Skip to main content

Yogurt Making 101


Plain Yogurt ($.16 per serving) 
Our family has moved to a clean diet which limits the amount of sugar and preservatives that are in the food we eat.  Commercial yogurt is either reasonable priced and has a great deal of sugar and preservatives or is a cleaner version but at a much higher price.   Our family goes through 2 large yogurt containers per week at a price tag of $5.49 per container or $10.98 total.
What’s a mom to do?  I need to feed my family the highest quality of food I can find and maintain my grocery budget.  
I have tried several times to make yogurt using the crock pot method without success.  However, I received a yogurt maker for my birthday and have been successful ever since.  I have a Euro Cuisine Yogurt Maker which sells for $29.99 on Amazon or at Bed Bath and Beyond.  
Here is how I make good yogurt.
Plain Yogurt
Yields (5.3 oz)  servings or about 4 cups total
Ingredients:
5 Cups of Milk ( I use 2% but any milk will do.)
5.3 oz container of Plain Yogurt  (This is your starter so it MUST contain Live Cultures.  I use
Chobani but others have used Dannon or Oikos.)
Directions:
Heat 5 Cups of Milk to 200 degrees while stirring frequently.   
Once it reaches 200 degrees, turn off the heat and allow the milk to cool to 95 degrees.  If you are in a hurry, then place the pan into an ice bath.
Whisk in the container of yogurt to the milk mixture ensuring that it is completely integrated.  
Pour mixture into jars and process in the yogurt maker for the recommended time.  My yogurt maker takes 10 hours.


~ Savings ~
Cost Breakdown:
Strategic Shopping
1 gallon of milk- 1.48 = 16 cups= $.09/cup= $.45
1 contain of yogurt (5.3 oz)= $1.00
By using yogurt produced 2 additional times the price is reduced to $.333.
Total Recipe Cost = $.79 or 2.48 for 3 batches
Cost Per 5.3 oz Serving = $0.16
Regular Shopping
1 gallon of milk- 1.49 = 16 cups= $.10/cup= $.50
1 contain of yogurt (5.3oz)= $1.00
Total Recipe Cost = $1.50
Cost Per 5.3 oz Serving = $0.25
The Contender:
Chobani Yogurt (32 oz) = $5.49
Cost Per 5.3 oz Serving = $0.92
Savings:
Strategic Shopping= 83%
Regular Shopping= 73%
"Over a Year" Scenario:
Strategic Shopping
Homemade Yogurt made 100 times= $16.00
Use equivalent Chobani Yogurt (32 oz.) @ $4.99 = $49.90
*Money Saved = $33.90
General Shopping
Homemade Yogurt made 100 times= $25.00
Use equivalent Chobani Yogurt (32 oz.) @ $5.49 = $54.90

*Money Saved = $29.90
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Menu Planning #132

Our meals need to be nutritious, clean, flexible, quick and cost effective. Between our work schedules and after school activities, we need to carefully plan our meals so that we do not end up ordering out.   The news is very scary at this time because of all the news of meat plants shutting down, grocery stories limiting the amount of meat a family can purchase and all of the talk about a depression on the horizon.    We have decided to keep our grocery budget the same, but to economize any way we can.     This week we tried to pick up some shrimp that was on sale, but the store was out of shrimp and not expecting to get any more in.    We were grateful to find wild caught salmon for the same price, so we picked that up instead for our Mother’s Day Dinner.    What did we spend?  Week 1: $96.44 Kroger: $96.44 Rebates: $3.55 IBOTTA: $1.35 Kroger Cash: $0.45 Checkout 51: $1.75 ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Menu Plan #322

  NOTE-  1- Click on the picture and get a link to a post sharing the recipe.  2- Although all prices were correct at the time of the blog postings, the current cost of these dishes may be higher due to inflation and/or location.      Published September 2025:  USDA Thrifty Food Plan According to this plan, our family has a weekly budget of $190.50. Since  October has 5 weeks, our monthly budget is $952.50.   We elevate our dining experiences by including fresh fruits, vegetables, and higher-quality meats.  Since our family has specific dietary needs, we limit our consumption of highly processed food.   Grocery Shopping Tip:     Rethink lunchmeat.     The deli will provide you with thin-sliced meat or presliced deli meat, but you will pay a premium per pound.     ($6.49 to $15.00 per pound) However, if you buy a ½ boneless ham (unsliced or presliced), the price point will drop to between ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Fruit by the serving: Pineapple ($.06-$.19)

Fruit by the serving: Pineapple ($.06-$.19) Fruit by the serving is a concept that I first read about on Pennies & Pancakes several years ago. The concept is basically how much does each serving of fruit cost you. Apples or bananas may be ch eaper that a larger fruit such as cantaloupe or pineapples, but if you pick one up when it is on sale and cut it yourself, it may actually be cheaper per serving that the apple or banana.   In addition, it will give you a wider variety of food. Furthermore, if you have children who would not eat an entire banana or apple, it may be beneficial to purchase the smaller sized fruit. Pineapple Selection: A lot of pineapples we see in the states are mainly green.  When you find a pineapple with a golden color to the majority of it, there is a good sign that the pineapple will be sweet and delicious.  As with all fruit, check for busing. If a piece of fruit is bruised in the transportation process then ...
Post a Comment
Read more