Yogurt Shortcuts

Yogurt is a big staple on the SCD for me. There are lots of people who successfully follow the SCD without yogurt, but since I tolerate the SCD yogurt really well I eat it almost every day. This means that I go through it pretty fast, so over the years I've discovered a few tips that help speed up the process of making the yogurt. 

One of the first things I learned was to buy two yogurt makers and make two containers at a time from one gallon of milk. This saves a little money on the milk, but most importantly saves time in the kitchen! 

The yogurt holds up well in the fridge for up to a month as long as it is in a well-sealed container. But I go through my gallon in about 1 to 2 weeks, depending on whether I'm using it in recipes, making smoothies for the whole family to share...or just enjoying it with honey for a snack. 

When I make the yogurt, and I'm letting it cool down to the temperature that is yogurt-starter friendly, most of the time I'll just let it sit on the stove to cool. BUT, if I'm in a hurry (making it late at night or trying to get it done before we go somewhere, for example), I put the pot in the cleared-out kitchen sink, plug the sink, and add cold water to the sink, around the pot. Then I stir the milk frequently and wait for the temperature to drop, which it does pretty quickly - in about 10 minutes. Sometimes I add a little more cold water to the sink when the current water gets warm. This shaves probably 45 minutes off of the time, which can be a great help when I'm pressed for time!

Do you have any tips for yogurt-making? How do you use your yogurt the most? 

I hope you're having a great Saturday!

~ Erin