Raw Milk Yogurt in the Oven

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This yogurt is packed full of probiotics and made with real raw milk. It is thick and creamy with a Greek yogurt taste. I add honey and fresh fruit to sweeten it or use it as a sour cream substitute. All I use is raw milk and previously made yogurt as a culture. Plus no special tools, just a stovetop, oven, pot and towels. My family enjoys the benefits and taste of this raw milk yogurt.

Whether you have a dairy cow or pick up raw milk at a local drop, this recipe works perfectly to use up and repurpose raw milk. I have not tested it with pasteurized milk but from what I hear, it may work by adding more yogurt culture or heating the milk to 180 degrees, then lowering it to 110 before adding the culture. I also know, pasteurized milk yogurt may not last as long in the fridge because there are less probiotics to keep it from spoiling.

For raw milk yogurt, you will need one half gallon of raw milk, 1/2 cup of yogurt culture, oven safe pot with lid and thick towels.

Add one half gallon of raw milk to a large oven safe pot.

Slowly heat up the pot of milk to 108-112 degrees.

While the milk is warming, turn on the oven to the lowest heat setting.

Once the milk is warmed up, stir in a heaping 1/2 cup of yogurt culture. I use previously made yogurt but you can use a yogurt that only contains milk and live probiotic cultures.

Stir until completely dissolved and milk is maintaining a 108-112 degree temperature.

Remove from heat and place on an oven safe lid.

Or pour into an oven safe glass dish with a lid.

Using one or two bath towels, carefully bundle up the warm milk pot. The yogurt should maintain a 110 degree temperature as long as possible without a heat source.

Turn off the oven. Keep the light on inside the oven if possible for added heat.

Place the bundled pot into the oven. Close the oven and allow the bundled pot to remain in the oven for around 8 hours. On hot days, this may be less time. For a Greek style yogurt, leave for up to 12 hours.

When the yogurt it done, it should be thick and creamy.

Next, place the entire pot into the refrigerator to firm up more.

If after 8 hours, the yogurt is still slightly runnier than expected, it can be poured into a thick layer of cheese cloth and hung to remove some of the liquid. Or place the cloth into a strainer and set over a taller pot to drain. Use what you have.

I use this kind of cheesecloth from Amazon.

Make sure to refrigerate this yogurt when storing.

It can last for weeks in an airtight container. However, if it smells or has any mold, fuzz or spots on it, dispose of it.

I use my yogurt in many ways. I do not flavor it until it is being used. Leave plain as a Greek style yogurt and use for tacos or sour cream substitute.

Add to smoothies or in baking for extra moisture. Or simply top with fresh fruit and honey. Possibilities are endless.

If the yogurt never sets after 8-12 hours in the oven, dispose of it and try again.

Sometimes the culture is not active enough, milk was heated too hot and destroyed the bacteria, or the temperature wasn't warm enough while bundled in the oven. Milk and culture needs to be at 110 degrees as long as possible to turn the milk into yogurt, then cooled slowly.

Again, I have not tried using pasteurized milk.

Yield: Half Gallon

Raw Milk Yogurt in the Oven

Print

Thick creamy yogurt made from raw milk using an oven and pot.

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 8 hours

Total Time 8 hours 10 minutes

Ingredients

• Half Gallon Raw Milk
• 1/2 cup yogurt culture

Instructions

1. Add one half gallon of raw milk to a large oven safe pot.
2. Slowly heat up the pot of milk to 108-112 degrees.
3. While the milk is warming, turn on the oven to the lowest heat setting.
4. Once the milk is warmed up, stir in a heaping 1/2 cup of yogurt culture. I use previously made yogurt but you can use a yogurt that only contains milk and live probiotic cultures.
5. Stir until completely dissolved and milk is maintaining a 108-112 degree temperature.
6. Remove from heat and place on an oven safe lid. Or pour into an oven safe glass dish with a lid.
7. Using one or two bath towels, carefully bundle up the warm milk pot. The yogurt should maintain a 110 degree temperature as long as possible without a heat source.
8. Turn off the oven.
9. Place the bundled pot into the oven.
10. Close the oven and allow the bundled pot to remain in the oven for around 8 hours. On hot days, this may be less time. For a Greek style yogurt, leave for up to 12 hours.
11. When the yogurt it done, it should be thick and creamy.
12. Next, place the entire pot into the refrigerator to firm up more.
13. If after 8 hours, the yogurt is still slightly runnier than expected, it can be poured into a thick layer of cheese cloth and hung to remove some of the liquid.
14. Make sure to refrigerate this yogurt when storing.
15. It can last for weeks in an airtight container. However, if it smells or has any mold, fuzz or spots on it, dispose of it.
16. Also, if the yogurt never sets after 8-12 hours in the oven, dispose of it and try again. Sometimes the culture is not active enough, milk was heated too hot and destroyed the bacteria or the temperature wasn't warm enough while bundled in the oven. Again, I have not tried using pasteurized milk.

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