Instant Pot Homemade Yogurt

Directions

• Pour the whole gallon of milk into the Instant Pot cooking pot
• Using the “Yogurt” function, adjust the setting until the screen says “BOIL”
  (You don’t need the sealing lid for this, a glass lid or even plate will work fine”
• Once it starts cooking, you’ll want to whisk the milk every 10-15 minutes, until the milk is heated to 180F. Your Instant Pot might signal the end of the boil cycle before the milk reaches 180F. This is ok if you like thinner yogurt, but if you like thicker yogurt, you can use the sauté setting and keep whisking and heating until the milk reaches 180F
• At this point, turn the heat off, and let the milk cool down until the temperature is between 90F-110F. You can take the liner out of the Instant Pot and set it on the counter, in the fridge, or in an ice water bath, depending on how long you like to wait. On the counter it takes about an hour or two for a full gallon, and an ice water bath takes 5-10 minutes
• Once the milk has cooled to between 90F-100F, temper your yogurt starter with some of the milk. Do this by putting the starter in a small bowl and adding 1/4 to 1/2 cup of the milk, then whisking it together gently until smooth
• Put the starter mixture into the full pot and give it all a good whisk
• Put the liner pot back into the Instant Pot and select the “Yogurt” button once again, but this time adjust until “normal” and you see the timer appear. You’ll want to adjust the time to show at least 8 hours, and up to 12 hours. If you like mild yogurt, start with 8 hours. If you like it tangier, you can go longer.
• Once your yogurt has incubated (I leave mine overnight) it will be much thicker than before. If you like a thinner yogurt consistency, you’re all done! Put the yogurt in an airtight container and keep it in the fridge.
• If you like a thicker, Greek-style yogurt, you’ll want to strain the whey from your yogurt. You can line a colander with coffee filters, cheesecloth, use a cheese straining bag, or get an actual yogurt strainer- all of these methods will work. Simply strain your yogurt until it reaches your desired consistency, then move to an airtight container and keep in the fridge.
• You can use an ice cube tray and freeze little 1-2 Tbsp portions of your yogurt to use as a started the next time you make this recipe. Just take the cube out to thaw when you boil the milk and it will be ready to mix in when you get to step 5.