A couple of months ago, my friend Sawsan from Chef in Disguise posted a beautiful tutorial on how to make home-made yogurt.  Since I saw it, I knew I had to give it a try too!  This was my first time at making yogurt, but I remember my mum making it often when I was a child.  There was a time, at the beginning of the 90’s, when making home-made yogurt was a “must”.  I quite liked it as it was less sour than store bought yogurt and I remember adding my favourite fruits to it for a healthy snack.  Seeing Sawsan’s post brought back all these memories and I loved the idea of trying it on my own.  It was actually much easier than I remembered and I was so happy with the results that I made it a few times already.  I found that the quantity of starter needed (the yogurt used to transform milk into yogurt) varies quite a bit.  I guess it depends on how many live cultures it has.  To be safe, I add a little more, so I know it is going to work.  I will show you how to make yogurt and how to turn it into thicker Greek style yogurt (the one I like the most).  In the next few days I will show you a few more recipes to help you use up both the yogurt and whey you will be making.  Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Chef in Disguise

Ingredients:
1 lt – 5 cups fresh milk (I used full cream)
4 tbsp fresh, plain commercial yogurt with live cultures

Heat the milk in a sauce pan until it gets to 40°C – 104°F (if you don’t have a thermometer, just heat it until it feels warm when you touch it).

Add the yogurt and mix well, until dissolved.

Cover the sauce pan with a lid, wrap a couple of thick towels around it and put it in a warm place for a few hours.  I usually keep it in the oven (off, but with the light on).

Check on it after 4 hours, if it is still too runny, cover it again and keep it warm for another couple of hours.  Mine is usually ready after 6 hours, but on cold days it could take up to 10-12 hours.

And there you have your yogurt!

How to make Greek Style Yogurt

I decided to go an extra step and make Greek style yogurt (which is the one I like the most)… this is the thicker type of yogurt.  To do this, line a colander with a cheese cloth and put it on top of a big bowl (so you can collect the whey that will come out of the yogurt).  Pour the yogurt in, bring the four corners of the cheese cloth together and twist it to squeeze out the whey over the bowl.  Do that until it drips less, then tie the top of the cloth just above the yogurt with string and put it back in the strainer.  Put the strainer inside a big bowl (make sure the strainer does not touch the bottom of the bowl) and put it in the fridge.  Let it drain for at least 2 to 3 hours (I often keep it over night).

And there you have, your Greek style yogurt… and your whey!

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Home-made Yogurt

How to make yogurt and Greek style yogurt at home: you won't believe how easy it is!

Course Breakfast

Cuisine International

Servings 1 1/2 cups Greek yogurt

Author Recipe adapted from Chef in Disguise

Ingredients

• 1 lt – 5 cups fresh milk I used full cream
• 4 tbsp fresh plain commercial yogurt with live cultures

Instructions

1. Heat the milk in a sauce pan until it gets to 40°C – 104°F (if you don’t have a thermometer, just heat it until it feels warm when you touch it).
2. Add the yogurt and mix well, until dissolved.
3. Cover the sauce pan with a lid, wrap a couple of thick towels around it and put it in a warm place for a few hours. I usually keep it in the oven (off, but with the light on).
4. Check on it after 4 hours, if it is still too runny, cover it again and keep it warm for another couple of hours. Mine is usually ready after 6 hours, but on cold days it could take up to 10-12 hours.
5. And there you have your yogurt!

How to make Greek Style Yogurt

1. I decided to go an extra step and make Greek style yogurt (which is the one I like the most)… this is the thicker type of yogurt. To do this, line a colander with a cheese cloth and put it on top of a big bowl (so you can collect the whey that will come out of the yogurt). Pour the yogurt in, bring the four corners of the cheese cloth together and twist it to squeeze out the whey over the bowl. Do that until it drips less, then tie the top of the cloth just above the yogurt with string and put it back in the strainer. Put the strainer inside a big bowl (make sure the strainer does not touch the bottom of the bowl) and put it in the fridge. Let it drain for at least 2 to 3 hours (I often keep it over night).
2. And there you have, your Greek style yogurt… and your whey!

Come back for some ideas on how to use both the yogurt and whey: I will be sharing some more delicious recipes in the next few days!

For a great troubleshooting guide on what could go wrong while making yogurt, check out Chef in Disguise!

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