How to Make Greek Yogurt

My absolute favorite thing to have for breakfast is plain yogurt with some fresh fruit and granola.  I usually buy plain yogurt and sometimes as a treat, I'll buy Greek yogurt.  Greek yogurt is thicker than normal yogurt, but it's also way more expensive.  I decided I was going to take matters into my own hands and make my own Greek yogurt.  It's significantly cheaper (just the cost of milk), you don't need a fancy machine, you can control what's in it, and I don't know why but I am very excited to be making my own yogurt.

Tools/equipment:

a pot with a tight fitting lid, large enough to hold the amount of milk you are using

a thermometer (candy, probe, it doesn't matter)

heat-proof spatula or large wooden spoon

oven thermometer

cheesecloth or a chinois

Makes about 1 quart of Greek yogurt 

Ingredients:

a 1/2 gallon of milk (any kind, I used 1%)

1 cup plain yogurt with active cultures.  This is your starter yogurt.  I used Stoneyfield which has 7 active cultures.  The more cultures, or bacteria, the quicker the fermentation.  You don't need Greek yogurt starter in order to make Greek yogurt.  

Instructions:

1) First sanitize the pot you are using by boiling some water in it and dumping it out in the sink, being sure to pour some over the lid as well.

2) Add the milk to the pot and heat over medium-low heat, stirring constantly to avoid scalding the milk.  Clip the candy thermometer to the side, or keep the probe thermometer in the pot without touching the bottom.  When the milk reaches 185 degrees F, it's time to cool it down.  

3) Cool down the milk to 110 degrees F (this is warm enough to incubate the cultures without killing them).  I cooled it down more quickly by making an ice bath in the sink and putting the pot in it while stirring constantly.

4) To incorporate the yogurt starter into the milk, put the yogurt into a small bowl and stir in some of the milk then add this to the rest of the milk.

5) Preheat the oven to 180 degrees for one minute then turn the oven off.  

6) With the lid on the pot, wrap it in a towel (for insulation) and place in the oven for 8-12 hours.  Keep an oven thermometer in the oven to monitor the temperature.  If you have an oven light then leave it on because this will keep the oven warm.  I usually make this before I go to bed and the yogurt is ready in the morning.  

7) After letting the yogurt sit for 8-12 hours, remove from the oven.  It will have liquid, or whey, that has risen to the top.  you can pour this off.  At this point your plain yogurt is finished, but if you want to make Greek yogurt wrap it in cheese cloth and suspend to allow the liquid to drain out.  You can also use a chinois.  I let my yogurt strain for 3 hours  so it's super thick(stirring once to ensure the thicker yogurt at the bottom isn't preventing the rest of the yogurt from being strained).  

8) Put in a container in the fridge and allow to set for 1/2 hour.  This will keep for about a week.  I like to save a cup of my own yogurt and use it for the next batch I make.  You'll never have to buy yogurt again!