Trials & Errors of Making Yogurt

My mom and I recently found a gem of an old fashioned yogurt maker at Goodwill a month ago for $6! I was excited to try it, but how? Thank goodness for the internet with a wealth of recipes to choose from, but how do I know which one will work best? So I picked a few after Googling "Salton Yogurt Maker", and gave it a try. Sadly, my first attempt did NOT work. :(  The containers overflowed, it was too runny, tasted horrible, and there was more.

So my next move was to ask on Facebook. Thanks to Nan for giving me the same recipe she used with the exact same yogurt maker! I changed how much milk so the containers don't overflow. Here it is for anyone else that finds a similar yogurt maker at a thrift store or yard sale:

Preheat the yogurt maker. This may seem minor, but making yogurt is sensitive to drastic changes in temperature.

I like to set out the 2 Tablespoons of plain yogurt for the starter so it can come to room temperature while I heat & cool the milk.

Heat 3 cups of milk (I like 2% or 1% best) to 180 degrees F on medium-high in a heavy sauce pan. I like to use a probe thermometer that can be set to the temp to I know exactly when it reaches the right temp. Remove from the stove immediately.

Cool to 120 degrees F. I like to stir to make it go faster, but you can just let it set off the stove. Stirring goes faster, and the whole heat then cool process usually takes me about an hour.

Once the milk reaches 120 degrees F mix 2 Tablespoons to the yogurt, and then stir into the rest of the milk.

Pour into the containers (as evenly as possible). Cover and let sit for 8-12 hours. Put the containers in the fridge, and it keeps for up to a week.

Yogurt in a Salton Maker
from Kathleen Oordt; A Rainy Day Designs blog

Ingredients:
3 cups milk; whole, 2%, or 1% work best
2 Tbls PLAIN yogurt; regular or Greek work

Plug in maker to pre-heat. Put 2 Tbls of yogurt in a bowl. Heat milk on med-high to 180 degrees F; stirring to prevent scorching. Cool to 120 degrees F; stirring to prevent hot or cold spots. When it reaches 120 degrees F stir 2 Tbls of milk into 2 Tbls of yogurt then stir into the rest of milk. Pour evenly into containers, covers, and let sit for 8-12 hours. Refrigerate for up to a week.