Living Off Food Storage Recipes: Homemade Yogurt

I've posted my go-to easy peasy homemade yogurt a couple times over the years (https://www.housewifebarbie.com/2019/09/easy-homemade-yogurt-on-keto-low-carb.html) and now that we are doing 100% eating from food storage, it was going to be a little bit tricky for me to start this because I haven't gone to the grocery store since November, 2023 (and it's now January 9th).  I don't have any pre-made yogurt or fresh yogurt on hand to use as a quick starter culture.

I decided I wanted fresh yogurt on hand for snacking and lunches for The Littles - especially since I just opened a new #10 can of freeze dried peach slices and this is my all-time favorite way of using freeze dried peaches.  LOVE IT.  So it's time to make yogurt... without a starter and completely from food storage.  :)

Freeze dried peaches and strawberries

My original recipe using water and dry instant milk powder also uses a tablespoon of store bought or homemade yogurt to 'start' it.  That's what I had to try to recreate with something I had on hand already. 

In the end, I went with citric acid because I knew you could make a culture starter with sliced lemon but obviously I didn't have any of those on hand fresh right now either.  I added 1/4 teaspoon citric acid crystals to about 2 T baby-bottle warm milk/cream.  When it was thick, I proceeded with the normal, regular recipe I always use.  (Below).

 

 

 

Homemade Plain Yogurt

1-2 T plain yogurt, either store bought or from an earlier batch (or the 1/4 t citric acid in 2 T hot milk)

1 quart water

1 1/2 cups - 2 cups dry milk powder

Use a 1 quart container of whatever style you wish but it's easiest if it has some sort of lid.

Fill it about half way with water, add the plain yogurt 'starter' and whisk or mix briefly, then add the powdered milk.  1 1/2 cups gives a thinner yogurt and the full 2 cups of dry milk powder will give you a thicker yogurt.  Shake, whisk or blend until smooth.  Fill the rest of the container up to the 1 quart line.  Put the top on or cover it well, and let it set for 12 hours someplace fairly warm.  I put mine on a heating pad set to 'low' and cover with a dish towel.

Around the 12 hour mark, check it.  It might need a couple more hours if it wasn't quite warm enough.  When it's thick and creamy, place it into the refrigerator.  It's now just like store bought plain yogurt.  

If you want to flavor it, use flavored water drops, lemon or vanilla extract, Torani or Davinci flavored syrups, etc. and/or a liquid drop natural sweetener or fine powdered confectioners style sweetener.  You can add berries/fruit of your choice, granola, whatever you wish. 

 

 

My container of choice is a 1 quart container with a lid and a blender ball inside.  All I have to do is shake it to mix!  It doesn't get easier than this.  And you can see my super fancy dancy heating pad.  Ha ha.  Yeah, just a plain old cheap heating pad - set on low for my heat source.

After 12 hours it's thick and creamy and 'done'. Now you can add sweeteners, fruit, etc.  Store in the refrigerator.