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Let's Talk Yogurt! Specifically how to make Greek yogurt the EASY way!
Do you love Greek yogurt, but dislike the cost? Me too! Then I found out this little secret and it blew me away!
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Before I share this super secret process on how to make Greek Yogurt the easy way (and it's really easy), let's talk a little about Greek yogurt.
When I was doing research for my Homemade Greek Yogurt recipe, I was pretty clueless about Greek Yogurt except for the fact that I loved it and it's expensive to buy! I figured there was some sort of special culture for Greek Yogurt or at the very least a a cool technique that created this lusciously thick and creamy yogurt.
I guess I was correct in a way... the "cool" technique is called straining. Yep... that's it! Greek yogurt is exactly the same as regular yogurt, it's just strained longer so more of the whey is removed. By removing the whey you create a thicker yogurt that we all call Greek Yogurt!
Why is it called Greek yogurt?
As the story goes, a store owner from New York went to Greece to buy Feta cheese from a company called Fage (you probably recognize that name). While he was there, a manager suggested that he bring back some of their strained yogurt (AKA Greek yogurt) to sell in his store. This lusciously thick and creamy yogurt was a huge hit and soon his food production company started selling the strained yogurt to local stores. As the saying goes, the rest is history.
When you visit the grocery store dairy aisle, you will find rows and rows of Greek yogurt lining the shelf. You will also find the price tag of Greek yogurt to be close to double the cost of regular yogurt. YIKES! I know... it's crazy how expensive Greek yogurt is. Start saving money today and learn how to make Greek yogurt the easy way!
How to make Greek yogurt the easy way!
I was at my local grocery store the other day to get the ingredients I needed for a Pesto Chicken dish I was making and I wanted to make the pesto with Greek yogurt instead of oil to keep it healthier. I happened to see a container of regular yogurt on sale for less than $2.00! Even at it's regular price it was ½ the cost of the same size container of Greek yogurt. Remembering my research from before, I grabbed it, knowing I could strain it and voila it's Greek.
What you'll need:
Cheesecloth or a flour sack (I love flour sacks!)
Strainer or seive with a bowl under it to catch the whey
regular yogurt (any flavor works)
Step one:
Place your cheesecloth or flour sack (affiliate links) in the strainer. I use a mesh seive from Sur La Table that I've had for years and LOVE it! Add the regular yogurt and allow to sit and strain until it's the desired consistency. The longer you let it strain, the thicker it will get. I like mine really thick, so I put it in the fridge over night, but you can strain it for 30 minutes right on your counter and you'll still end up with luxurious Greek yogurt at a fraction of the cost!
And that, my friends, is how to make Greek Yogurt from regular yogurt!
Now add all those yummy toppings and enjoy! I used honey, blueberries, and pecans in mine and man was that good!
Roxie
How many layers if cheese cloth do you use for straining yogurt?
Louise
I've tried it before and used 3-4. I found it to be so messy that I switched to flour sacks or even nut bags work better than cheesecloth.
Eli
Hey! I have been using a CLEAN polyester tea towel to make my Greek yogurt, I like it because I already had them so I didn’t have to go out and buy some new contraption and because they are woven finely enough to not get all gummed up with yogurt. The synthetic threads let the whey seep through without problems, and I don’t have to worry about cotton fiber getting into my final product. Also, the tea towel is big enough and sturdy enough for me to tie up the corners and hang it on my faucet over a bowl all night, or to use a wooden spoon to prop it up over a tall pitcher and I have found that the added weight from hanging makes it drain faster. Good luck!!
Adrienne Kames
I was so excited to try making my own Greek yogurt. I'm not sure what I did wrong. I followed your direction, strained it in the fridge for 4 hours. It is sort of yogurt, but it's a little lumpy? Any thoughts on what I may have done wrong?
Louise
I can't imagine what happened. Have you tried stirring it? There isn't any reason it would clump. You started with store-bought plain yogurt?
Jenn
Do you know anything about making almond milk yogurt? I have tried several times, and it has not worked out. It doesn't thicken. Thanks in advance for any tips you might have
Louise
Jenn, I have heard that in order to have success with making almond milk yogurt, you have to make your own almond milk. I'm going to give this a try soon and hopefully it will work and I can let you know exactly how to do it.
Norma
Do you know any low carb or keto recipes please? And I’m not getting the buy yogurt and strain why buy if you’re gonna make it by just straining it? Also on the yogurt do you know a way to make low carb low sugar recipes . Thank you
Louise
I do have some low carb dishes on my website. The reason you might buy yogurt and strain it is to save money. Regular yogurt is much cheaper than Greek yogurt, especially when it's on sale. So, if you picked up some regular yogurt and strained it, you would have Greek Yogurt for a lot less money. I currently make all my own yogurt without any sweeteners in my Ninja Foodi, here is the recipe: https://thesaltedpepper.com/homemade-yogurt-in-the-ninja-foodi/
Jenny
My WW group will love this. Thanks for posting.
Louise
Thanks, Jenny!