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1. The Type of Culture You Use Matters

Making a batch of yogurt at home is basically introducing live cultures into milk. It’s simple, but it means choosing a good culture and the right amount of it. Too much starter will introduce too many bacteria feeding on the fermenting milk. In simple terms, the bacteria could run out of food before the fermenting process is complete, yielding a thin, runny yogurt.

Other than direct-set cultures, if it’s your first time making homemade yogurt, using a plain store-bought yogurt you already know and like is a good choice. What you use the first time will affect the flavor of your end product just as much as the milk you use, so choose well. 

Check the ingredient list to be sure it doesn’t contain sweeteners, flavors, additives, or thickeners. It needs to be pure yogurt. Once you’ve made your first batch, you can start using your own homemade yogurt as a starter.

2. Different Types of Milk

The first thing to know about yogurt making is that you can pretty much use any type of milk - with slightly different results, of course. You can use whole milk, skim, low fat, or even goat’s milk. As a rule of thumb, more fat yields a creamier and richer tasting yogurt.

You can also choose between raw milk or pasteurized milk, just be aware that raw milk generally produces a thinner yogurt than the type made with pasteurized milk.

Few people are aware of this, but milk powder is a little secret used by many experienced home cooks. Adding a small amount of instant dry milk to your yogurt base makes it firmer and richer. Not everyone agrees with this trick, though - there are those who feel like the ideal yogurt should be as minimal in ingredients as possible. The fun part is experimenting at home and deciding for yourself.

Whatever your choice, make sure your milk is not old. The fresher the milk, the better the taste. Plus, the finished product will also last longer in the fridge.

3. How to Maintain Your Yogurt Culture

If you learn how to feed and maintain your yogurt culture, you’ll be able to reuse it again and again for a long time. Save a small amount of your first batch of homemade yogurt and store it in a separate jar from the rest of the yogurt - that’s now your “seed culture”.

This culture needs to be “fed” about once a week in order to keep their bacteria alive and healthy. To do so, scald some fresh milk (make sure it’s not close to its use by date), let it cool, then use it to top off the jar and stir to combine. Place it back in the fridge until needed.

After a certain amount of time, you may find that the consistency of your yogurts is no longer as thick as it used to be. If that happens, just get a fresh culture from a live yogurt and start a new batch.

4. Sterilize Your Tools

Taking the time to properly sterilize your tools is an essential step. Make sure to always use adequately clean and sanitized equipment and containers. Rinse everything with boiling water to avoid any foreign bacteria that could overpower your starter culture. That also serves to warm your container which will help with incubating the yogurt.

5. Yogurt Making is all About Time and Temperature

The most crucial steps in yogurt-making are heating the milk to the right temperature, adding the culture, and allowing it to rest. With only three simple steps, it’s important to get each one right. If you want to be exact with the temperature, use a thermometer.

The general rules of each of these steps are first letting the milk come to a full boil to kill any bacteria that could compete with the live cultures you'll add to it (optional). Secondly, if you add the culture too soon the hot milk will basically kill it. Too late, and it may be too cool for the cultures to activate. Aim for comfortably warm: you can test it with your finger, or better yet, a kitchen thermometer. 

Finally, make sure you allow the mixture to rest undisturbed after adding the culture. Extended periods are recommended for certain recipes, but If you leave it for too long it can taste overly sour. 

6. How to Flavor Your Homemade Yogurt

If you wish to sweeten your homemade yogurt, there are several options you can play around with - honey, and agave nectar are great choices. Maple syrup is another fantastic way to both sweeten and add flavor to your yogurt at the same time, since it’s an all-natural unrefined sugar with a very distinctive and delicious taste.

You can also use different fruit purées to flavor your yogurt base. Just blend some ripe fruits in a food processor or blender and mix into your yogurt before serving.

Lastly, it’s always fun to experiment with ground spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cardamom, saffron, or your own combination of spices for an unexpected flavor combination!