First of all make sure your jars are nice and clean. You can sterilize them in the dishwasher. Fill the jar with whole milk, leaving about 2 inches from the top. Place the filled jar into the stockpot.

Now you will fill the pot with cool water. Stop when the water level is about 3/4 of the way up the sides of the jar.

Bring the water to a gentle boil and simmer until the milk inside the jar reaches 180 degrees F.

Next, carefully remove the jar of hot milk from the water and loosely cover with a lid. (Don’t toss that hot water. You’ll need it in the next step!) Periodically stir the milk and check the temperature. The milk needs to cool to 110 degrees F. (You can put the milk in the fridge to cool, just be sure to keep checking it frequently!)

Once the milk is cooled to 110, add in 2 tablespoons of yogurt. Stir gently. Place lid on the jar.

Put the jar in the cooler and fill the cooler with the leftover warm water from the stockpot. (The water should be fairly close to 120. If it’s cooled down too much you can reheat it, but it’s usually not necessary for me.) Close the lid. Allow the yogurt to incubate about 8 to 10 hours. The longer it incubates the tangier it gets.

Lastly, refrigerate the yogurt for about 24 hours before you enjoy it. It should keep in the fridge for about 2 weeks. (Be sure to save at least 2 tablespoons for your next batch!)