Have you ever wanted to try making your own yogurt? With just a few simple techniques, you will master this skill in no time. Want to skip making the yogurt and still enjoy dill and cucumber-y goodness? Just replace the milk and yogurt starter with a 32 oz tub of plain yogurt and skip to the last 2 steps to enjoy a tasty sauce, side, or snack. 

Preparation time
15 minutes
Cooking time
1 hour
Total time
1 hour, 15 minutes
Ingredients
½ gal whole milk (or milk of choice)
8 small spoonfuls of yogurt starter (either store bought or from previous batch of homemade yogurt)
3 Persian cucumbers (peeled, ends trimmed, & cut into 1/4" cubes)
1 clv Garlic, minced
1 shallots, finely chopped
3 Tbsp fresh dill weed (or 1 Tbsp dried)
2 Tbsp fresh mint, chopped (or 1 Tbsp dried)
½ tsp Himalayan pink salt
½ tsp ground black pepper
2 Tbsp walnuts, chopped (optional)
Instructions

Supplies: 
•    Kitchen thermometer
•    Jars w/ sealable lids 
•    Towel 

Instructions:
1.    First make yogurt. Put the entire ½ gallon of milk into a pot and bring it to a boil, then immediately turn off the heat. Watch it carefully to make sure it doesn’t bubble over. 
2.    Allow it to cool down to 110-115°F. This can take 10-20 minutes. Check it frequently to make sure you don’t miss the window. If you let it get too cool, you will have to heat it up more and let it cool to the correct temperature. 
3.    While you wait for the milk to cool, put 8 small spoonfuls of any type of plain yogurt into a bowl. This can be either a yogurt you bought at the store or from a previous batch of homemade yogurt. 
4.    Also, while you wait, preheat the oven to 170°F. Once it is preheated, turn the oven off. 
5.    Once the milk has cooled, add one spoonful of the 110-115°F milk to the bowl with the yogurt and immediately stir for a few seconds. Let it sit for another few seconds. Then repeat this process about 3-4 times. 
6.    Now add the small bowl with the yogurt and stirred-in milk to the pot with the rest of the milk and stir for several seconds. 
7.    Pour the contents of the pot into jars and seal the lids. 
8.    Wrap the jars in a towel and place them on a cooking tray just to keep them together and make it easier to maneuver in and out of the oven. Place it in the oven and turn the oven light on. Make sure the actual oven has been turned off. 
9.    Leave the jars in the oven wrapped in the towel for 8 hours. (Best if the process is started at night or in the morning)
10.    After 8 hours, your yogurt can be placed in the refrigerator and eaten when it’s chilled. 
11.    Put the chilled yogurt into a bowl along with the peeled and cut cucumbers, minced garlic and shallot, dried dillweed and mint, salt and pepper, and optional walnuts. Stir until fully mixed. 
12.    Serve with bread, on top of a rice-based dish, or on its own. 
 

Notes

Per Serving: Calories 216cal, Carbohydrates 12.4g, Protein 17.9g, Saturated Fat 4.6g, Sodium 239.5mg, Fiber 1.1g, Sugar 0.1g