Mix milk and starter
Pour 1 cup of cold pasteurized whole milk into a glass container. Add 1 packet of Skyr yogurt starter and mix thoroughly.
Icelandic Skyr Yogurt Starter Culture Instructions
Milk check — before you start
Use pasteurized whole milk. Avoid ultra-pasteurized or UHT milk. Start with 1 cup for activation; use 2 quarts for later batches.
Use pasteurized whole milk. Avoid ultra-pasteurized or UHT milk. Start with 1 cup for activation; use 2 quarts for later batches.
Before you start
Grab these first
Keep the two batches separate. Activate with the starter packet and cold milk. Rennet and the 90°F warming step belong to later batches.
The steps
Your first batch — and every one after
Cover and culture
Cover with a coffee filter or tight-weave cloth and secure with a rubber band. Culture in a warm spot at 70–77°F.
Check for a set
Check after 12 hours. Look for a change in texture: the milk should pull away from the sides of the container when tilted. If it has not set, continue culturing for up to 48 hours total, checking every few hours.
Cover and refrigerate
Once the yogurt has set, cover with a tight lid and refrigerate for at least 6 hours.
Enjoy and reserve
After 6 hours of chilling, your yogurt is ready to eat. Reserve at least ½ cup for future batches.
If it has not set after 48 hours: repeat activation steps 1–3 using 1 Tbsp of your previous batch in 1 cup of milk, as directed in the supplied instructions.
Warm the milk
Slowly heat 2 quarts of pasteurized whole milk to 90°F.
Dissolve the rennet
In a separate container, mix ¼ rennet tablet into ¼ cup cold water and stir to dissolve. Move on to step 3 within 5 minutes.
Add the rennet
Mix the rennet into the milk thoroughly with an up-and-down motion, rather than stirring. Mix for no longer than 15 seconds.
Add your saved Skyr
Gently pour the milk into a food-grade glass, ceramic, or stainless steel container. Gently stir in ½ cup of yogurt from your last batch.
Cover and culture
Cover with tight-weave cloth, secure with a rubber band, and culture at 70–77°F for 12–18 hours, until set.
Refrigerate and enjoy
Cover with a tight lid and refrigerate for at least 6 hours. After 6 hours, it is ready to eat. Reserve ½ cup for your next batch.
OPTIONAL
Make it extra thick
Strain through cheesecloth to achieve the thickest consistency. Reserve ½ cup for your next batch.
Know what to look for
Is this normal?
How do I know the activation batch has set?
Look for a change in texture and milk that pulls away from the container sides when tilted. Check at 12 hours, then every few hours, up to 48 hours total.
Do I use the Traditional Yogurt temperatures?
Follow the Skyr process here. Culture at 70–77°F. Later batches begin by heating milk to 90°F; activation begins with cold milk.
When do I add rennet?
For later batches: dissolve ¼ tablet in ¼ cup cold water, add within 5 minutes, and mix up and down for no longer than 15 seconds.
Can I make it thicker?
The supplied instructions include optional straining through cheesecloth for the thickest consistency.
What do I save for next time?
Reserve at least ½ cup from activation and ½ cup from each later batch. Keep extra unused starter packets in the freezer.
From now on
Your Skyr makes Skyr
Save ½ cup from each batch to culture the next 2 quarts of milk. Follow the later-batch steps each time.
SAVE. CULTURE. CHILL. REPEAT.Stuck? Ask a real person.
Send a photo of your batch and tell us your timing and temperature.
Email usBatch one done?
Make it yours
Enjoy your finished plain Skyr in these yogurt recipes. For dressings, adjust the consistency to suit your batch.
Strawberry Frozen Yogurt →
How to Make Yogurt Salad Dressing at Home →
How to Make Greek Frozen Yogurt →
Yogurt and Mayonnaise Salad Dressing →Useful kitchen extras
First jar in the fridge?
That’s homemade Skyr — you made that. Show us, and tell the next first-timer it’s easier than it looks.
Tag #culturesforhealth on Instagram so we can find your batch!