Home Made Greek style Yogurt

A Total Delight

I love Greek yogurt. Other thinner bio type yogurts I could easily pass up but not the thick, creamy Greek yogurts. They make the perfect breakfast or light, healthy pudding. My favourite way to eat it is topped with a generous portion of summer fruits, cold fruit crumbles or even with a little home made jam swirled through.

But, and it’s a fairly big but, pots of Greek yogurt are quite expensive to buy. Especially in the quantities I buy it in. Alas it is not only a delectable food stuff for spooning direct from pot to mouth but it is ideal in cooking too – stirred into curries, made into dips, salad dressings, the list goes on and on. It is a food of plenty

Imagine my delight then when I found how easy it is to make luscious Greek style yogurt at home! I had previously encountered the yogurt maker which tends to produce the thinner style yogurt more traditional of the UK but never before thought of making extra thick, extra creamy, silky yogurt.

Maybe your next carton of shop bought yogurt might well be your last? I certainly won’t be buying as much as I used too, home made is the way forward for me. Making yogurt at home is easy, no fancy equipment required. It benefits your health and your wallet.

Greek Style Yogurt

• 1 litre full fat (or for creamier results gold top) milk.
• 2 tablespoons of previously homemade yogurt or plain unflavored yogurt with active live cultures.

1. Heat the milk (reserving two tablespoons) just to the boiling point and pour into a non-metal container.
2. Let cool to lukewarm. A skin will form on top.
3. Mix the two tablespoons of yogurt (homemade or commercial) with the reserved two tablespoons of milk.
4. Add the yogurt to the lukewarm mixture, carefully pouring down the side so that any skin that may have formed on top is not disturbed.
5. Cover with a clean dishtowel and place on another towel in a warm, dry place for at least 8 hours (or overnight) until it thickens. Aim to leave it no longer than 12 hours as the longer the yogurt coagulates beyond that time, the more sour the taste.
6. Carefully drain any excess liquid.
7. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours before using.
8. Store in the refrigerator in a sealed container and use within 4-5 days.

NB Don’t forget to save a small amount to make the next batch!

Tagged as: Ale, Fruit, Greek style Yogurt, Recipe, Salad, Summer, Summer Berries, Yogurt