Make your own homemade Greek style yoghurt without tears
Posted by Fiona Nevile in Basics | 31 comments
Poor Danny got ticked off by the Tightwad Queen for dolloping too much Greek yoghurt on his chick pea cakes last week. TTQ wanted to use the rest of the pot for another meal. The Greek yoghurt that we like is expensive.
I hate being scratchy about money. Would far rather work a longer day and be lavish but the 2008 budget challenge has me checking outgoings like a deranged accountant. I decided that I’d put the rationed yoghurt topping in a bowl on the table rather than plonking the carton beside D, next time. I only had myself to blame.
Hours later, feeling guilty for my outburst, I cruised the internet in the hope of finding how to make Greek style yoghurt. I imagined that it would be a tricky process . I would probably have to buy a starter culture and sterilise the kitchen.
Within minutes I was amazed to find that I could make my on homemade Greek style yoghurt easily, thanks to the Bean-sprouts blog. This site is packed with interesting, useful posts. Melanie Rimmer’s smiling photograph makes me feel that someone sensible and practical is at the helm. Especially comforting when I discovered that she actually makes yoghurt in an ordinary Thermos.
I didn’t want to post this discovery until I had made the yoghurt myself. It’s easy to make. Especially if you have an unemployed jam thermometer (I tried using it once for jam and found the cold plate test to be a better option for me). From my decorating sojourns, I have a plethora of Thermoses (Thermii?) to choose from. *I selected one with a glass interior as they hold the heat better than the unbreakable stainless steel ones. I scalded it with boiling water as everything needs to be ultra clean.
Our jam thermometer suddenly came into its own and indicated exactly when I needed to add the remaining dollop of the prized carton of Deluxe Greek yoghurt. By morning we had tasty yoghurt. Pukka stuff, for a quarter of the price. The deranged accountant in me finally relaxed and took a long bath as the yoghurt strained though the muslin (this allows the slightly bitter fluid to drain away and produced a creamy Greek style yoghurt).
I finally dressed and called up the stairs.
“Danny do you want Greek yoghurt for breakfast?”
There was a flash as he passed me and laid the table with two bowls and a large jar of honey.
* Update: I tried making it in a stainless steel unbreakable thermos night last and it worked fine altough the set is not as thick. I’m going to experiment with warming the thermos before adding the milk and the culture.
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Hi Caroline
I loved the duck pond in Swan Meadow.
Thanks for the tips about yoghurt making.
We still have the two male guinea fowl and are still on speaking terms with our neighbours. Just.
lovely tale of walking through Saffron, the ducks are very friendly by that pond!
I use organic UHT milk to cut out the boiling bit (lazy?!) and add milk powder to the mix to thicken it further. i sometimes also add some honey for a sweet yoghurt. I make it in an easiyo pot which provides the thermos, with a plastic pot sitting in a ban marie i guess! certainly never buy the sachets.
any joy rehoming your two boys? we’re also cambs/ suffolk border but don’t think our banties/ chickens would welcome male attention, for that matter i don’t think our neighbours would either 🙁
Hi Mel
The yoghurt is excellent thank you so much for your post.
Hi Joanna
I tossed the first batch of fluid but will keep it from now on. Thanks for the tip.
Hi Amanda
The yoghurt is very tasty. I am amazed!
Hi Keth
That’s a very good point – the sterilising one. I tried making the yoghurt in a wide necked stainless steel thermos last night and it worked fine.
Like the thought of making my own cream cheese too!
Hi Kathy
Welcome back! Those puds sound yummee!
Hi Barbara
I do hope that you can have a go at this soon.
Hi Mildred
I do hope that your yoghurt worked out for you. Wouldn’t fancy bathing in it though.
Another really great topic . . . it was so funny though, I read it wrong and thought for a second you’d written: ‘The deranged accountant in me finally relaxed and took a long bath IN the yoghurt’ . . . well, I understand people DO that but really!!!!!
My yog is all set up in the flask!
i thought about trying this but wasn’t brave enough, i guess it’s time i gave it a go. even though feb isn’t quite the budget month january is i still can’t splash unless it’s needed!
so watch my space i guess – unless Yogi decides to make a slightly earlier appearance!
I’m going to make the greek yoghurt today. Really really missed logging on to your site, we have been away since before Christmas and no access to Internet. When its made, I shall put sliced banannas in bottom of small dishes, with a little rum then the yogurt on top with a bit of brown sugar, flash under the grill …..and have a lovely quick pud. Thank you!
if you let it drain a little more (overnight, say) you’d wind up with yoghurt cheese. and that you can stir flavourings into!!! (chives, garlic, chilli, for example) lovely on toast or crackers.. but yes, it is fabby.
my only proviso: make sure you clean the thermos fanatically. it really helps if you have a wide necked thermos. the one i used didn’t, and i couldn’t get it clean: the last batch i did tasted absolutely FOUL. yuck yuck yuck. not doing it again, not in that thermos anyway, going to get a nicer wide necked thermos and do it there instead. but it has to wait. Right now, garden stuff is taking all my spare cash!
keth
xx
Brilliant, you are fantastic! You hunt these things down, test them out and then share. I love greek yogurt too.
Nice tip from Joanna too for using the fluid for bread making.
I’ve recently started doing this, too … but don’t pour the fluid down the drain, use it for making bread, it’s full of goodness
I love the idea of your having a long bath while sorting out the yog for a scrumptious breakfast 😉
Joanna
Glad you liked the post, your yogurt looks great.