"Do-It-Yourself" Berry Yogurt Mix-Ins

It sounds crazy, but I make my own yogurt.  Since learning how to make yogurt, I rarely purchase store-bought yogurt anymore.   I love to make things myself, and homemade yogurt just tastes better.  Good yogurt is expensive, and homemade yogurt is even higher quality and much more economical.

Yogurt is very simple to make.  Really, I think grilling might be more difficult than making yogurt!  To make yogurt, you warm the milk, add yogurt starter (which contains cultures) or some plain yogurt (for cultures), and let the yogurt incubate.

You can use a yogurt maker for the incubation, but it is possible to make yogurt without it.  The incubation period can take from 8 to 12 hours (depending on what type of milk you use), but there's nothing that you need to do during the incubation period.  I prep the milk mixture before going to bed and allow the yogurt to incubate overnight.

And then, voila, homemade yogurt!

Generally, I make Greek yogurt, which involves a few more easy steps.  After the yogurt is finished, I place a fine mesh sieve over a medium-large bowl, which I line it with cheesecloth.  I pour the yogurt into the sieve and place this into the refrigerator, and the liquid drains from the yogurt.  (The liquid is whey.)  After the liquid drains, presto, you have Greek yogurt!

If you do not make your own yogurt, you could purchase plain yogurt and use the same technique to turn it into Greek yogurt.  (Plus, it is less expensive to purchase plain yogurt than Greek yogurt.)

I love berries with yogurt, and this recipe creates a delicious mix-in for yogurt.  You can use fresh or frozen berries.  I combined some leftover frozen berries with some fresh peaches, and it was so flavorful!  Even if you do not make your own yogurt, you could just purchase plain yogurt and make your own mix-in.

Enjoy!

"Do-It-Yourself" Berry Yogurt Mix-Ins
Yields 2 cups

Ingredients:

2 cups fruit (berries, chopped peaches, etc.), fresh or frozen

1/4 cup sugar (you can use less if you have sweet berries!)

1 1/2 tsp. cornstarch

1 water
2 tsp. lemon juice

Directions:
In a medium saucepan, mix the fruit and sugar.  Heat on medium-low until the fruit begins to release juices.  In a small cup, add the cornstarch with the water and lemon juice, and stir until lump free.  Add the mixture into the saucepan.  Bring the mixture to a boil, and then reduce to a simmer and cook until thickened (about 2 minutes).  Remove from heat.  Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 5 days.  Add to yogurt as desired.

Source: Originally seen on Annie's Eats and adapted from the David Lebovitz's The Perfect Scoop