Did you know that you can make your own Greek Style yogurt simply by straining plain yogurt? This simple recipe can save you a lot of money.
Get one quart of Greek yogurt for the price of a gallon of organic milk
One gallon of homemade yogurt made in the crock pot can be strained over night to makes about 1 quart of Greek yogurt. So, of course there is a bit of work involved in this, but you can see how much money it saves. We think it’s worth it! We can eat a lot of Greek yogurt around here.
We use it in recipes for Greek yogurt dips, in homemade salad dressings, in baked goods, to make smoothies and frozen yogurt. Greek-style yogurt is great for cooking. It won’t separate or curdle the way plain yogurt sometimes does. It also makes extra creamy sauces and dips.
You can also use all of the whey that you strain off. We save that in mason jars and stash it away in the back of the fridge for later. We like to use coffee filters to get the whey crystal clear to use for lacto-fermenting veggies.
Our Preferred Method for Straining Yogurt
Our preferred method, of using a strainer, can be a little awkward to fit in the fridge. We use coffee filters to line a mesh strainer, but you can also use cheesecloth or thin cotton fabric. Place over a bowl so the whey can drip off.
I recommend using whole milk or even part whole milk part cream. It is possible to strain a low-fat or non-fat yogurt to get a Greek-style yogurt, but it will not be as rich and creamy and you will get a lot of whey.
Another Option for Making Small Batches of Greek Yogurt
If you are making smaller amounts of Greek style yogurt, you can use a yogurt cheese maker to strain your yogurt. I had one of these for awhile, but I broke it by impatiently pushing down on it too hard. They work great for small batches and fit nicely in the fridge.
This option works well if you want to just buy a good store brand like Stonyfield or Strauss Creamery and strain it for a few hours. It holds about a pint of yogurt and will strain it to a Greek yogurt consistency in about 6 hours.
I hope this tutorial saves you money and inspires you. Now that you have a way to make a lot of Greek yogurt, you should check out these Greek yogurt dip recipes.