My first batch turned out great. I shared my success with Vicky and all was eaten. It was just as thick as a normal tub of Fat Free store bought yogurt but I wanted my second batch to be a little thicker without having to do anything special like straining through cheesecloth or adding gelatin.

Below is the process I followed exactly for this second batch. Mixed a little more powdered milk in this one. Tasted superb and thickened beautifully. Just perfect!

Ingredients
1 large crockpot with at least a low setting
3 quarts of milk, 2%
3/4 cup of fat free yogurt as a starter
1 1/4 cups of powdered dry milk (helps it thicken)
2 tablespoons of vanilla extract
1 teaspoon of honey
2 large THICK cotton blankets or bath sheets.

1. Turn crock pot on LOW. Pour all 3 quarts of milk into crock pot. Cover with lid. Cook on the LOW setting for 2.5 hours.

2. After 2.5 hours, UNPLUG the crockpot. Let it sit, with the lid on, for 3.5 hours.

3. At the end of 3.5 hours, scoop approximately 2.5 cups of the hot milk out of the crockpot, and pour into a small plastic bowl.

4. With a whisk, gently stir in 3/4 of a cup of fat free yogurt, 2 tablespoons of vanilla extract, 1 1/4 cups of dry milk powder and a teaspoon of honey.

5. After mixing that for approximately 30 seconds, add it back into the crockpot and blend the mixture together for another 30 seconds.

6. Put the lid back on.  Spread first blanket or towel on counter or table where yogurt can sit UNDISTURBED for 9 hours. CAREFULLY lift and place ENTIRE crockpot in middle of the spread out blanket or towel. Hot milk splashes so please be careful. Wrap it up like a tender little package. Then do again with the second thick cotton blanket or towel. Check the time and let it sit for 9 hours.

DO NOT TOUCH IT. DO NOT CHECK IT. FORGET IT. DONT WORRY ABOUT IT. LEAVE IT ALONE. 9 HOURS.

7. When 9 hours has passed, carefully unwrap the package, and lift the lid. If you take a spoonful, it should behave like you see in the video here. Take the crockpot portion (not the base) and put it in the refridgerator if you have the room, and let it continue chilling.

A clear “liquid” should rise to the top like you usually get in yogurt containers. Some people like to mix this into the yogurt and eat it. I like to drain mine off for thicker yogurt. You can soak it up with a clean paper towel if you would like.

Liquid rising to top of yogurt

Soaking liquid up from yogurt

Otherwise, after it chills, you are all done! Divvy up into separate containers for storing and eating.

You just made yogurt in a crockpot.

There are dozens of methods, and dozens of recipes and dozens of different ways people have to make yogurt, and they will all offer their advice. I’m just giving you the method that worked for me, flawlessly, with less than 15 minutes of “touch time” and fuss. Make it this way at least once, get the hang of it – then try all the other cool stuff.

HINT: If you start this at 4pm (providing you go to bed around 11pm and are home at 4pm) you won’t be tempted to peek at it while it’s resting for the 9 hours.

Hit me up if you need something explained better…. Happy Yogurt Making!

Here’s the actual Pesto recipe I used. It’s one of those recipes/methods that sound so fantastic you just have to try it: 101Cookbooks.com Pesto

It takes a while and don’t be tempted to throw it in a food processor. The texture of it hand chopped is superb and well worth the work.

Then I just did a quick Shrimp saute of my own design:
1. 2 cloves of chopped garlic softened in about 3-4 tablespoons of olive oil over a medium high heat in a wok-style pan or saute pan.

2. Add about a 1/2 cup to 1 cup of wine to the garlic and olive oil (depending on how many Shrimp – I cooked a pound which was 26 Shrimp). Optional: 1 tablespoon of butter.

3. After that comes to an almost immediate simmer, add the peeled and de-veined Shrimp and arrange so they are all one layer.

4. Season with a bit of salt and pepper. I cook them on one side until the pink starts showing thru to the raw top. About 3 minutes on medium high.

5. Turn them all over, cook another 2 minutes. You really don’t want to overcook the Shrimp.

6. The Pesto recipe makes a lot. So now it’s up to your tastes. If you like a LOT of Pesto taste, add it all. But I think that is over the top. I added about half of what you saw me make in the pictures. I spooned it into the pan immediately after the 2 minutes was up and then flipped/stirred the Shrimp to coat them all in the Pesto then took it off the heat.

7. Of course during all this you had your preferred pasta cooking

So now you’ve got 2 ways to serve it.

a. Spoon the shrimp over your pasta on a plate/bowl
b. Add the pasta to the mixture in the pan and toss and coat it, then dish it.

The picture of the final dish you see in my pictures, I had spooned it over the pasta. Sometimes I toss it in the pan though.

Finish it all off for presentation with a basil leaf and fresh grated parmesan!

I hope you like it. The smell is HEAVENLY throughout the whole process. I’m so glad I grew some basil this year. By the time you are done with preparing and cooking it, you’re ravenous.