Simple 2 Ingredient Homemade Mason Jar Yogurt

When I started on this journey I didn’t realize how easy making your own yogurt was. All it takes is 2 ingredients and a little bit of time! There are loads of instant pot yogurt recipes out on the internet, just google it and you will see. But what if you are like me, living in the stone ages and still don’t have one? This homemade mason jar yogurt is the solution you have been looking for!

This yogurt only takes 2 ingredients and minimal effort. The hardest part of the process is waiting for the milk to rise on the stovetop and then to come back down in temperature. But the best part is you don’t really have to babysit it. This is my favorite method because of how simple it is!

We love to take a good yogurt and sweeten it with some pure maple syrup or honey, add some homemade granola on top, maybe some fresh fruit or berries and eat it as a snack or as a breakfast! You can even make mason jar yogurt parfaits with this yummy yogurt. Just add your yogurt to a mason jar, some sweetener, fresh berries, and granola. Cap them and store them in the fridge for a quick and easy breakfast!

I prefer to keep my yogurt plain because then you can use it all kinds of cooking recipes, like my gluten free homemade pie crust or when making a batch of my homemade ranch powder, in place of the sour cream. 

​Homemade mason jar yogurt is also really good mixed with different spices to make a veggie dip! Having yogurt in your fridge is always a blessing.

What equipment do you need to make homemade mason jar yogurt?

There are 2 simple ingredients in this recipe, milk and yogurt starter. By yogurt starter I mean plain store-bought yogurt with active live cultures in it. It has to have active live cultures or it won’t work. So make sure you look at the ingredients of what you are buying. You also want to make sure that it is plain yogurt. You don’t want to go through all the work of making your own to get loads of sugars and ingredients you aren’t looking to put into your body. 

The equipment to make this plain yogurt is simple. You do not need any special yogurt maker to do it. All you will need is a large pot, that is big enough to fit 2 quart size mason jars in it. 

You will also need 2 mason jars with a plastic lid that fits. I just love that I can use canning jars to make this as I always have loads of those lying around. Don’t use a lid and ring for this project, you do not want it to be airtight. 

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Lastly, you will need to get a thermometer. This is to measure the temperature of your milk. To make yogurt you will need to raise the temperature of your milk, let it come back down in temperature, and then add your culture. A digital thermometer works great for this, although I have used a dial cheese thermometer or candy thermometer too and they have worked just fine. 

Ingredients:

• 2 quarts of raw milk, you can also use pasteurized whole milk from the grocery store
• 4 TBSP plain yogurt with live active cultures 

How to make homemade mason jar yogurt:

1. Fill a large stock pot with water about halfway. 
2. Fill two quart size glass mason jars with milk leaving about 2 inches from the top. I like to use raw skim milk, but you can use whole raw milk or even whole milk from the store. Place the mason jars in the large pot with water so the water is about 3/4 of the way up the mason jars.
3. Turn your stovetop on medium heat. Heat the milk until it reaches 180°
4. After it reaches 180°, carefully remove the jars from the pot and let the milk come back down to 110° naturally. This can take up to an hour depending on how warm your house is. An easy way to do this is putting the milk in the fridge for a few minutes. However it is really easy to forget about it and then it gets too cold. For this reason, I usually just leave it on my counter. It could take an hour or longer when leaving it on the counter, but you won’t forget about it.
5. Next add in 2 tablespoons of yogurt with active live cultures into each jar and stir gently. Make sure you are using plain yogurt.
6. Using a plastic mason jar lid, cap each jar. Place the jars in a warm spot that will hold at roughly 110°. You can use a yogurt incubator, dehydrator, or in the oven with the oven light on. I prefer to use my dehydrator with the yogurt setting, but before I had my dehydrator I used my oven and had great results!
7. Leave them in whatever warm spot you prefer for 8-10 hours undisturbed to let the yogurt set up! The longer it sits the tangier it gets. Chill in the refrigerator for 24 hours before eating. This will keep in the refrigerator for about 2 weeks to be safe, but I have had them last for a lot longer.
8. I always make sure to save 4 TBSP of my homemade yogurt before the 2 week mark for the next batch as my yogurt starter. 
9. Homemade yogurt is a little thinner then store bought. For a thicker yogurt, you can strain it through cheese cloth to remove some of the whey that rises to the top.

Is homemade yogurt healthier then store-bought yogurt?

Not everyone will agree with me on this, but I would argue to say anything that is homemade will be better for you then it’s store-bought counterpart. 

When you make something at home, you are in control of the ingredients. You know exactly what is in it and there doesn’t need to be any preservatives because you are making it fresh. 

The same goes for yogurt. Making your own yogurt is very simple and you know exactly what is in it. You are in control of how much sweetener goes in it, what kind of sweetener, and even what kind of add ins you use. 

Yogurt naturally has healthy probiotics in it. Some may argue that making your own yogurt protects those probiotics because it is not heavily processed. I like to consume ingredients that have been processed as little as possible and yogurt is no different!

In my opinion this will always be healthier than anything else. There is just something about grabbing a cup of homemade yogurt, fresh or frozen berries, a little honey or maple syrup, topped with some of your favorite granola. It is incredibly satisfying and delicious. 

Some fun varieties for your yogurt. 

​With this yogurt being plain, your slate is clean for all different kinds of varieties. I love when I can take one simple recipe and use it in so many ways.

Here are some yummy suggestions for this delicious yogurt.

• fresh berries,
• bananas and a scoop of peanut butter
• chia seeds, fruit, and syrup
• different flavored jams
• sliced almonds

If you are like me and wanting to get rid of the preservatives in your pantry this is a good substitute for a healthy breakfast or even just as a snack! With a little planning ahead, you can always have fresh homemade mason jar yogurt in your fridge.