Make your own homemade Greek style yoghurt without tears
Comments(30)
Poor Danny got ticked off by the Tightwad Queen for dolloping too much Greek yoghurt on his chick pea cakes last week. TTQ wanted to use the rest of the pot for another meal. The Greek yoghurt that we like is expensive.
I hate being scratchy about money. Would far rather work a longer day and be lavish but the 2008 budget challenge has me checking outgoings like a deranged accountant. I decided that I’d put the rationed yoghurt topping in a bowl on the table rather than plonking the carton beside D, next time. I only had myself to blame.
Hours later, feeling guilty for my outburst, I cruised the internet in the hope of finding how to make Greek style yoghurt. I imagined that it would be a tricky process . I would probably have to buy a starter culture and sterilise the kitchen.
Within minutes I was amazed to find that I could make my on homemade Greek style yoghurt easily, thanks to the Bean-sprouts blog. This site is packed with interesting, useful posts. Melanie Rimmer’s smiling photograph makes me feel that someone sensible and practical is at the helm. Especially comforting when I discovered that she actually makes yoghurt in an ordinary Thermos.
I didn’t want to post this discovery until I had made the yoghurt myself. It’s easy to make. Especially if you have an unemployed jam thermometer (I tried using it once for jam and found the cold plate test to be a better option for me). From my decorating sojourns, I have a plethora of Thermoses (Thermii?) to choose from. *I selected one with a glass interior as they hold the heat better than the unbreakable stainless steel ones. I scalded it with boiling water as everything needs to be ultra clean.
Our jam thermometer suddenly came into its own and indicated exactly when I needed to add the remaining dollop of the prized carton of Deluxe Greek yoghurt. By morning we had tasty yoghurt. Pukka stuff, for a quarter of the price. The deranged accountant in me finally relaxed and took a long bath as the yoghurt strained though the muslin (this allows the slightly bitter fluid to drain away and produced a creamy Greek style yoghurt).
I finally dressed and called up the stairs.
“Danny do you want Greek yoghurt for breakfast?”
There was a flash as he passed me and laid the table with two bowls and a large jar of honey.
* Update: I tried making it in a stainless steel unbreakable thermos night last and it worked fine altough the set is not as thick. I’m going to experiment with warming the thermos before adding the milk and the culture.
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Glad you liked the post, your yogurt looks great.
I’ve recently started doing this, too … but don’t pour the fluid down the drain, use it for making bread, it’s full of goodness
I love the idea of your having a long bath while sorting out the yog for a scrumptious breakfast
Joanna
Brilliant, you are fantastic! You hunt these things down, test them out and then share. I love greek yogurt too.
Nice tip from Joanna too for using the fluid for bread making.
if you let it drain a little more (overnight, say) you’d wind up with yoghurt cheese. and that you can stir flavourings into!!! (chives, garlic, chilli, for example) lovely on toast or crackers.. but yes, it is fabby.
my only proviso: make sure you clean the thermos fanatically. it really helps if you have a wide necked thermos. the one i used didn’t, and i couldn’t get it clean: the last batch i did tasted absolutely FOUL. yuck yuck yuck. not doing it again, not in that thermos anyway, going to get a nicer wide necked thermos and do it there instead. but it has to wait. Right now, garden stuff is taking all my spare cash!
keth
xx
I’m going to make the greek yoghurt today. Really really missed logging on to your site, we have been away since before Christmas and no access to Internet. When its made, I shall put sliced banannas in bottom of small dishes, with a little rum then the yogurt on top with a bit of brown sugar, flash under the grill …..and have a lovely quick pud. Thank you!
i thought about trying this but wasn’t brave enough, i guess it’s time i gave it a go. even though feb isn’t quite the budget month january is i still can’t splash unless it’s needed!
so watch my space i guess – unless Yogi decides to make a slightly earlier appearance!
Another really great topic . . . it was so funny though, I read it wrong and thought for a second you’d written: ‘The deranged accountant in me finally relaxed and took a long bath IN the yoghurt’ . . . well, I understand people DO that but really!!!!!
My yog is all set up in the flask!
Hi Mel
The yoghurt is excellent thank you so much for your post.
Hi Joanna
I tossed the first batch of fluid but will keep it from now on. Thanks for the tip.
Hi Amanda
The yoghurt is very tasty. I am amazed!
Hi Keth
That’s a very good point – the sterilising one. I tried making the yoghurt in a wide necked stainless steel thermos last night and it worked fine.
Like the thought of making my own cream cheese too!
Hi Kathy
Welcome back! Those puds sound yummee!
Hi Barbara
I do hope that you can have a go at this soon.
Hi Mildred
I do hope that your yoghurt worked out for you. Wouldn’t fancy bathing in it though.
lovely tale of walking through Saffron, the ducks are very friendly by that pond!
I use organic UHT milk to cut out the boiling bit (lazy?!) and add milk powder to the mix to thicken it further. i sometimes also add some honey for a sweet yoghurt. I make it in an easiyo pot which provides the thermos, with a plastic pot sitting in a ban marie i guess! certainly never buy the sachets.
any joy rehoming your two boys? we’re also cambs/ suffolk border but don’t think our banties/ chickens would welcome male attention, for that matter i don’t think our neighbours would either
Hi Caroline
I loved the duck pond in Swan Meadow.
Thanks for the tips about yoghurt making.
We still have the two male guinea fowl and are still on speaking terms with our neighbours. Just.
Caroline, I wonder if you can advise me. I noticed your comments about making yogurt above using the EasyPo Yogurt maker. Well, someone has just given me theirs as they don’t use it! I don’t want to use the powder sachet mix though. So, do I need to heat the ordinary milk up first before adding my ’starter’, I would be using pasteurised milk.
I would be grateful for any advice! Thanks, Mildred
I just came accdross your site – I used to make yoghourt years ago in my Yogo magic – we lived in Wiltshire and used to buy the most delicious goats milk yoghourt in a white pot with red writing on it – can’t remember the name of it. I would then use it as a starter to make my own yoghourt using cows milk. I am now trying again – the machine is still going strong! was wanting tips on which youghourt to buy to use as a starter. The difference is I used to use ordinary milk but now use skimmed milk plus skimmed milk powder. My results have bee ok but not always set and a bit grainy. – can anyone reccomend a yoghourt to use as a starter? – like the other ideas up above!
Hi Thelma
I have used goats yoghurt as a starter for yoghurt (using cows milk). I have had good results using the St Helens brand (white pot, blue writing) and semi skimmed or full cream milk. These always set and are both creamy and delicious.
Thanks fn – I will try that – does it come from health food shops – in Yorkshire?
The las lot I made overnight – then overslept and realised half way to work that I had not unplugged my yoghourt maker – when I got home – it was half whey! I stirred it up but it settled out again, tastes quite nice but cheesy – so maybe I made curd cheese by accident!
Can I get this St Helens yog in Yorkshire?
I am doing weight watchers at the mo – was desperate! so need to use skimmed milk really – I will try it and see how it goes
Hi Thelma
St Helens Farm is in Yorkshire! Here’s the link http://www.sthelensfarm.co.uk/ so you shouldn’t have a problem obtaining the yoghurt locally.
Hi everyone… I’m a big fan of home-made yoghurt, thanks to this blog and bean-sprouts for telling me about the extra step to make it Greek-style. Just wanted to add that it’s entirely possible to improvise and fancy equipment is not necessary – I just leave my pre-heated yoghurt culture in a glass jar overnight on top of a hot radiator in winter, or inside a picnic cooler/warmer in summer – no need even to turn it on, the insulation retains the heat of the milk itself. I have never taken temperatures or anything, just experimented and have (almost) always had great results! the one thing that should NOT be experimented with, of course, is hygiene – everything should always be sterilised and the milk heated to just below boiling point.
Hello Suzie
Thank you so much for taking the time to leave this comment. Great to here your feedback on making home made yoghurt with simple equipment. Much appreciated.
PS I haven’t heard of a cooler/warmer that you turn on! Thanks from the backwoods!!
Glad to come across so many enthusiasts for home made yoghurt. I make 4 pints at a time, full cream organic. Large saucepan, glass milk saver. Heat slowly for about 45 mins, skimming the skin off from time to time. Cool in a basin of cold water till temp is about 120F/46C. Good dollop or two of organic live yoghurt (usually little pot of Yeo)into large plastic box with clipped lid and into airing cupboard till it’s set.
Everything!! sterilised. Always have a spare box with a quarter tsp sodium metabisulphite and a pinch of citric acid (from home made wine shop) dissolved in a small amount of hot water – lidded firmly. Don’t sniff or you’ll have a sneezing fit.
This makes thick Greek style yoghurt.
Glad to have come across this! I remember my mom making regular yogurt all the time as a kid but I never tried it myself. Then this morning as I sat here eating my tiny little tub of greek yogurt with honey that I paid $2 each for and thinking this is delicious but SO not worth the price! Turned to the internet and before I even finished eating I have a recipe! Got to love that!
Hello Frank
Sorry to have taken so long to get back to you.
Great to know that you can use the airing cupboard to make Greek yoghurt. Thanks so much for sharing your method and recipe!
Hi Artsygal
I do hope that you have success making your own Greek yoghurt! I’d love to hear how it turned out.
I really enjoyed reading your instructions – but i didnt see anywhere how much milk to use and how much yogurt etc.
I have a mellerware yogurt maker and have lost the instructions. I would love some help for how to make yogurt and assume i just strain it to make it greek style. Where can i get muslin though?
Thanks
Hello Roni
Yu need to follow the link on the post to the recipe for instructions. I use the beansprouts recipe and it works well for me.
You can buy muslin from John Lewis and most kitchen supplies type of shop (often called jelly bags and handy when you actually want to make jelly!. In desperation I’ve used kitchen role to strain jelly and it would work for making Greek yoghurt too.
I make my yogurt exactly how Frank makes it and so far during the summer months here in sunny Israel my yogurt came out perfect. After I prepare it, I set it on the window sill and wrap a towel around the jars. But now that the nights are getting cooler, my yogurt is not as thick. Do any of you have any solutions?
Hi Alisa
Do you have an airing supboard with a hot water tank?
If you do you could try putting it in there or use a thermos as described in the post above.
Thanks to Melanie Rimmer’s patient instructions, I found a solution to making yogurt in the winter. After I prepare it, I put the 2 half liter jars in a warm oven. By morning , the yogurt is congealed and ready for refrigeration.
Thank you, thank you, thank you and to your blog Mel…My husband recently had colon surgery and greek yogurt is soooo expensive where I live. I make greek yogurt twice a week now with my stainless steel wide mouth thermos. Per another page I use a glass pot watcher while heating milk, and a candy thermometer. Never a failure yet. I love this method.
I’ve made good yoghurt but find that i need a new starter every couple of batches. Is the way to keep it going longer?
Has anyone tried making youhurt with soya milk?
Hi Sue
I haven’t tried making soya yoghurt but this looks like a good recipe
http://veganfeastkitchen.blogspot.com/2007/02/new-homemade-soy-yogurt-recipe-easier.html
I filter my yoghurt through a coffee filter paper