Lately we have been attempting to tackle some intimidating projects in the kitchen. Maybe not intimidating to you but they were (are?) intimidating to us. First, it was cheese making and now yogurt making. Some have been successful and some not so much. But, it is still fun for us! It is nice to take on a project and be successful. Sure, it is much easier to run to the grocery store and buy a big thing of Greek yogurt, but it is also beneficial to know how things are made. I probably will not be strictly making our Greek yogurt in the future; I’d still rather go pick up some chobani. But, once in a while I will take on yogurt making.
If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again. And that is exactly what we did. After sitting in the oven for about 12 hours our “yogurt” was nothing but warm milk. What a disappointment. I still had some milk left so I tried it again. This time I used a dairy thermometer instead of a candy thermometer and I let the milk reduce in temperature to 115 degrees instead of 120 degrees. I also left it in the oven for longer than suggested. And guess what? It worked! This may be a recipe that you need to try more than once to perfect. Or, maybe it will turn out perfect on the first try. Who knows? Regardless I wanted to share our experience with you. And, just so you know, it tasted delicious.
Here is what you’ll need
Heat the milk to 180 degrees
Remove from heat and allow to cool to 120 degrees
Transfer to a glass bowl and whisk in the yogurt
Cover the bowl
Wrap it in towels, and place in the oven for about 12 hours
Strain the whey
Delicious and nutritious!
Ingredients
2 quarts of milk
2 teaspoons of plain Greek yogurt
Directions
Pour 2 quarts of milk into a large saucepan. Heat on medium until the milk reaches 180 degrees, stirring frequently. I suggest using a dairy thermometer to track the temperature. Once it reaches 180 degrees remove the pan from the heat allow the temperate to reduce to 110-120 degrees. While the temperature is reducing preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Once the temperate reaches between 110 and 120 degrees transfer the milk to a glass bowl and whisk in 2 teaspoons of plain Greek yogurt. Place a plate or lid over the bowl and wrap in towels. Turn the oven off. Turn the oven light on. Place the bowl of yogurt into the oven for 12 hours. After 12 hours the whey and the yogurt should have separated. Strain the yogurt and refrigerate.
Source: Salad in a Jar
