How to make Greek Yogurt

Ingredients, equipment, and an easy technique to make delicious Greek-style, extra-thick yogurt treats.
Recipe:
1) Stirring continuously so it doesn't scald, heat 1/2-gallon organic milk (4% fat or better) to a temperature of 185°F (84°C) or when small bubbles-froth appears on surface of the milk or just before it boils;
2) Let milk cool to a luke-warm temperature of 108-112°F (42-44°C), then mix in 1/2-3/4-cup of plain yogurt (e.g., my daughter calls this step "immortalizing" the yogurt) and/or 10 grams (2 tsp) of yogurt starter into the luke-warm milk.
3) Cover milk mixture and place in a 100°F oven for 6-to-14 hours.
4) Afterwards, the yogurt has "set", but I prefer it thicker and creamier. So I pour the yogurt into a cheese-cloth-lined collander within a large bowl and strain out the whey (clear milk liquid).
4b) Optional-- For Greek Yogurt (Γιαούρτι), I put the collander/bowl set-up in the oven at 100°F for 30-to-90 minutes to strain out more whey. This optional step makes the yogurt extra thick and creamy or "Greek-style".
5) Pour yogurt from collander into a container (with a tight lid); cover and refrigerate. I like to stir or mix the yogurt at this stage which makes it extra creamy in my opinion. Yogurt will thicken even more in the refrigerator. Use within two weeks after refrigerating.
NOTE: Greek Yogurt is traditionally flavored with honey and fruit, but this Greek-American prefers adding Mexican agave nectar and Canadian blueberries to flavor our yogurt.
Καλή Όρεξη
pronounced "kali oreksi" is Greek for Bon Appetit.

Category:

Howto & Style

Tags:

• Yogurt
• Recipe
• Greek
• Ellinika
• Crebs
• Whey
• Probiotic
• Lactofermentation

[joyjoslyn]

I enjoyed watching Crebs make yogurt his way.I've been making yogurt for years and am always fascinated how much one can learn just seeing something from another point of view.

[tjcrebs]

@joyjoslyn Okie-dokie, Pretty Lady, your turn. Post your video on how you make Japanese-American yogurt. So I can learn your techniques. Thanx & Hugs, T.

[MrRoggy1]

TJCrebs,

I tried making your recipe. It came out great and I enjoyed it, but I noticed it was very mild and bland, almost like a type of mild cheese. Is there any way to make it more "sour" like the store brands Fage or Chobani? If, on the other hand, your recipe normally produces "sour" tasting yogurt, do you have any idea what I might be doing wrong?

Thanks.

[tjcrebs]

@MrRoggy1 Good questions--the sour or tart taste of yogurt is primarily caused by lactic acid. The lactobacillus (yogurt bacteria) convert milk lactose to lactic acid. Therefore you need milk with lactose, bacteria, time, and the correct temperature. Temperatures <80°F cause the bacteria to go to sleep. Time is very important--I ferment for up to 16 hours and I use whole milk. To increase "sour" use the freshest whole milk, change your starter, keep temperature above 90°, & ferment longer.

[bigbutslover]

I'm from Greece, and you know what I'm sick and tired of people saying Greek yogurt when its origin extend from Turkey. I mean come on how pathetic can people get. To be honest I'm not proud to be called "Greek" as a nation we are weak minded and pathetic. All we have are myths :(

[tjcrebs]

@bigbutslover Εντάξει, αλλά η γιαγιά μου θα διαφωνούσε με σας για τη μυθολογία και το γιαούρτι. / Okay, but my Greek grandmother would disagree with you about mythology and yogurt.

[XristarasGamieste]

turkey..is that even a country? sounds like the bird..

[caxatay]

Why the Greeks trying to steal what belongs to us ? (YOGURT IS A TURKISH WORD )

[caxatay]

:) yogurt is a turkish word funny greek

[sapphireblue919]

Your yogurt video is delightful! Thank you! I look forward to more of your instructional videos!!!!

[AlestaTr]

haha funny vide even the name yogurt is Turkish. you funny greek thiefs :DD

[iSlash96]

@MrNacko28 yogurt is registered by Turkic people in 2000 BC, no other evidence goes back before 2000 BC. and bulgars not greeks would have had a reason to produce yoghurt, the turks did. see, we turks admit it when we have copied something from another culture, but greeks never admit that they copied something from us.

[MrNacko28]

@iSlash96 turkish yogurt, greek yogurt, french yogurt are just versions of the real yogurt.

Bulgaria is famous worldwide exactly with our Yogurt. When i talk with foreigners, the only important subject for them is precisely the Yogurt. To say Yogurt comes from Turkey is like to say: Mercedes is Turkish invention! - Mercedes is German mark, but Mercedes is producing in Turkey too...that doesn't mean Mercedes is Turkish in fact,right?

[MrNacko28]

@iSlash96 One of the theories is that Yogurt descend from Balkans (Ancient Thrace). The other theories is that Yogurt descend from Proto-Bulgarians but none of these theories is not fully demonstrated....

[pastet2x2]

The real yogurt is the Bulgarian one since Bulgaria is where yogurt comes from.

[MrNacko28]

@iSlash96 Yes, but i mean not the turks were the first people who understood that there exist yogurt. For example Thracians (the oldest civilization in Eastern Europe and maybe in whole Europe) So, turks are just one of the many nations who ate yogurt.

And Yogurt is turkish word, but the original is Kiselo Mlyako.