One of my favorite foods is yogurt! I was thrilled when a friend taught me how to make it in the Instant Pot. It’s a pretty simple process and the cost of making your own yogurt versus buying it in the grocery store is significantly lower.
Here’s what you’ll need:
Instant Pot
Ice
Food Thermometer
Gallon of milk (you pick your fat content)
Small container of plain yogurt (only need this the first time you make it - after that you can use your existing yogurt to make the next batch)
Cheesecloth or towel
Liquid measuring device (I like one that holds 2 cups)
Strainer
Large bowl (that the strainer sits in)
Directions:
Make sure your Instant Pot is CLEAN.
Pour the milk into the Instant Pot.
Leaving the lid off of the Instant Pot, turn the Instant Pot on to Saute.
Set an alarm for 25 minutes and let the milk heat up to 180 degrees.
Once the 25 minute alarm has gone off, I start checking the temperature. As soon as it hits 180 degrees, I turn off the Instant Pot and remove the inside pot.
Put the inside pot into an ice bath so that the milk will cool. 110 degrees is the magic number you’re looking for.
You can stir the milk with a whisk to help it cool, but do not scrape the sides or the bottom of the Instant Pot.
Put a large spoonful of the yogurt into the measuring cup.
Once the milk is 110 degrees, scoop out a cup or so of the milk and put it in the measuring cup.
Whisk the milk and yogurt together until smooth and pour back into the Instant Pot.
Put the inside pot back into the Instant Pot and cover with the lid.
Make sure your Instant Pot is set to venting.
Push the Yogurt button on the Instant Pot and set for 8+ hours (I set mine for 10.5 hours). 6-8 hours yields a milder flavor yogurt. More than 8 hours yields a more tart yogurt.
Put the dish towel or cheesecloth into the strainer and place the strainer into a large bowl.
Once the yogurt is finished, pour the yogurt from the Instant Pot into the lined strainer.
Allow to drain until you’re happy with the consistency of the yogurt. If you like it to be a little looser, don’t drain as long. I drain mine for 8-10 hours, emptying the whey every few hours.
Place your finished product into a container that you can seal. It lasts a few weeks in the refrigerator (though ours never lasts that long).
Maria Netherland is a Northwest Florida-based coach who is a USA Triathlon Level II Endurance and Youth & Juniors Certified Coach as well as a NASM Certified Personal Trainer and Performance Enhancement Specialist. Coach Maria loves working for athletes of all abilities, military athletes, and new triathletes as they pursue their goals. Maria is a veteran of the US Army and a United States Military Academy at West Point graduate. She can be reached at maria@teammpi.com.
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