Deliciously rich and creamy homemade Greek yogurt (or strained yogurt as it is sometimes known) is super easy to make and has only 2 ingredients and one of those is yogurt!
Why you should make your own Greek style yogurt
- Because this is so protein packed and healthy and a brilliant start to your day.
- Greek yogurt is so useful in so many recipes.
- Making your own Greek yogurt means YOU know there is no added sugars etc and its all natural
- Homemade yogurt of any type is super easy to make and fun too.
Greek yogurt is one of the staples of any Greek larder. It is used in a great many recipes and no breakfast would be complete without a small bowl of deliciously tangy Greek yogurt with a drizzle of good Greek honey.
You can of course buy real Greek yogurt in the supermarket and it can only be called Greek Yogurt if it is actually made in Greece. Here’s how to make your own homemade Greek-style yogurt.
What is the difference between yogurt and Greek yogurt?
Greek yogurt is really normal plain yogurt that has been strained so that most of the whey is drained off and thus a creamier and thicker yogurt is obtained.
In Greece yogurt can be made from the milk of goats, cows or sheep milk.
Ingredients for Greek yogurt
You only need two ingredients to make your own homemade Greek yogurt;
- I use 800ml/1 1/4 pints of goat’s milk
- Plus 4 tablespoons of live yogurt. (Once you have made your first batch of yogurt you can make the next batch by simply using 4 tablespoons of your own yogurt and more milk, it’s an ongoing process).
What type of milk do you need?
As I’ve said in Greece yogurt is made with a variety of different milks. Personally I love goat’s milk and often make my yogurt with that as I love the slight tanginess of it.
However I do make my Greek-style yogurt with cow’s milk too.
Use full fat milk for the best flavour.
When you buy low-fat yogurt in the shops they add sugar to replace the lovely mouth feel and satisfaction that the original fat content supplies.
Do you need any specialist kit?
You will need a cooking thermometer for this so that you get your temperatures right, a jam thermometer can be picked up in most baking stores and many supermarkets.
How to make Greek-style yogurt
- Heat the milk in a pan till it reaches 85C/185F then remove the pan from the heat and allow it to cool till it reaches 43C/110F.
- Spoon your yogurt into a clean jug and stir in a few tablespoons of the warm milk and mix well. Then add all the milk and stir well.
- Pour this into a litre sized jar and pop on the lid. Wrap in a tea towel and place in a warm place for approximately 24 hours. The longer the yogurt sits in the warmth the tangier it will be.
Check out my video on how to make your own yogurt. Then just strain the yogurt as shown in the image below.
Strained yogurt = Greek yogurt
To turn this plain yogurt into homemade Greek yogurt you now need to strain it. I use a plastic sieve lined with a square of muslin and this sits on top of a ceramic bowl.
I pour the yogurt into the sieve and leave the sieve/bowl combo in the fridge overnight.
By morning all the whey will have dripped through and you’ll be left with thick Greek style yogurt in your muslin lined sieve.
Save the whey
Save the whey (it can be frozen) to add to bath water for a healthy skin soak or to use when making fermented foods, for baking the most delicious scones and lots of other recipes too.
How long does homemade Greek-style yogurt keep?
Your yogurt will keep in the fridge for up to a week. Remember to save 4 tablespoons of the yogurt to make your next batch of Greek-style yogurt.
How to serve Greek yogurt
Well,, the obvious one here is the traditional Greek breakfast of simple yogurt and honey.
I use my Greek yogurt in loads of recipes from soups to desserts and certainly couldn’t be without it in my yogurt and marmalade cake.
Stir Greek yogurt into a too hot chilli or curry to cool down the spices.
Use Greek yogurt instead of cream to cut down on your calories but still have a deliciously creamy taste sensation.
Make delicious traditional Greek tzatziki (yogurt and cucumber dip) or Indian raita (yogurt dip with cucumber, mint and spices).
Kali Orexi!
Looking for more super easy dairy delights to make at home? Then check these out before you go;
How to make your own homemade yogurt (+video!)
Making butter (and cultured butter) plus video
How to make traditional Scottish Crowdie (cream cheese)
Homemade Labneh (yogurt cheese) in olive oil with herbs
How to make your own Halloumi cheese
Finally, if you do try this recipe don’t forget to leave a comment/star rating below as I just love to hear from readers. Want more Larder Love? Then follow me on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest and Twitter and sign up for my newsletter too of course.
Homemade Greek Yogurt
Ingredients
- 800 ml milk whole milk
- 4 tbsp live yogurt
Instructions
- Heat the milk to 85C/185F and then remove from heat and allow to cool to 43C/110F.
- Spoon the yogurt into a clean jug and stir in a few tablespoons of the warm milk then add all the rest and stir well.
- Pour into a large jar with a lid and wrap in towel and place in a warm area for 24 hours.
- Strain this yogurt through a muslin lined plastic sieve over a bowl in the fridge overnight.
- Ladle the thick creamy Greek style yogurt in the sieve into a jar and it will keep for up to 1 week in the fridge.
Leave a Reply