1 - quart store purchased yogurt (plain) @ $3.79 = $3.79 We prefer Stonyfield, but also use Dannon which is less expensive. A friend uses Aldi's which is even less expensive.
12 - gallons milk @ $2.39 = $28.68
Total Cost: $32.47 for 49 quarts of homemade yogurt (12 gallons plus the one purchased) or about 66 cents each
Total Cost: $185.71 for 49 quarts of purchased yogurt
Total Savings: $153.24
If you divide by 6 weeks -- 2 gallons a week -- it equals $25.54 in weekly savings for our family. In a year that equals $1328.08. [Based on Stoneyfield price in our area--other brands are cheaper.]
When I make the first batch from a new container of yogurt I divide the rest into small containers and freeze in the deep freeze. Each day I put the milk on to heat to make a new batch I take one out to thaw. Many people just use their own made yogurt to make the new batches, but I have good success with doing this and the cost is minimal per batch for the yogurt.
We do not own a yogurt maker, we just use five one-quart canning jars and they fit perfectly into a cooler that we add hot tap water up to the neck of the jars. It sits for five to seven hours and presto we have yogurt. We eat it plain, but we have added jelly when we serve it.
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| Yogurt in quart jars incubating in cooler with hot tap water. |
I am not sharing the recipe here, there are dozens of how-to's that are easy to find. I will share two tips if you are interested in trying your hand at it:
1--use as small amount of yogurt as possible (I use a tablespoon per jar)
2--let it cool to very close to 100 degrees before adding the yogurt and setting to culture
Both of these helps there to be less whey. Actually, I find I have virtually no whey now that I have learned to follow these two steps.
Do you make homemade yogurt? Do you think you would like to try?
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