein. Serve and enjoy!