Like yogurt? We go through a lot of it here. I tend to buy the plain Greek yogurt and flavor it myself rather than buy the sugar and preservative laden stuff. It can get a little pricey, though, so I was excited about trying this easy recipe for making it in a crock pot. I followed the instructions found here. All you need is milk and a starter. I used a 1/2 cup of plain yogurt as my starter, but in the past I have used yogurt starters from Cultures for Health. A food thermometer is also helpful, but you can estimate the temperatures (see below). Ready? Steady? Go: Pour a half gallon of milk into crock pot and turn on high. 
When milk reaches 185 degrees F or 85 degrees C, turn off. If you are estimating, this temperature is just below boiling, so you might see some movement, but no actual rolling. 
When milk cools to 110 degrees F or 43 degrees C (feels hot to the touch but won’t burn you), add 1/2 cup plain yogurt or 3 TBS yogurt starter. Mix well, wrap in a warm blanket (!), and let it sit undisturbed for 5-6 hours, or overnight.
When milk cools to 110 degrees F or 43 degrees C (feels hot to the touch but won’t burn you), add 1/2 cup plain yogurt or 3 TBS yogurt starter. Mix well, wrap in a warm blanket (!), and let it sit undisturbed for 5-6 hours, or overnight.
Refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Done. I went a step further and strained my yogurt through cheesecloth to make it thicker. I’ve read you can save the whey and make a delicious drink, but I haven’t tried it yet. I think it took my crock pot 3 hours to warm the milk enough, but I had to use it through a transformer so it would be compatible with European power. It should be less for you, depending on the quality of your slow cooker. Also, the higher quality milk the better. We have access to some pretty fantastic milk here, but it was still pasteurized. I have heard raw milk also works, but you might need to alter the method slightly, so do a little re search before you start. Once you have made your yogurt, the flavor possibilities are endless. Try honey or maple syrup, fruit, vanilla extract, or cinnamon. Applesauce works great as well, and my kids love a little lemon flavor.
Yum.
