Zero Waste Yogurt in the Crockpot

When I started my zero waste grocery shopping challenge back in February, I challenged myself to go totally package-free for the entire month. My goal was to contribute nothing to my trashcan or my recycling bin. Once the challenge had been completed (watch my YouTube video about my experience here) I didn’t want to return to my old habits of buying packaged foods. So I decided I would attempt to make items that I couldn’t find package-free, like yogurt (also, I’ve always had this fantasy of operating an off-the-grid homestead where I walk around barefoot growing my own food and have all of these amazing skills. And what kind of homsteader-in-training would I be if I didn’t make my own yogurt?!).  I thought making yogurt would be hard and time intensive, but yogurt made in the crockpot is easy and allows you to enjoy your day while it basically cooks itself.

Making yogurt has been my new favorite thing to do on Sundays. I wake up, make breakfast with my husband, take my dog for a walk, grab lunch or do a yoga class, and then at 3pm I start the process of making yogurt. I let it cook while I am out having fun or doing other things around the house.

Making your own yogurt is so much cheaper than purchasing it at the store! If you are on a budget or just looking to cut costs, this recipe will directly affect your grocery bill. Winning.

A few things to note.

• Yogurt is made-up of live cultures. If you have a friend who makes their own yogurt, ask them for a 1/2 cup of their yogurt so you can use it as a starter for your own batch. If you don’t have that option, purchase a 1/2 cup container of plain yogurt with live, active cultures as your starter.
• I have read different blogs about using Greek yogurt as a starter and most say it doesn’t work in the crockpot. If you give it a shot anyway let me know how it goes!
• A note about milk fats. Use whatever milk fat you like, and don’t be worried if one time you make your yogurt with 2% and the next time you make it with skim. I’ve used milk with a different fat percentage each time and it works well.

Homemade yogurt in the crock-pot

Yields: a half-gallon of yogurt. Prep time: 5 minutes. Recyclables: One yogurt container (the first time you make this recipe) and one milk container. Waste: Zero!

Ingredients

• 1/2 gallon milk (fat of your choice)
• 1/2 cup plain yogurt made with live and active cultures

Instructions:

1. Pour the 1/2 gallon milk into your slow cooker
2. Turn your slow cooker to the “low” setting for 2.5-3 hours
3. Turn off your slow cooker and let the warm milk sit for 2.5-3 hours
4. Mix in 1/2 cup plain yogurt with live, active cultures into your crockpot
5. Place your crockpot in your oven with the oven light on (do not turn your oven on, just use the light)
6. Allow to sit overnight for 10-12 hours.

Top with fruit, honey, nuts, and enjoy!

The longer you allow your yogurt to sit in the oven with the light on, the tangier and thicker it will become. I’ve experimented and letting it sit for ten hours yields a runny yogurt while sitting for fifteen yields a thicker, tangier variation. Yogurt will stay good for up to two weeks in the refrigerator.

Did you make it? How did it go?