This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of TruMoo for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.
When I was a kid, oh so many moons ago, we actually had milk breaks in school. It’s true! In the afternoon, one of the lunch ladies would stop by with a cart that had both white milk and chocolate milk. For only a nickle, you could purchase a 1/2 pint carton of milk. I always chose chocolate milk….it’s just such a magical drink. Well, if you ask my kids, chocolate milk is still magical today! It just puts a smile on your face. I guess the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.
TruMoo understands just how much kids love chocolate milk along with strawberry milk. They also know that Mom’s love to give their kids healthy food options. That’s why TruMoo milk has 8 essential nutrients, no HFCS or artifical growth hormones, minimal sugar, and a taste KIDS LOVE. Everyone wins. (Stop by TruMoo for more information.) Now, how would you like to take the goodness of TruMoo milk and add the benefits of probiotics?
Yup, you can easily make your own yogurt at home. It’s true! There’s no special equipment needed and this would be great to do with your kids. It’s a delicious “hands on” science experiment. It also turns yummy flavored milks into a wonderful afternoon snack.
There are only 2 ingredients needed to make this delicious snack:
- 1 quart (4 cups) TruMoo Strawberry or TruMoo Chocolate Milk
- 1 Tbsp plain yogurt (with live cultures)
- Large pot
- Measuring Cup
- Picnic (or styrofoam) cooler
- A couple of towels
- 2 pint (or 1 quart) canning jars with lids….these should be sterilized (You can sterilize in your dishwasher if you have a “sterilizing” cycle or boil them in hot water for 5-10 minutes)
- 4 extra jars with lids
- Candy thermometer
- Ladle
Before we get begin, I’d like to chat with you about your yogurt starter…the Tbsp of plain yogurt. Use plain yogurt with active LIVE cultures. This is a must. If the cultures aren’t live, then they won’t grow in your yogurt batch. I like Stonyfield but there are many other brands that you can use…just be sure to check the label.
Okay, are you ready to begin? Let’s go.
Directions:
First line a cooler with towels.
Pour your 2 quarts of milk into a large pot and heat of medium high heat, stirring occasionally, until the milk reaches 180 Degrees F. Remove your pot from heat and allow it to cool to 110 Degrees F. (While you are waiting for the milk to cool, place a tea kettle on a burner to boil some water).
Once your milk has cooled to 110 Degrees F, remove 1 cup and add the 1 Tbsp plain yogurt. Using a whisk, mix thoroughly and then return this to your pot of remaining milk and whisk once more.
Pour your yogurt/milk mix into the sterilized jar(s) close with a tight fitting lid. Fill your additional jars with the boiling water from your tea kettle. Place all the jars into your cooler and fold the towels over the top, encasing the jars. Close the cooler and store off to the side in an out of the way place (like under a table). Allow your yogurt to incubate, undisturbed, for 8 hours or overnight.
After 8 hours, or overnight, remove your jars from the cooler. Notice how it is still warm in your cooler! It’s this constant warmth that allowed your yogurt cultures to grow. Place your jars of yogurt into the refrigerator to cool for a couple of hours.
Open a jar and look…..it really is yogurt! Now I decided to make a batch of strawberry & a batch of chocolate at the same time. So, I have 2 pint jars of each flavor (4 in total).
Spoon some yogurt into bowls, top with some granola and enjoy! Doesn’t it look absolutely delicious?
Both of these flavors are delicious. They aren’t as syrup-ey sweet as many commercial yogurts are. These both have a light and delicious flavor that I’m sure you will enjoy. The Strawberry TruMoo milk used is lowfat and creates a yogurt that is a little more watery while the Whole Milk Chocolate TruMoo milk creates a creamier yogurt.
If you are having some difficulty getting your head wrapped around this process, think of making yeast bread. In order to activate the yeast, you need water that is neither too hot (it will kill the yeast) nor too cool (the yeast will not become activated). Also, for your bread dough to rise properly, you need to leave your bread undisturbed in a warm location…..yogurt is just like this.
This yogurt will last approximately 2 weeks in your refrigerator. I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do. See more great ways to enjoy TruMoo and become fan of TruMoo on Facebook today. Do so and you kids will love you MORE than chocolate milk!
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