How to Make Plain Yogurt

I'm one of those people you see at the grocery store reading product labels. For the same reason, I am always looking for recipes on YouTube to make things that I consume on a regular basis. Below is a recipe for making your own plain yogurt at home.

Ingredients:

1 Gallon of whole milk (I use only just a little more than half a gallon)
1 Cup of plain yogurt (You only need this the first time you make it, you can use your own after that)

Utensils:

A big plastic container with a lid
A silicon whisk or wooden spoon
A large pot (preferably a non- stick one)
A cup
A towel or piece of clothing big enough to cover the plastic container where you will put the yogurt

Preparation:

1. Before you start, measure a cup of plain yogurt and set it aside so it reaches room temperature. 
2. Pour a little more than half a gallon of milk in a pot.
3. On a low to medium heat, bring the milk to a boil. Stir the milk continuously with a silicon whisk or wooden spoon making sure that you get the bottom of the pot "swept" as you stir. This is done to prevent the milk from sticking to the bottom, which can cause the yogurt to have a weird taste and color. If  you feel that the milk is sticking to the bottom, consider lowering the heat. Once the milk comes to a boil, let it boil for about a minute and then turn the heat off. 
4. Let the milk cool down to a point that if you put some on the palm of your hand, it feels warm enough but it doesn't burn you. This is very important because you do not want to kill the bacteria of the yogurt once you mix it with the milk. 
5. Remove any fat that has set on the top of the milk while cooling down. 
6. Now that your milk has cooled down enough, mix it with the yogurt. Make sure that the yogurt and the milk are well combined. You can do this by stirring it for about a minute. 
7. The last step is to place your yogurt in a plastic container with a lid. At this point you can take a towel or any piece of clothing that will cover the container well and keep it warm. Place the yogurt in a warm dark place (like a cupboard that you will not keep opening for a while). 
8. Leave the yogurt to set overnight or at least 8 hours. You will be tempted to check on it, DO NOT. 
9. Refrigerate your homemade yogurt and use it as you like. If you plan on making yogurt again, save about a cup for next time you want to make more.

Tip: If you like Greek yogurt, all you have to do is take the yogurt that you just made and strain it for a couple of hours. To strain it, you can use any thin piece of clean cloth like a white t-shirt.