Fresh Jersey Cream Yogurt

"What is jersey cream?" you ask. Well, I will tell you. Jersey cream is cream produced by jersey cows of course! "Well then… what are jersey cows?" Jersey cows were originally bred on the island of Jersey located in the English Channel. They are much smaller than other breeds and their milk has a higher butterfat content, making it much more creamy and delicious than other cows' milk. The jersey cream gives this yogurt a rich, smooth texture. It is surprisingly easy to make and absolutely heavenly when served with fresh fruit or, my favorite, strawberry rosewater jam (keep your eye peeled for this post in July).

Where to find Jersey Milk:

There are many resources on the internet to help you find a store that sells jersey milk near you, however I have found the best website to use is the Jersey Cattle Association website. I have provided the link below:

Jersey Cattle Associaition

What You'll Need:

Half Gallon of Jersey Milk (skim, 1%, 2%, or whole will do)

½ cup plain starter yogurt*

Thermometer

Slow cooker

*For the starter yogurt, just buy plain yogurt at the grocery store. Whatever yogurt you purchase will dictate the type of yogurt you will make. We love greek yogurt, so that is the type that we bought. Just be sure it says "Active Live Cultures" in the ingredient list. Once you have made your first batch of yogurt, you can use ½ cup as a starter for your next batch.

1. Place a few paper towels in the bottom of the ceramic bowl of your slow cooker. Fill half way with water, cover, and switch it to the "warm" setting.
2. Next, in a medium saucepot over medium-high heat, heat the milk to 185^oF, stirring constantly to make sure it heats evenly.
3. Next, turn off the heat, remove the pot from the burner, and let the milk sit until it reaches 110 ^oF. This will take about 15 to 20 minutes.
4. Once the milk has reached the right temperature, mix in the starter yogurt. Make sure the yogurt is fully incorporated. Make sure there are no clumps other wise the texture of your yogurt will suffer.
5. Next, pour the mixture into mason jars and loosely secure the lids. Place the jars in the water bath in the slow cooker for 12 hours.
6. When the 12 hours are up, refrigerate the yogurt for 12 hours.

And there you have it - delicious yogurt at a fraction of the cost!