Making Greek Yogurt -- Main Post

Jim’s Recipe for Greek Yogurt

 

This recipe creates thick, luscious Greek-Style Yogurt.  Greek-Style Yogurt is strained so that the whey is separated, and the remaining yogurt is thick, creamy, and packed with protein.
This post is divided into specific sections:
1.  Before You Start:  Equipment, Ingredients
2.  The Process
3.  What Can Go Wrong and How to Fix It
 
Ingredients
Section 1 talks more about ingredients, but the list of ingredients is:

• Milk
• 2 Tablespoons of yogurt as a starter
• Non-Fat Powdered Milk (optional, and without the addition of water, to increase protein)

 Up-Front Considerations

• How much yogurt do you plan to make? At the end of the process, you will need to strain the yogurt to separate off the whey. I start with 2 gallons of milk at a time to make about one gallon of yogurt, so I found a strainer or colander that will hold 2 gallons.
• Find a warm place that can hold your yogurt at around 110° for five to eight hours. Test your oven with a pot of water and a thermometer before you try it with a real batch of yogurt. The pilot light alone, or the oven lowest temperature, or even the heat from a light bulb may be sufficient to let the yogurt continue to form.  Temperature over 120 (F) tends to kill the yogurt cultures, and at temperatures below 90 (F) the yogurt goes inactive and does not continue to grow.