How to make Yogurt at Home WITHOUT Heat

And welcome to my site! Whether you purchased a live, active Viili start from me (Via Utah Natural Meat) or wandered here off the internet, I am excited. I am a big believer in the healing power of functional foods, and yogurt is one of the tastiest in the toolbox. People tell me all the time they are too busy to make homemade yogurt and I can’t help but laugh. Not because I don’t understand the feeling, I understand busy! I laugh because the truth is—making yogurt is so stupid easy it can be done in about 30 seconds. No kidding! I can’t stop myself from sharing my secret weapon:

A Finnish yogurt start called Viili (prononced VEE-lee).

I have been making it in my own kitchen consistently for over 15 years now and very rarely mess with cooked yogurts anymore. If you’re in a hurry, I’ll start with my Viili cheat sheet, but scroll below for detailed instructions, a little FAQ and some recipes!

Note: I use the terms Viili and Yogurt interchangeably throughout.

 What is yogurt?

YOGURT a Turkish word that mean tart, thick milk. There are hundreds of types of yogurts, so it is a broad term we use for fermented milk. Fresh milk is combined with particular strains of beneficial bacteria including Lactobacillus bulgaris and Streptococcus thermophilus, among others. They are most often cultured with heat. Cultures that don’t require heat are called heritage cultures and include Finnish yogurt, or Viili. They evolved in cooler climates, such as Northern regions of the world.  Cultures vary from region to region and can adapt specific characteristics according to their environment.  Purchasing a yogurt start ensures a consistent product.  However, with Viili, you don’t need a starter. With good care, it perpetuates indefinitely. And because it doesn’t require heat, you can choose (as I do) to use raw milk for your base and then you get all the benefits of Raw, Grass Fed Milk…Supercharged!

Viili is mild and creamy, a drinkable yogurt. You can eat it with a spoon, but it won’t get as thick as a Greek yogurt, for example. (You can thicken by straining if desired.)  It is celebrated for its unmatched ease in preparation. You will find it to be a perfect “gateway” probiotic for your children and picky ones because it is so mild and pleasing (can’t more things in life by like that, please!)

Viili: No Cook Perpetual Yogurt! It keeps going and going…

Instructions:

1. Add the container of yogurt start you obtained from Utah Natural Meat & Milk* into a 1 quart glass jar (you can make a bigger jar if you prefer). Fill with raw milk. Place a lid that allows for a little air flow. (I flip the mason lid upside down to prevent a seal. You can also use a cloth and rubber band or just don’t screw a lid tight.

   *See below for sources if you aren’t local to the Wasatch Front.

2. Allow to sit at room temperature (ideally between 70-77 degrees) for 18-24 hours. It really isn’t an exact process. If your kitchen is warmer, it could ferment faster and if it is colder, the process will take longer. To check if it is set, hold the jar and tip it slightly. If the yogurt pulls away from the side, it is done. If it is still liquid milk, give it more time. The first batch may take a little longer to set, be a little patient.

   Note: Do not stir or shake viili while it is setting, you will disrupt the fragile curd from forming.

3. Once it has set, cover the container with a tight lid and store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

To make the next batch:

1. Pour the yogurt out of the jar (or wait till you have consumed it all). The yogurt residue stuck to the insides of the jar is enough to start your next batch. No, really! Simply fill the jar up with milk and put it out to culture again! If using a new jar, a spoonful is adequate to start a quart. Repeat this step again and again to have perpetual yogurt awesomeness whenever you crave it!

2. Adding extra won’t necessarily speed the process up and can cause your viili to sour. So believe in the process, a little goes a long way!

Trouble Shooting:

• Too Sour? If your viili goes sour (most likely from being left out too long or in too warm an environment), toss the batch out, but reserve a spoonful to start a new one. It will still have enough live culture to work.

• Too Strong? If the taste is too strong, it fermented too long (or too fast.) Try another batch and stop it sooner.

• Weird Bubbles? If it is fizzy, it didn’t have enough air flow. Sometimes the bacteria produce enough gas to actually explode a jar, which is why I recommend “flipping the lid” to let it breathe.

• Nothing happening? If your yogurt isn’t setting, give it more time. If it has been more than 3 days, then it is not active and you need a new start. The most common reason I see this happen is because people left the start in the fridge (or worse, in their purse!) too long and the start died. Keep your initial start frozen or in the fridge for no more than a week.    

• Not local? If you’re wondering where you can get a start, I can help you. My favorite source for viili is here. Cultures for Health is a fun site to play on with lots of great products and info. If you do live near me, Utah Natural Meat & Milk keeps starts stocked on their shelves.

Forever and Ever Amen:

You now have yogurt forever. Does the commitment scare you? You can place the yogurt in the fridge for up to a week to “pause” it. More accurately you are just slowing it down.  To keep your culture thriving, you should make a fresh batch at least once a week.  If you will be out of town or need to stop for longer than a week, freeze a portion of the viili. It will thaw out and be ready to go again!

In fact, it is smart to keep some frozen as a back up in case you somehow lose, eat, or toss your countertop start (I’ve done all three!)  I highly suggest you take some of your first batch and freeze it so you have some if you need it. Ice cube trays are the perfect size for a start, or I freeze a thin (1/2”) layer in a Tupperware and then break off a piece if I need a new start.

You can even travel with this stuff! On long road trips, I fill a jar with milk and a little villi and we have yogurt by the time we get where we’re going. This stuff is just too easy!

Incredibly Versatile!

Experiment with yours! You can make smoothies of course, but what else? Use your yogurt anywhere you would use mayo or sour cream in a recipe to add a probiotic punch.

Try it in Ranch Dressing, Guacamole, Curries, marinades and more! I like to use it in homemade ice cream recipes.  Place in a strainer with cheesecloth or a coffee filter and allow to drain and you can thicken it to a cream cheese consistency. You can even make cheesecake!

 BONUS: You can use the viili to ferment heavy cream and voilà! Sour cream! Delicious.

For even more recipes, check out my blog post on Kefir Grains and scroll to the bottom. Kefir and Yogurt are interchangeable in recipes so all the dishes listed there are fair game.

Tip: Yogurt is much milder in flavor than Kefir is so people—especially kids—tend to prefer the taste. Use it in dishes where you don’t want as sour a flavor or where your cooking for picky palettes.

Hungry for More?

The live probiotics in Viili are beautiful for your gut heatlh. And let me tell you, all health issues start in your gut! Still, probiotics are just one part of the picture; your health is a multi-faceted, complex puzzle! Consider working with me if you want to go deeper! I share tips like this and so so much more. I use functional lab testing to find out exactly what your guts need to achieve balance. We consider hormones, digestion, adrenal health, lifestyle, toxicity, mindset and more as we work together on your fully customized journey.

A custom journey means you get to ask all your questions and we troubleshoot all your challenges together. Lab testing means we are working with your biology rather than best guesses. If you’re interested in discussing next steps, book a free call today!

P.S. in case the links didn’t work above, here you go:

Utah Natural Meat & Milk (to purchase viili starts if you are local to the Wasatch Front.

https://www.utahnaturalmeat.com/

Cultures for Health (to purchase if you aren’t local.)

https://culturesforhealth.com/products/viili-yogurt-starter-culture

My Kefir blog post that has all the recipes on it.

https://www.nourishwithkristin.com/blog/kefir-how-to