How To Make Homemade Greek Yogurt

ByNancy Lopez Posted on01/August/201225/February/2022 Updated on25/February/2022

Yogurt, or Yoghurt, is one of the neatest foods to make at home, and I believe that everyone should make at least one batch of homemade yogurt. I may be biased because yogurt is one of my favorite foods, but it is still a pretty neat kitchen accomplishment to be proud of. You might be surprised how easy it is to make your own yogurt.

I had been curious about making my own yogurt for a few years, then finally last year I took the plunge. The credit goes to my older sister for giving me the final push. One day last year she posted on Facebook about her creamy thick homemade yogurt. Immediately I asked her for her recipe. She was kind enough to give me the recipe which was given to her by her sister-in-law. Over this past year I have made my own homemade yogurt many times and I simple can’t get enough. From the first time I made it the results where great and I’m sure you’ll have great results as well.

I have experimented a bit and have not only my sister’s recipe but my own one as well. The ingredients are slightly different but the results are just as delicious. The most important thing is to use clean and sanitized utensils to avoid contamination or a food illness. This time I will be giving you my recipe and my sister’s I’ll share another time. Okay, let’s begin.

Homemade Greek or Thick Yogurt
Makes 1 kg or 2 lb. prior to draining
1 liter or 1 quart/4.25 cups whole fat milk, (I used 3.5%)
1 tbsp. whole fat powdered milk
1 heaping tbsp. whole fat plain unsweetened yogurt (make sure it says live and active cultures)

Measure out the yogurt and leave on the counter, so it comes to room temperature. Pour all but 1/2 cup of the milk into a large pot. Mix the 1/2 cup milk with the powdered milk until well combined and there are no lumps in the milk. Pour the powdered milk mixture into the pot with the rest of the milk. Over medium heat bring the milk to a temperature of 180f or 82c. If you do not have a thermometer allow the milk to heat just until it begins to froth/bubble not allowing it to boil. Turn the heat off, remove from stove and set aside to cool.
After 15 minutes check the milk temperature, it should still be warm but not scorching. Test by placing your clean pinky finger into it and if you can comfortably leave it in there for a few seconds then you can proceed, if not continue to cool down. The milk needs to be lukewarm. It is very important for the milk not to be too hot so the yogurt cultures are not killed by the heat.

Mix in the 1 tbsp. of plain white yogurt to the pot, mix well to throughly to distribute the yogurt into the scalded milk. Cover the pot with lid, wrap the whole pot in a thick blanket or towel, and place inside the oven to incubate. The oven should be turned off, but if you can, leave the oven light on to create a bit of heat inside. (Instead of placing the wrapped yogurt inside the oven it can also be left in a warm spot in your kitchen.) Leave for 3 to 6 hours in the turned off oven, or warm kitchen spot. During this time is when the yogurt cultures begin to react/grow and the milk begins to set into yogurt.

Allowing to sit for 3 hours creates a milder yogurt, allowing it to sit longer creates a more acidic yogurt. If after 3 hours the yogurt has not thickened then it needs to sit longer. I leave mine for 6 hours and feel the taste is great, just a little acidic but perfect to my liking, but also the yogurt is always thick after 6 hours. After the 3 or 6 hours of incubation, unwrap the yogurt but leave the lid on. Place the pot in the refrigerator to thicken further for a few hours or overnight. I like to leave mine overnight so it’s ready for breakfast the next day.

The next day or after a few hours the yogurt will have thickened. You can test by tasting with a tablespoon. You can further thickened the yogurt to make it Greek style. We can do so by draining some or most of the whey.

To drain of whey and for a thicker Greek Yogurt like consistency:
Line a fine sieve with muslin cloth or a clean kitchen towel, and place over a bowl to collect the whey. Pour the yogurt into the muslin cloth, gather up the cloth, and twist. Place in the refrigerator and allow to drain for 2 hours or until you achieve the consistency or yogurt thickness desired.

Reserve some of the whey incase the yogurt needs to be thinned down. If you feel the strained yogurt is too thick simply pour a bit of the drained whey into it, mix and check thickness again. Store the yogurt in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Consume within a week, if you don’t eat it before then that is.

The leftover whey can be mixed into soups, stews, or used for baking too. Just do a quick Google search and you’ll find many great uses for the leftover whey.

I know the instruction make it feel like a long and complicated process, but it’s really not. The initial start of the process is all you really have to do. The rest of the time is just waiting for the yogurt to set. There are a few things I’d like to share you with about my yogurt making experience. First off do not use low-fat milk, the yogurt will be too thin. I don’t know about you but I really dislike thin yogurt. Some people like to use raw milk but I always use pasteurized or ultra-pasteurized milk and with great results. Lastly, never ever use a sweetened or fruit yogurt starter. Your milk will never set into yogurt with a sweetened or fruit yogurt starters. If you want to sweetened or flavor the yogurt, first it has to set. Do not add sweeteners or flavorings until after both the incubation and draining periods.

Once you make your own homemade yogurt you’ll find it hard going back to store bought. I love to make my own because I can control how thick and sour it comes out. Plus the taste is simply unbeatable!

For your convenience I also including recipe card below so that you may print it out. I hope you make yourself a batch soon, enjoy.