Stirring Up Tradition: Crafting Authentic Homemade Yogurt in the KayRana Bucket

Homemade yogurt is never quite the same as the store-bought variety—nor should it be! Real, traditionally made yogurt will eventually develop a gentle tang, reflecting its natural fermentation process. In Turkey, yogurt is a non-negotiable presence at our lunch and dinner tables. We love it just as it is, and we have countless recipes that celebrate its simple goodness.

Yogurt is inherently probiotic, brimming with live, beneficial microorganisms that help maintain a healthy balance of gut bacteria. I have fond childhood memories of my father serving us yogurt mixed with mulberry or grape molasses whenever we were feeling unwell. It nourished us with vital microorganisms and iron, supporting both our health and our immune systems.

In the old days, before Teflon pans, copper yogurt buckets were the standard. Copper is an excellent conductor, heating milk quickly and evenly, making it a perfect environment for yogurt to culture. My own yogurt culture is something I’ve nurtured over time, and it’s not easily replicated with store-bought yogurt. If you try to start a batch from standard supermarket yogurt, you’ll likely end up with something slimy and suspicious, making you question whether it’s even made from real milk.

But don’t worry—there are other ways to create a proper starter. You can develop your own yogurt culture from chickpeas (a topic I’ll cover in a future blog post), or you can get a reliable, time-tested starter from me when you purchase one of our KayRana yogurt buckets. I always save about two tablespoons of my current batch of yogurt as the seed for the next round. I even keep two tablespoons in the freezer as a backup in case I forget or if we’ve been away on holiday.

How I Make My Homemade Yogurt:

I start with 2 liters of whole Jersey cow’s milk. Jersey milk is rich in fat, which I love, because after the yogurt sets, I can skim off the butterfat to make my own butter (stay tuned for another blog post on that!). While I prefer using raw milk, it can be hard to find locally, so I often use pasteurized Jersey milk.

1) Boil The Milk: If using pasteurised milk, bring it to a boil and let it bubble for 2-3 minutes. If you are using raw milk, you will need to boil it for about 5-7 minutes to ensure it is safe. I boiled in our copper pan.

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3) Cool to the Right Temperature: Let the milk cool down to 44°C. If you don’t have a food thermometer, use the “pinky test”: dip a clean finger in the milk and count to eight. It should feel hot but still allow you to reach eight comfortably.

4) Prepare the Starter: Remove a few tablespoons of the warmed milk and mix them thoroughly with 2 tablespoons of your existing yogurt culture until it’s a smooth, runny consistency.

5) Combine and Incubate: Pour the cultured milk into your KayRana yogurt bucket (or any suitable container), close the lid, and wrap it in a blanket to maintain a steady temperature. Leave it undisturbed for about 4-5 hours.

6) Refrigerate and Set: After 4 hours, you’ll notice the milk has thickened and set—no longer liquid. At this point, transfer it to the refrigerator and let it rest for about 15-16 hours (or overnight if you started earlier in the day).

The next morning, you’ll find a beautifully set, creamy yogurt waiting for you. The yellowish bits you see on top are butterfat, which you can skim off and collect in a jar to make your own butter later. Congratulations—you now have a batch of nutritious, probiotic-rich yogurt!

We even feed homemade yogurt to babies once they begin eating solids. The flavor is different—often more tangy and less sweet than store-bought options- but given time, everyone comes to appreciate its wholesome, authentic taste.

Special Offer:

To celebrate the joy of homemade yogurt, I’m offering my own starter culture to the first five customers who order a KayRana yogurt bucket. Don’t miss this opportunity to begin your own family tradition of homemade yogurt. Hurry and claim your starter before it’s gone!

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