Vanilla Yogurt

Smooth, thick, & creamy with only a little bit of that yogurt tang and a easy-peasy to turn into Greek style yogurt, too! Most of the time is spent on heating/chilling & you can be taking care of other things like errands, a quick hockey game, laundry, or even watching tv.

• Ready In: 6 hrs 30 mins
• Serves: 16
• Yields: 4 pints

Ingredients

• 1⁄2 gallon  whole milk
• 1⁄2 cup yogurt, plain or 1⁄2 cup vanilla yogurt
• 1⁄2 cup sugar
• 1  teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1⁄2 vanilla bean

Directions

1. Place 4 pint glass canning jars (lids & rings, too) into your canning pot with about an inch of water. Cover and boil for 10 minutes. Turn heat off & leave to sit until you are ready to use jars.
2. Pour 1/2 gallon of milk into heavy bottomed stock pot & heat to 185°-190°F.
3. Measure out sugar & scrape vanilla bean into it. Stir well.
4. Remove milk from heat & place entire pot into sink of cold water. Add sugar/vanilla bean/vanilla extract & stir. Cool to 120°F.
5. Add 1/2 cup starter yogurt & stir thoroughly so there are no little clumps of yogurt.
6. Remove jars from canner & add milk.
7. Add lids & rings to jars and place back into canner.
8. Fill with 1 gallon of the hottest tap water you can get and place back on stove at the warm setting. Let sit for 3 hours.
9. Place yogurt into refrigerator for 3 hours.
10. Enjoy or place strainer & cheesecloth over an empty bowl & allow yogurt to strain for 1-2 hours in refrigerator & place yogurt back into jar for thicker Greek style yogurt.