Making greek yogurt is a simple process that barely needs a greek yogurt recipe. Thick, creamy, tangy greek yogurt is the perfect accompaniment to a variety of foods and a great base for a number of sauces. Making your own greek yogurt makes sure that you already have a ready supply.
30 minutes
6 hours
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INGREDIENTS AND EQUIPMENT AVAILABLE AT CULTURES FOR HEALTH
Greek Yogurt Starter Culture
Greek Yogurt Starter Culture
$13.99
There’s a reason Greek Yogurt is one of our most popular products! Make tangy, rich, and delicious yogurt at home for a fraction of the cost of store-bought.
Using a starter culture allows you to control the ingredients, making your Greek Yogurt much healthier.
The Greek Yogurt Starter is an heirloom culture - meaning you'll make endless delicious yogurt all from one starter!
Greek Yogurt Maker (Strainer)
Greek Yogurt Maker (Strainer)
$25.00
This unique strainer kit which is BPA Free transforms up to 2 quarts of ordinary homemade yogurt or store bought yogurt into thick, creamy Greek yogurt in a matter of hours, all inside your refrigerator. Enjoy healthy delish dips and spreads, delicious tazatiki, low-calorie salad topping, or delicious sweet berry desserts!
How to Make Greek Yogurt
You can make creamy, rich and delicious Greek yogurt at home for a fraction of the cost of commercial varieties! Our how-to video contains step-by-step instructions on how to make Greek yogurt using a Greek yogurt starter culture. With the proper care, you can make batch after batch of Greek yogurt using this starter culture.
Making your homemade Greek Yogurt is a great way to save money and control the ingredients that go into it. Plus, it's a lot healthier than store-bought yogurt. So what are you waiting for? Download our Yogurt Guide and Recipe Book today and start making your own Greek Yogurt at home.
Jump to a Section:
- Reminders Before Getting Started
- What You'll Need
- Instructions for Making Greek Yogurt
- Thickening Greek Yogurt
BEFORE GETTING STARTED WITH GREEK YOGURT
To make Greek yogurt with our freeze-dried Greek Yogurt Starter Culture you will need to first activate the starter culture. You can then use yogurt from the activation batch to culture yogurt on a regular basis.
Keep in mind, to achieve the thick, Greek yogurt consistency, you will need to strain your yogurt after it's cultured.
WHAT YOU'LL NEED FOR GREEK YOGURT RECIPE
Greek Yogurt Starter Culture
The Greek Yogurt Starter Culture is an heirloom-style culture. Unlike direct-set starter cultures, which are single-use cultures (1 packet of starter can make 1 batch of yogurt), an heirloom yogurt culture is re-usable, meaning, that with the proper care, you can use it to make batch after batch of yogurt - indefinitely!
Milk
You can use nearly any type of dairy milk to make Greek yogurt, but for best results, we recommend using whole pasteurized milk.
Avoid ultra-pasteurized or UHT milk when making yogurt. You can learn more about different milks for yogurt making, in our article Choosing Milk for Making Yogurt.
If you'd prefer to use raw milk, please review these Special Considerations for Making Raw Milk Yogurt.
Yogurt Maker or Other Appliance
The Greek Yogurt Starter is a heirloom thermophilic (heat-loving) culture which means it will require a yogurt maker or other appliance to keep the milk warm during culturing.
While there are a number of yogurt makers available, you can also culture yogurt without one. Here are some ideas for other ways to incubate your milk during the culturing process.
Other Greek Yogurt Supplies
In addition to the above staples, you will also need:
- Stainless steel pot (for heating milk)
- Thermometer
- Non-aluminum mixing utensil
- Greek Yogurt Strainer, cotton bag, or butter muslin to drain whey
Our Basic Supply List for Making Yogurt covers more tools that can be helpful in the yogurt making process.
GREEK YOGURT RECIPE
Activate the Greek Yogurt Starter
The first step to making Greek yogurt at home is activating the starter culture. Occasionally the activation batch may have a very thin consistency, it may even be liquid and that's perfectly fine. The texture and consistency will even out over the next several batches.
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Slowly heat 1 quart of pasteurized milk to 160°F.
- Remove the milk from the heat and allow to cool to 110°F.
- Add 1 packet of starter culture and mix well.
- Pour milk into containers, cover the mixture, and incubate it at 110°F for 5-12 hours in a yogurt maker or similar appliance.
- Check after 5 hours to see if it has set. If it has not set, leave it for up to 12 hours, checking every 30-60 minutes. Once it has set, or at the end of 12 hours, turn off the yogurt maker, cover the yogurt and allow it to cool for 2 hours.
- Refrigerate the yogurt for at least 6 hours. You can eat it at any time (refrigerating helps set the yogurt).
- Don’t forget to save 2-3 Tbsp. for culturing the next batch!
How to Make Regular Batches of Greek Yogurt
To keep your yogurt starter healthy, you'll want to make a new batch of greek yogurt at least once a week using the steps below. It is very similar to the activation process, but this time you will be using yogurt from the previous batch as the starter.
- Slowly heat 1 quart of pasteurized milk to 160°F.
- Remove the milk from the heat and allow to cool to 110°F.
- Add 2-3 Tbsp. of yogurt from the previous batch (per quart of milk) and mix well.
For Larger Batches: You can make up to 2 quarts of yogurt per container, but keep your ratios consistent - too much yogurt starter can lead to bitter, grainy yogurt, while too little may make the yogurt under-culture, leading to thin, more bland yogurt.
- Pour the milk into the container(s), cover the mixture, and culture for 5-8 hours at 110°F. After 5 hours, check the yogurt frequently by tilting the jar gently. If the yogurt moves away from the side of the jar in one mass instead of running up the side, it is finished culturing.
- Once it has set, allow it to cool for 2 hours.
- After 2 hours, refrigerate it for at least 6 hours before eating.
- Don’t forget to save 2-3 Tbsp. for culturing the next batch!
STRAINING THE GREEK YOGURT TO THICKEN IT
To achieve the traditional Greek-style yogurt consistency, you'll need to strain the whey from the yogurt. (Check out ideas for using leftover whey here!)
- Pour yogurt into a Greek Yogurt Strainer.
- Cover and refrigerate for few hours.
- Store the yogurt once it has achieved the desired consistency.
You can learn more ways to thicken homemade yogurt in our tutorial on Thickening Homemade Yogurt which outlines different thickener options.
Are you looking for a healthier, cheaper, and more delicious alternative to store-bought yogurt? Download our Yogurt Guide and Recipe Today!
TROUBLESHOOTING HOMEMADE GREEK YOGURT
While making your own yogurt only requires a few yogurt supplies and a bit of know how, if it's your first time making yogurt at home, we understand that you might run into some hiccups along the way. Read through our Yogurt Starter Troubleshooting FAQ and feel free to reach out if you still need a helping hand. You can do this!
GREEK YOGURT RECIPES
Once you've finished culturing your yogurt, learn how to make yogurt taste better according to your taste preference, try using it in one of these recipes, or browse our collection of recipes using yogurt for more inspiration!
