Name: Make your Own Greek Yogurt
Prep time: 11 h 32 min
Yield: 2 Servings
Ingredients: Cups of milk: 8; Tablespoons of yogurt: 4

Directions

Have you ever tasted Greek yogurt? If you haven’t, you may just be assuming that Greek yogurt tastes like regular yogurt but its really not alike at all. The most dominating difference is the texture of Greek yogurt. Its thicker than its competitor. Once you eat Greek for a while, the other types of yogurt seem to look too runny so be careful and not get spoiled by it. While the texture is different, you still get the same great taste and lots of benefits found in eating yogurts.

Another difference you may have noticed when comparing Greek yogurt with other types of yogurt is the price. Greek yogurt is more expensive and therefore, it can be difficult to enjoy this often if you are on a tight budget. There is a way that you can enjoy Greek yogurt and enjoy the flavor as well – Make your own! In this recipe, you will be able to make your own Greek yogurt consistently and still maintain the healthy benefits and the delicious variety of flavors too.

While making your own Greek yogurt is not as simple as 1-2-3, it is going to be worth the added effort when you can go to your refrigerator any time to grab some yogurt. Making your yogurt plain will give you the opportunity to add fresh fruits, nuts,

Before you make your Greek Yogurt, Consider this….

You can just use any type of milk and other ingredients needed to create Greek yogurt at home. For example, you can use whole milk, reduced fat milk, or skim milk however whichever one you choose will taste different than the others and the consistency of the milk will also be different. Its best to start out with whole milk at first until you master the right consistency and taste. Another way to get the texture thicker is to use dry milk before it is cultured.

You will need a yogurt starter to make your first batch of Greek yogurt. You have a couple of options: Freeze dried yogurt starter or store-bought yogurt. If you choose to purchase store bought yogurt as your starter, you must select plain yogurt with no flavoring. You will also need to ensure that the yogurt you purchase contains live and active cultures which should be listed in the main ingredients. Whichever you choose, they are both easy to work with.

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Steps

1 Done 10 minutes	Heat Milk Pour the milk into a saucepan that has a heavy bottom and heat it up to 180°. While heating the milk, you will want to stir constantly so it doesn’t scorch. Use a candy thermometer in order to reach the maximum temperature before removing from the heat.
2 Done 1-2 hours	Cool the milk Allow the milk to cool in a place that it is out of the way so you can ensure that nothing disturbs the milk and it doesn’t get heated up while you are cooking or baking.
3 Done 1 minute	Add Starter Add the starter to the milk and whisk it together until it is completely combined.
4 Done 1 minute	Place the milk/starter mixture into quart jars using a funnel so you don’t spill any.
5 Done 1 minute	Place the seals and screw bands onto the jars.
6 Done 1 minute	Put the jars in a container Place the jar(s) inside of a container or cooler that is insulated and you can pour water into it.
7 Done 10 minutes	Heat water Heat up enough water to 120° to completely submerge the jars.
8 Done 1 minute	Pour the water on jars Pour the water inside the insulated container and close the lid.
9 Done 6 hours	Do not Disturb Allow the jars to sit in an area that is free from drafts and wont be disturbed for six hours.
10 Done 1 minute	Check the yogurt Check to ensure that the yogurt has the right consistency and the right tartness. If it does, then move to step eleven. If it doesn’t, allow it to sit there for a couple more hours and check it again. Once it reaches the right consistency, move on to step eleven.
11 Done 2 hours	Refrigerate This will give the yogurt time to settle. Note: You can now eat your yogurt but it wont have the Greek yogurt consistency. In order to get this consistency, move on the step twelve.
12 Done 2 hours	Strain Place three layers of cheese cloth over a mesh strainer. Spoon the yogurt out into the strainer and allow it to drain until thick. This could take up to two hours to complete.
13 Done 5 minutes	Transfer Place the yogurt into glass jars.
14 Done 1 minute	Starter Dip out 4 Tablespoons of the finished Greek yogurt into another container so you can use it for your starter on your next batch.
15 Done	Refrigerate You can refrigerate your homemade Greek yogurt for up to two weeks. Enjoy!