yogurt makers worth it?

[Anonymous]

I'm trying to be more green and to use less packaging even if it means more work with slicing, dicing, chopping etc. I like yogurt and buy a fair amount of it and I realize that's a lot of little plastic tubs getting thrown away/recycled. Does anyone have experience making their own yogurt? Is it worth it? Does it save money/packaging etc? Does it taste OK? And if making my own yogurt is a completely stupid idea, I'm open to hearing that side of it too. Just exploring this idea right now.

[Anonymous]

If you're interested, I'll sell you the never used maker that DW requested for xmas two years ago .....

[Anonymous]

You don't need a yogurt maker.

Bring milk to a boil. Remove from heat. When the temperature of the milk gets down to 110F, add a little old yogurt (for a quart of milk, I use about 1/4 - 1/2 tsp old yogurt). Wrap it in a couple of dishtowels and stick it in the microwave, OR leave it in the oven with the light on. In the morning you will have yogurt.

My family is Indian and we eat a ton of yogurt, always homemade and that's how we have always done it. You can also take a shortcut by bringing to boil in the microwave in a pyrex bowl, and then store the yogurt in the same bowl.

[Anonymous]

Not worth it. Have used it 3 times in 6 years.

[Anonymous]

We used ours for a long time. It's really easy once you get going. I just prefer the taste of Greek yogurt these days, and the taste of the homemade was a little tangier.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You don't need a yogurt maker.

Bring milk to a boil. Remove from heat. When the temperature of the milk gets down to 110F, add a little old yogurt (for a quart of milk, I use about 1/4 - 1/2 tsp old yogurt). Wrap it in a couple of dishtowels and stick it in the microwave, OR leave it in the oven with the light on. In the morning you will have yogurt.

My family is Indian and we eat a ton of yogurt, always homemade and that's how we have always done it. You can also take a shortcut by bringing to boil in the microwave in a pyrex bowl, and then store the yogurt in the same bowl.

ditto. and the yogurt is delicious.

[Anonymous]

I love yogurt, but prefer the thick Greek-style yogurt. Any recipes for homemade Greek yogurt?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You don't need a yogurt maker.

Bring milk to a boil. Remove from heat. When the temperature of the milk gets down to 110F, add a little old yogurt (for a quart of milk, I use about 1/4 - 1/2 tsp old yogurt). Wrap it in a couple of dishtowels and stick it in the microwave, OR leave it in the oven with the light on. In the morning you will have yogurt.

My family is Indian and we eat a ton of yogurt, always homemade and that's how we have always done it. You can also take a shortcut by bringing to boil in the microwave in a pyrex bowl, and then store the yogurt in the same bowl.

ditto. and the yogurt is delicious.

We did this in college. Put in a glass jar and put it in a box and stuff a down sleeping bag around it. Then take it out the next morning.
We made a gallon at a time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I love yogurt, but prefer the thick Greek-style yogurt. Any recipes for homemade Greek yogurt?

Isn't it just strained through a cheesecloth?

[Anonymous]

Another home yogurt maker here. I boil the milk, cool it, add about 4 T of existing yogurt to about 4 cups of milk, then put it in a small cooler with a heating pad that's been turned on for about 2 minutes.

[Anonymous]

My mom used to boil the milk, mix the old yogurt, close the container and stick behind the fridge overnight.

If you want it thicker u strain it through a cheese cloth.

In the morning we had fresh yogurt that we'd mix with all sorts of preserves or honey.

[Anonymous]

I have a yogurt maker and use it often. I can probably make it without one but it's easier for me to use a yogurt maker. I love that I can use organic milk since store bought organic yogurt is expensive. If you eat a lot, the yogurt maker will pay for itself.

[Anonymous]

Awesome thanks everyone[/b]. Apparently my mom has a yogurt maker they never use that she's willing to part with but I may try it without since so many of you gave great tips on how to do it.