Anyone Make Their Own Greek Yogurt?

MsCzar
MsCzar Posts: 1,073 Member
Does it taste as good as the store-bought? Better? Never tried it, but thought I'd give it a go using the overnight oven method when I run low on Greek yogurt later this month. Does it expand or will the finished yogurt volume equal the milk volume?

When I have more milk than I can drink before it goes off, I freeze it in ice cube trays to use later in sauces, puddings and baking. I am guessing yogurt making would also be a good use for frozen milk?

Replies

  • SockSaver
    SockSaver Posts: 22 Member
    yep, been doing for years. you get the same ( about) amount of yogurt as milk, but to make it Greek yogurt you must strain some of the whey off. That's what makes it thick. Plain yogurt has a bit of a tangy flavor, most store bought yogurts have stuff added to them.
  • MsCzar
    MsCzar Posts: 1,073 Member
    Does the whey contain protein that I might want? Can I re-incorporate it with an electric beater? Would I want to?
  • penguinmama87
    penguinmama87 Posts: 1,155 Member
    Oh, I'm going to follow this! I've been thinking about doing this too, using the slow cooker method. Curious to know others' experiences. :)
  • Cfranklin61161
    Cfranklin61161 Posts: 1 Member
    I make mine in the Insta pot
  • acpgee
    acpgee Posts: 8,007 Member
    We used to that in my mom's household when I was a kid. We used the slower cooker. The resulting yoghurt was runnier than store bought.
  • marie_eve_78
    marie_eve_78 Posts: 72 Member
    I make mine in my instant pot, and drain it at least an hour. It's delicious. I'm starting to crave mine more than the one from the store.
  • Solarized
    Solarized Posts: 15 Member
    MsCzar wrote: »
    Does the whey contain protein that I might want? Can I re-incorporate it with an electric beater? Would I want to?

    The whey from yogurt does contain protein. Incorporating it back in will just thin the yogurt.

    I'll use it in baking or as the liquid for pizza crust.

    I use the instant pot and it couldn't be more simple. Bring milk to a boil using the Yogurt->Boil setting. Cool to between 110 and 115 degrees (ice bath can be used to speed up the process), add some yogurt from the last batch (or store bought plain yogurt). Return to instant pot for Yogurt-> 8 hour setting.

    Eat as-is for a thinner yogurt.
    Strain until you get the thickness you want for Greek yogurt. I use coffee filters and a colander instead of cheesecloth as I find it releases from the coffee filters easier.
  • Gisel2015
    Gisel2015 Posts: 4,192 Member
    Nope, I don't make my own yogurt. Fage does a good job already.
  • mtruitt01
    mtruitt01 Posts: 370 Member
    I used to, but now just buy Trader Joes 2% greek plain (110 cal) and put fresh blueberries with it. I felt bad straining off whey, and I don't like mess and cooking anyway.
  • ExistingFish
    ExistingFish Posts: 1,259 Member
    I used to do it all the time, when we were on WIC we got way more milk than the kids would drink. I made yogurt with it (you also got yogurt on WIC) so the kids ate it up, like faster than I could make.

    Anyway, I made it in glass jars with a heating pad, in a slow cooker, and lastly - in my ninja foodi (which is like doing it in a slow cooker). I made it in the foodi the most. I would make a full gallon of milk into yogurt, it would all turn to the same quantity of "regular" yogurt.

    How thick it gets depends on how long you keep it at temperature - as in how "not runny" it is.

    If you want it thick like Greek Yogurt, you hav to strain it through a nut milk bag or coffee filters in a pinch. For a long time, like overnight. You end up with about 60% of the volume you started with.

    I would mix honey and maple syrup and vanilla in mine. The kids ate it up.

    It isn't worth the trouble if you don't have a lot of cheap milk. I basically turned $4 of milk into about $7 of yogurt, but it takes a lot of work and attention - because the milk (and starter) was provided through the WIC program, I was able to make tons of "free" yogurt - it just took my work. I wouldn't buy milk just to do it for fun.
  • penguinmama87
    penguinmama87 Posts: 1,155 Member
    I used to do it all the time, when we were on WIC we got way more milk than the kids would drink. I made yogurt with it (you also got yogurt on WIC) so the kids ate it up, like faster than I could make.

    Anyway, I made it in glass jars with a heating pad, in a slow cooker, and lastly - in my ninja foodi (which is like doing it in a slow cooker). I made it in the foodi the most. I would make a full gallon of milk into yogurt, it would all turn to the same quantity of "regular" yogurt.

    How thick it gets depends on how long you keep it at temperature - as in how "not runny" it is.

    If you want it thick like Greek Yogurt, you hav to strain it through a nut milk bag or coffee filters in a pinch. For a long time, like overnight. You end up with about 60% of the volume you started with.

    I would mix honey and maple syrup and vanilla in mine. The kids ate it up.

    It isn't worth the trouble if you don't have a lot of cheap milk. I basically turned $4 of milk into about $7 of yogurt, but it takes a lot of work and attention - because the milk (and starter) was provided through the WIC program, I was able to make tons of "free" yogurt - it just took my work. I wouldn't buy milk just to do it for fun.

    Thanks! This is helpful.

    Part of the reason I'm interested is just to learn how it's done. Another is that I try to source local food when possible. We have a standard weekly dairy order from a local farm, but they don't make yogurt. I could, however, make my own from the milk we get.
  • MsCzar
    MsCzar Posts: 1,073 Member
    edited April 2021
    I used to do it all the time...

    Thank you. That's super helpful! My interest is also mostly about just learning how. I also wondered if it tasted better - much like home grown produce tastes better than store-bought. I can see where it might not be all that cost-effective in the work:convenience ratio.

    Question: If I were to use something like a deep glass pie plate on a warming pad, would that significantly reduce the liquid amount via evaporation?

  • sbmock1
    sbmock1 Posts: 2 Member
    Do you have a sous vide? It is great for keeping the temperature at the correct level. You can also make them in little mason jars for grab and go breakfast.
    07cmo9hdrqap.jpeghttps://www.savoringthegood.com/sous-vide-yogurt-recipe/
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    edited May 2021
    MsCzar wrote: »
    Does the whey contain protein that I might want? Can I re-incorporate it with an electric beater? Would I want to?

    Regular yogurt is lower protein than Greek yogurt because you are "condensing" Greek by straining it. By incorporating the whey back in (negating the straining) you just have regular yogurt.


    https://www.eatthis.com/greek-yogurt-vs-regular-yogurt/
  • MsCzar
    MsCzar Posts: 1,073 Member
    edited May 2021
    I don't have a sous vide - but do have plenty of mason jars. :) I only eat Greek yogurt - so that would be my starter. My waste not/want not nature naturally wants to find a use for the strained whey. Wondering if the whey itself can serve as a starter?
  • Solarized
    Solarized Posts: 15 Member
    There are a number of uses for whey.

    Check out The Prairie Homestead for some of them.
  • MsCzar
    MsCzar Posts: 1,073 Member
    Solarized wrote: »

    Check out The Prairie Homestead for some of them.

    Thanks. I'd love to have a go at making ricotta!

  • michaelsl8
    michaelsl8 Posts: 2 Member
    I make my own homemade yogurt. It's milder than the plain store bought yogurt. I add some milk powder in when making it. I've bought starter and used store yogurts as starter. I have strained the whey out to make Greek yogurt. I use the excess whey in bread making. It helps the bread rise better. I've also used it to try to make homemade ricotta cheese and in cakes and milk shakes. You can store whey in ice cube trays in freezer until you need it. I haven't made kefir from scratch but you can strain some brands of store bought kefir similar to straining yogurt. Produces a nice kefir cheese that makes a good substitute for sour cream.
  • naomi9271
    naomi9271 Posts: 127 Member
    Just going to add a quick tip. The whey you drain off can be frozen and used as starter for your next batch.

    Wow, and I thought I was weird making my own...but look how many people do!
  • MsCzar
    MsCzar Posts: 1,073 Member
    Good to know! I always thought that freezing killed the bacteria necessary to make yogurt. That's why I've always believed that there is no benefit to eating frozen yogurt. Who knew?!
  • dabearo
    dabearo Posts: 57 Member
    Easy to do.
    Big mason jar
    1 of those little cups of plain yogurt. What ever brand you like.
    Fill the far with whatever milk you like. Low fat or 1/2&1/2, I use 1/2&1/2
    Shake
    Place in oven with the oven light on. Or my oven has a proofing feature for bread. Perfect temp.
    12 to 18 hours. Shake every once in a while.

    Strain with strainer and coffee filter if handy

    Don’t wash jar, fill up with what ever milk you use, shake, add repeat steps,
    You will always have fresh tangy yogurt. Very cheap, also.
  • MsCzar
    MsCzar Posts: 1,073 Member
    FINALLY made my first batch of homemade yogurt. It set up perfectly overnight in my old skool oven that has a 24/7 pilot light. I made it with whole milk Greek yogurt. There was a wee bit of liquid on top, but the rest had a nice smooth texture with no separation. I will definitely be making more!

    Question: Does anybody know if frozen whole milk can be used?
  • MsCzar
    MsCzar Posts: 1,073 Member
    edited July 2021
    OK - Homemade yogurt is the absolute BEST! But it is soooo incredibly delicious that I am thinking it MUST somehow have more calories than store-bought. It isn't as simple as merely adding up the calories in all the ingredients and dividing by servings yielded since there is a good bit of liquid that drains off after the yogurt thickens.

    Does anybody know? I've been logging it as Greek yogurt.