Skip to main content

Homemade "Fruit on the Bottom" Yogurt


Skip the corn syrup and low-fat milk found in store bought fruit-on-the-bottom yogurts, and make your own homemade version.  Making yogurt is actually quite simple--all you need is milk and a yogurt culture (either from a previous batch of yogurt or a purchased starter) and a little warmth.



You can buy yogurt from the grocery store and make a new batch from it.  Then, just save a quarter cup from your new batch to make the next, and so on.  After time, if the flavor starts to become a bit "off" tasting, you may have to start over with new yogurt (or a packaged culture) again.  When you are choosing  your yogurt, be sure it is a good, organic brand with nothing added:  the ingredients should list just milk and cultures.

The fruit layer on the bottom is equally easy to make, only requiring berries and honey.  And the granola, while optional, is a great compliment to homemade yogurt.  If you do choose to make the granola, you will want to start it the day before you make the yogurt, since the granola needs to soak for 12 hours.

Fruit-on-the-Bottom Yogurt

Ingredients:


Granola:

1 cup rolled oats
1 cup water
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon honey (adjust to your taste)

Yogurt:

1quart milk (4 cups)
1/4 cup plain yogurt with active cultures
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)
honey to taste (optional)

Fruit-on-the-Bottom:

1 cup berries
1 tablespoon honey

1.  In a medium bowl, combine the granola ingredients (oats, water, vinegar, and honey).  Cover and allow the oats to soak for 12 hours.



2.  Dehydrate the oats.  If you are using an electric dehydrator, spread the oats onto fruit leather trays and dehydrate at 145 degrees F until the granola crumbles apart (this can take from 4 to 8 hours).



If you are using an oven, spread the oats into a thin layer on a cookie sheet.  Bake at your oven's lowest temperature until granola crumbles apart (4 to 8 hours).  Store granola in an airtight container.

3.  Prepare the yogurt:  In a pot, heat the milk to 180 degrees F over medium-low heat to prevent scorching.

4.  Remove the milk from heat and allow to cool to 110 degrees F.

5.  Meanwhile, bring a tea kettle of water to a boil.  Once it is boiling, pour the water into a small cooler; close the cooler and cover it with a blanket to keep it warm.

6.  Once the milk has reached 110 degrees F, take a ladle full of it out and pour it into a small bowl with the 1/4 cup yogurt.  Whisk the milk and yogurt together until smooth.  Pour the milk/yogurt mixture back into the pot of milk and stir well to thoroughly combine.

7.  Pour the milk/yogurt mixture into a clean quart-sized glass jar and screw on the lid.  Place the jar into the warmed cooler, close, and recover with the blanket.  The idea is to keep the jars warm, at around 110 degrees F, to let the cultures to do their thing.  Allow the jar to sit for 4 to 8 hours, or until the mixture has thickened.  If you would like vanilla flavored yogurt, stir in vanilla extract and honey to taste.  Then, refrigerate the yogurt until you are ready to assemble the fruit-on-the-bottom yogurt cups.



8.  Somewhere along the line, prepare your fruit-on-the-bottom mix.  Simply place 1 cup of your favorite berries into a small bowl and drizzle the 1 tablespoon of honey on top.  Mix and allow the mixture to sit for at least one hour.

9.  Assemble the yogurt cups:  Divide the fruit mix evenly among four half-pint jars.  Fill the jars the rest of the way with the yogurt; cap, and refrigerate.

10.  To serve, simply open a jar and top with granola.




Do you have a different method for making yogurt?  Let me know in the comments below, or on We Like Making Our Own Stuff's Facebook fan page.

Comments

  1. the tightwad gazette has a very good article on making homemade yogurt also.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Nice to meet you admin, love your yogurt recipe and whole article.
    my website about yogurt here the new article
    greek yogurt and diabetics thanks

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

I will just take a quick peek at your comment before it posts to avoid getting bombarded by spam. Please don't take it personally, I'm sure you're a lovely person.

Popular posts from this blog

Homemade Drain Cleaner

To avoid clogging and bad odors, sink and tub drains should be periodically cleaned. A once a month cleaning with a non-toxic, homemade cleaner prevents needing a stronger, usually sodium hydroxide (lye) based, cleaner to remove clogs.  Sodium hydroxide is extremely caustic, and will damage the lungs if inhaled, burn skin and eyes, and can be fatal if swallowed.  In addition, the heat generated by using sodium hydroxide can soften PVC pipes, and damage old, corroded pipes.  It also changes the pH of water and can cause fish kills. A much nicer alternative to this harsh chemical is the simple combination of baking soda and vinegar, followed with boiling water.  When baking soda and vinegar are combined, they foam and expand, cleaning the sides of your pipes and dissolving fatty acids.  The boiling water then washes it all away.  This method is a great way to use up the box of baking soda in your frig that is not longer doing a good job of deodorizing. Ingredients: 1 Cup baki

Soapmakers: Why You Shouldn't Use Vinegar if You Come into Contact with Lye

It was one of the first things I learned when I began making my own soap; I read it in books and on the internet: "Always keep a jug of vinegar on hand when you are working with lye.  Vinegar neutralizes lye." Soapers, have you heard this?  Do you practice the habit of keeping vinegar nearby when you make your soaps?  So did I, until recently, when I read an interesting post on a soap forum, and then decided to research the claim myself.

Why Did My Chicken Lay That Strange Egg? {Decoding 10 Chicken Laying Issues}

What do you got? A huge egg with two yolks in it?  A wrinkly misshapen egg?  An egg with a soft shell?  Or perhaps the all-inclusive just plain weird looking egg? Whatever it is, I hope to help clear up some of the mystery behind: Why Did My Chicken Lay That Strange Egg?