Simple Homesteading: Using a Yogurt Maker
There are a few homesteading skills that are great to have, but can be made easier with some modern conveniences! Two of my favorite are bread and yogurt making. I have often talked about the ease of using a bread maker. Making bread is simple enough without a bread maker, but the ability to throw the ingredients in and push a button saves me a lot of time. Enough time, in fact, to make my goal of making all my family's bread from scratch, a reality.
Another modern convenience I couldn't do without in my kitchen is my yogurt maker. Like making bread from scratch, making yogurt from scratch is easily done. But, a yogurt maker saves time and time is money. You can try one of my favorite yogurt recipes, or, as an extra special treat, you can sprinkle a little oatmeal cookie granola on top!
Making Yogurt without a Yogurt Maker
I used to make my families yogurt using a stock pot and rice packs. You can also try it with a slightly warmed oven or a crock pot. It works well, but, I had to keep a very close eye on the temperature. Too hot and your cultures will die. Too cold and your cultures will stop growing. Either extreme will ruin your yogurt. I ruined about one in every four batches before I switched to an actual yogurt maker. Like the bread maker, I was pleased to find that it saved me a lot of time. I could make the yogurt then put it in the jars and set the timer and not have to watch the temperature so closely.
Making Yogurt with a Yogurt Maker
The other nice thing about the yogurt maker is that it is portioned into single serving sizes. Not all of the yogurt makers will do this, but I chose one that did.
One thing a yogurt maker will not do is save you time in the preparation. The yogurt has to be prepared first (the milk heated to the correct temperature and the cultures added) and then you put it in the jars for 10-14 hours. The time you save is in not watching it for the 10-14 hours.
Where to Find a Yogurt Maker
Yogurt makers are fairly inexpensive. If you eat yogurt everyday then you can save a lot of money making your own (and it will be healthier). You can buy them in stores (such as Target or Kohls) or online (such as Amazon). I prefer Amazon because of the selection and prices. And, of course, you can get your free Amazon certificates from Swagbucks. Here are a few of the yogurt making deals on Amazon right now:
- Euro Cuisine on sale for $25 from $50. This yogurt maker has seven 6 oz glasses for the yogurt.
- Digital Yogurt Maker on sale for $49 from $70 (this is the one I have). This yogurt maker also has separate glass jars so you can make single servings.
- 2 Quart Yogurt Maker on sale for $44 from $70. This one makes yogurt in a 2 quart jar (not single servings) and comes with a bag for cheese making.
