Homemade Yogurt & Spiced Blackberry Compote

I hope they keep their christmas lights up for-ev-er. My son is obsessed.

However this wintry mix really did this picture well…. SO not a total bust.

Go home Jack Frost, nobody likes you. At least nobody normal likes you. The only thing you did for me was cause a forced night to stay in and drink copious amounts of wine and eat far too many slices of ‘za. And then instead of going to the gym the next day like I SHOULD have done after a resolution disaster I basically had to stay inside and repeat the same terrible mistakes. 

So this evening, after disposing of all the evidence (it’s currently making strange noises in my belly) I decided I needed a “lighter” start to my Monday. 

Homemade Yogurt. Say whaaaaaaa. Homemade yogurt WITH a spiced blackberry compote. 

But let’s go back to the homemade yogurt part. Yes. It’s homemade and seriously amazing. I don’t understand how or why I have never even made my own yogurt before. I’ve done butter, cheese, that’s about it, but yogurt? I didn’t even think it was possible. Well it is. And it is definitely the easiest of the three. Literally the labor is minimal and no fancy equipment is needed. You just need a little bit of a patience and voila. Creamy tangy deliciousness made with love. And then to compliment the tangy yogurt I decided to pair it with a spiced blackberry compote that is also very easy to make and tastes like a little bit of heaven.

Recipe Notes:

Most/all yogurt recipes that I found online said you needed a dutch oven & thermometer in order to make homemade yogurt. I used neither and it came out exactly how I wanted it to / even better. I did use a heavier pot with a lid and gauged the temperature of the milk by removing it from heat once the first sign of a bubble (which meant it was going to turn into a full boil) appeared. In the recipe I say you need to heat the milk to 200 degrees, so if you have a thermometer, great, but if you’re like me and without one just do what I did. 

When the yogurt mixture is setting you need to keep it in a warm/snug place. I found that setting your oven to warm (or 170 degrees) and then turning it off a 1/2 hour before you begin making the yogurt is the most effective. Keep oven light on to aid in warmth.

I used whole milk and non-fat plain greek yogurt for my dairy options, but you should be able to use any kind of fat content for both the milk & yogurt (time might vary, however I haven’t tried it out myself, this is just what I gathered from reading other peoples experiences). 

I did not add any sweetener or flavoring to the yogurt itself because I wanted to incorporate it into both sweet & savory dishes. 

Homemade Yogurt & Spiced Blackberry Compote

Prep time:  5 mins

Cook time:  12 hours

Total time:  12 hours 5 mins

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Ingredients

• Yogurt:
• 4 cups milk
• ½ cup yogurt
• Blackberry Compote:
• 2¼ cups blackberries
• ⅓ cup water
• 3 tbsp honey
• ¼ tsp cinnamon
• 1 tbsp fresh lemon squeezed
• ¼ tsp corn starch (optional)

Instructions

1. Yogurt:
2. In a medium sized heavy sauce pan add your milk. Heat to 200 degrees over medium heat (or right until milk is about to boil) stirring constantly as you don't want the milk to scorch. Once milk has reached temperature, remove from heat.
3. Let milk cool down until just warmed (about 110 degrees). In a bowl add your ½ cup yogurt and then very carefully remove about a ½ cup of your warmed milk and add to yogurt, stirring until blended together.
4. Next pour the yogurt/milk mixture back into the warmed milk and whisk until blended.
5. Place lid on top of the pot and store in a warm place (like an oven with the light on). Let the milk set until your desire texture/tanginess of yogurt is formed. This can take anywhere from 4-12 hours depending on the type of milk & yogurt you used to make this.
6. Once yogurt has set, remove from warm place, stir (incase a watery film has formed, unless you want to discard) and place into an air tight container in the fridge until ready to use.
7. Blackberry Compote:
8. minutes before you are ready to eat yogurt in a small pot add your blackberries, water & honey Turn heat onto medium low and let cook for about 25 minutes (or until mixture has thickened. You may add cornstarch here if you want more thickness).
9. Remove from heat and add your lemon & cinnamon. Mix together. Next take ½ the mixture and place in a food processor and process until a smooth sauce has formed. Remove and mix sauce in with the compote (this is also optional).
10. Pour a couple tbsp of compote over yogurt & serve.

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