Homemade Yogurt and Cream Cheese

Watch this video and you will fall in love with Homemade Yogurt and Cream cheese before you even taste it...then you will taste it and be hooked!! I have been looking for a good homemade yogurt recipe and after watching this video I just had to give this a try!! Definately get the kids involved on this one! Henry and Addie sure loved making and eating it!

I doubled this recipe when I made it and had enough for some blueberry banana yogurt, frozen blueberry banana yogurt, cheese and cured herb cheese...definately a bargan for only the cost of 1 gallon for milk!

Homemade Yogurt:

6 cups milk

1/2 cup plain yogurt

Step 1: Combine Milk and yogurt in your pot and Heat uncovered to 98 degrees

Step 2: Cover with a kitchen towel and leave to rest in room temperature over night.

Step 3: Enjoy! Its seriously that easy! After sitting overnight you can tell the consistency is perfect...let it chill in the refrigerator a little bit if you want it cold and toss in some berries and you have some fruit yogurt for alot cheaper than store bought! OR add some berries and put it in the freezer for a few hours and you will have frozen yogurt...much healthier than ice cream :)

Homemade Cream Cheese

(picking up where the Yogurt recipe left off)... you will need a bowl, several kitchen towels/or cheese cloth, some string and a stick to tie the string to to hang your cheese.

Step 4: Put a kitchen towel in a bowl and Transfer the Yogurt to the towel (adding any herbs and spices you would like) and close tight with string.

Step 5: Hang in the refrigerator for 24 hours, over a bowl to collect the dripping water.

Step 6: Remove the cloth and serve with fresh bread, a pinch of salt and a splash of olive oil or your very own homemade crackers!

Keeps for three days in refrigerator.

Homemade Cured Herb Cheese
Follow the Yogurt Recipe Above
Follow Steps 4 & 5 from the Cream Cheese Recipe Above:

Step 6: Prepare brine (6% salt per weight) in a suitable container. Transfer cheese (without removing the cloth), to the brine and let sit for another 24 hours. Depending on the size of your cheese ball and the bowl you will be using for the brine will change the amount of water you will need. I used a tall Canning Jar and put 3 cups of water and 4 tablespoons of salt then submersed my wrapped cheese into the jar.

Step 7: Cover a brie-style cheese box (or other container) loosely with baking paper. Gently unwrap the cheese cloth and transfer the cheese to the paper, pressing slightly to suit the box. Place herbs on top, close paper tight and cover with a lid. Keep for four weeks in refrigerator.

I'm not real sure where you can get "brie style cheese boxes" but I did find some Paper Mache Boxes online and at our local craft store. I didn't get any this time around but thought they would be super cute as a gift with a ribbon and gift tag! The Paper Mache Boxes come in all sorts of shapes (hearts, stars, squares, ovals) so have fun with the designs! This would be a very great, thoughtful and unique gift but delightfully inexpensive!!

Step 8: In 4 weeks Enjoy!!