Homemade Yogurt in an Instapot

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Is yogurt a part of your weekly grocery list? Consider making your own! It’s simple, cost effective, and gives you control over what ingredients are added in. This recipe is for yogurt made with cow or goat milk, but there are ways to make homemade coconut yogurt that we have tried (and enjoyed) before!

For our family, we like to use raw cow or goat milk (and full fat). I’ve found the flavor and texture of the yogurt is unmatched when using with a raw base. Using this method, the milk will get scalded so this isn’t considered a raw milk yogurt (which doesn’t get heated). You can definitely used pasteurized milk, we simply prefer our method. I also use more yogurt starter than other recipes. It sets up so much better that way.

I also strongly recommend using an Instapot with a “yogurt” feature. This has been fail-proof for us! It brings your milk up to the 180F (82C) temperature when you begin processing, and will maintain your yogurt at the proper temperature for the duration of the culture. We make large batches at a time (1 full gallon), so I use an 8 quart Instapot but a 6 quart Instapot would work perfect for a half gallon batch.

I have tried several different methods for making yogurt in the past, and using the Instapot has been the only consistent yogurt we have made. If you have a different style or brand of pressure cooker, simply follow the manufacturer’s guidelines for making yogurt.

Ingredients

• 1/2 gallon full fat milk
• 1/4 cup yogurt starter (either saved from your last batch or from an organic, unflavored pre-made yogurt from the store) A store bought yogurt must have live, active cultures and have no sweeteners or flavors.
• Cheese cloth for straining
• Mesh strainer
• Large bowl for straining
• Instapot with “yogurt” feature
• Glassware for storing
• Instant thermometer

Directions

• Clean your Instapot insert and lid well! Switch our your silicone ring with a designated yogurt seal.
• Pour your milk into your insert and place into the Instapot unit. Cover with lid.
• Press “Yogurt” button until “Boil” appears. Allow this cycle to run completely. While milk is heating up, set out your yogurt starter to warm to room temperature.

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• Remove the lid and gently stir. Check the milk’s temperature. It should be at or near 180F (82C).
• Allow milk to cool between 115-110F (43-46C). This usually takes about 40-45 minutes if left in the Instapot, but you can *carefully* remove the insert and set in a cool water bath to speed up the process. If your milk cools down farther than 110, you can push the “Saute” button and monitor closely for the temperature to be brought back up into range.
• Gently mix in your yogurt starter and replace the lid. Push the “Yogurt” button until either 8:00 or 12:00 appears. Any time range between 8 and 24 will work. The longer the yogurt cultures, the more of a tang it will have. (I usually set ours to 12:00 and let it set overnight.) Once the culture begins, the clock will start at 00:00 and count up until your set time. This is the opposite for most of the timing on the Instapot, so do not be alarmed.

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• You will notice your yogurt will have a semi-clear liquid floating on top. You can simply stir this together and place into your storage glasses, or move onto the next step.

• Set up your strain station with a cheese cloth covered mesh strainer over your large bowl.

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• Slowly pour your yogurt into your strain station. Once the desired thickness has been reached you can scoop out your yogurt from the strainer and bottle.
• You can save the extra whey in your bowl and add to soups, rice, or used to soak chicken feed! We freeze ours for future use.

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• Add in your desired flavors, toppings, and sweeteners as you serve!
• Should last about 2 weeks in the fridge.

Tips

• Use a completely separate silicone seal for your yogurt!!! (Ask me how I know… #tacoflavoredyogurt) You can order a four pack of silicone seals for your Instapot to keep on hand. The silicone seals can absorb the strong odors from certain foods which will infuse into the next thing you cook in there. While the taco yogurt incident actually worked really well as a sour cream replacement over chili, it wasn’t the breakfast treat we were hoping for! You can get a set of 8 quart seals here, and a 6 quart set here.
• The longer you strain off your whey, the thicker texture your yogurt will be. If you want more of a Greek yogurt texture, strain for at least 30 minutes.
• Don’t flavor or sweeten your yogurt until you’re ready to eat! This will extend the life of your yogurt.
• The longer you allow your yogurt to culture, the less lactose will be present. The bacteria will eat the lactose and create more lactic acid. We have found that a longer ferment sits well with our digestion!