Our Traditional Greek yogurt starter contains live active bacteria. One packet of Greek yogurt starter culture can be used to make unlimited amounts of homemade yogurt as it can be serial cultured--a small amount of yogurt from the current batch is then reserved to inoculate the next batch of homemade yogurt. With care, our yogurt culture can be used to make Greek yogurt indefinitely. No more having to continually buy starter culture to make Greek yogurt! Save money by making your own Greek yogurt at home (click here for more information).

Description: Our Traditional Greek yogurt starter makes a slightly tangy, rich and decadent homemade yogurt.  It is particularly wonderful when made with a mixture of cream and milk (we recommend one part whipping cream and three parts whole milk). This yogurt can also be made with just whole milk or even low fat milk for a less thick yogurt. Greek yogurt can also be partially strained to increase the thickness or can be strained further to produce a creamy Mascarpone cheese.

Click here to compare our yogurt cultures for taste, consistency and yogurt making method.

Our Traditional Greek starter contains the following active lactic acid bacteria: L. Bulgaricus, S. Thermophilus.

How to Make Greek Yogurt: Our Greek yogurt culture is a Thermophilic yogurt culture and cultures with the aid of a yogurt maker or similar heat source (click here for alternatives to a yogurt making appliance). Our Greek yogurt culture can be serial cultured--a small amount of homemade yogurt from the current batch is then reserved to inoculate the next batch of homemade yogurt. With care, our Greek yogurt culture can be used to make Greek yogurt indefinitely.

Our Greek starter culture can be used with goat milk although due to the lower fat content of goat milk, the resulting yogurt may be significantly less thick than yogurt made with whole cow milk.

Full instructions for making Greek Yogurt can be found here and will be shipped with your order.

Shipping Information: Our starter culture is shipped in a barrier sealed packet as a dehydrated yogurt culture in a dairy carrier. Please keep it in a cool dry place until you are ready to make your first batch of homemade yogurt. We ship enough dried yogurt culture to make two batches of yogurt starter which you use to as the starter culture to make unlimited amounts of yogurt. We recommend that you reserve half of the yogurt starter in a safe place to use as a back-up.

Shipping Information: This item is available for international shipping.

Each Packet of Traditional Greek Yogurt Starter Culture Contains: .16 oz. (4.5 grams) Greek Yogurt Starter in a dehydrated format.

• Ingredients: Organic milk, live active cultures
  
• Lactic Acid Bacteria: L. Bulgaricus, S. Thermophilus

Detailed culturing instructions will be included with your order and can be found here.

Greek Yogurt Starter Frequently Asked Questions:

Q. Do I need a yogurt maker to make Greek Yogurt?

A. No. Although our Greek starter culture does work quite well with a yogurt making appliance, if you don't have a yogurt maker you will simply need a way to keep the culturing yogurt at 110 degrees for approximately 4 1/2 hours.  Options include an oven with a very low temperature setting, a slow cooker (aka Crock Pot), a cube shaped dehydrator (such as an Excalibur or Sausage Maker brand), etc.  We've even heard of customers wrapping a warm jar of culturing yogurt in a towel and placing it in an ice chest with warm water bottles (this method does take some practice).  Whichever method you choose, we do recommend checking the temperature of your heat device at least once every hour or two to verify that the device is not too warm.  Ideally, perform a trial run using just water to check the temperature prior to making your first batch of yogurt.

Q. How do I make Greek Yogurt?

A. Making Greek yogurt is easy.  Simply heat your milk to 160 F (71 C) degrees and then allow the milk to cool to 110 F (43 C) degrees.  Add the yogurt starter and incorporate the starter culture thoroughly into your milk. Cover the container with a loose lid or towel.  Allow the yogurt to culture at 110 F (43 C) degrees for 4 1/2 hours.  Once the yogurt is set, allow the yogurt to cool for about 2 hours then place the yogurt in the fridge.  The yogurt will be ready to enjoy after 6 hours in the refrigerator.  Be sure to set aside a small amount of yogurt to use as the starter culture for your next batch of yogurt.  Full instructions for making Greek yogurt will be included with your order.  Please note, the method for making your first batch of yogurt (from the dehydrated starter culture) will vary slightly from these instructions listed here.

Q. How do I make Greek Yogurt with the very thick consistency of the brands I find in the grocery store?

A. Greek Yogurt is best made by using part cream and part milk (generally one part cream to three parts milk).  Greek Yogurt can also be made using just whole milk or even low fat milk but the consistency won't be as thick.  As an alternative to using cream, you can also strain your yogurt using a towel or cheesecloth to obtain a thicker consistency.  Please note, most commercial brands of Greek Yogurt are strained to remove a portion of the whey and produce a more thick yogurt.

Q. How much Greek Yogurt can I make each week?

A. Our starter cultures are reusable, that is a small amount of each batch is used to inoculate the next batch of yogurt.  Therefore you can theoretically make unlimited amounts of yogurt with our starter cultures.  To make Greek Yogurt, you will need one teaspoon of yogurt from the current batch for each cup of milk you wish to turn into yogurt in the next batch.  We recommend making Greek Yogurt in containers no larger than 32 ounces to allow the yogurt to culture evenly (larger containers may have a harder time keeping an even temperature).  However you can certainly culture multiple 32 ounce jars at once.

Q. What supplies do I need to make Greek Yogurt?

A. A few supplies are handy for making Greek Yogurt:

• Greek Yogurt Culture
  
• Milk and/or Cream (whole milk is best but you can use low fat milk for a thinner consistency yogurt; use an amount of milk equal to the amount of yogurt you wish to make)
  
• A pan for heating the milk (stainless steel is best but not required)
  
• A wooden spoon for stirring the milk while heating and for mixing in the yogurt starter
  
• A thermometer for monitoring the temperature of the milk
  
• A container for culturing the yogurt (canning jars work well)
  
• A lid for storing the yogurt once it's finished culturing
  
• Sweetener or flavoring for your finished yogurt (see below)
  

Q. Can I use non-homogenized milk to make Greek Yogurt?

A. Yes, you can use use non-homogenized milk.  The only difference will be that you will see a yellow cream layer on top of your finished yogurt.

Q. How often do I need to make yogurt to ensure my yogurt culture stays viable?

A. We recommend making a new batch of yogurt at least every seven days.  If you make yogurt less often, the culture won't perpetuate properly and will weaken and perhaps parish.  If you need to take an extended break from making yogurt, we recommend using the extra dried starter culture that will come in your packet.

Q. Can I sweeten or flavor my yogurt?

A. Absolutely!  For Greek Yogurt, honey is a popular sweetener.  You can also use fruit, jam and flavor extracts (e.g. Vanilla extract) to flavor your yogurt.  Be sure to reserve a small amount of yogurt to use to make the next batch prior to adding any sweetener or flavorings.

Q. How much money can I save making my own Greek Yogurt?

A. Greek Yogurt purchased from the grocery store generally costs approximately $.25 ounce while making your own yogurt (once you've purchased a starter culture) is just the cost of milk, about $.04 ounce (prices will vary by geographic region).

Click here to view more Yogurt Starter FAQ's

Click here to view our Yogurt Starter Resources including recipes for using your homemade yogurt