Home Made Greek Yogurt, Very Thick.

Greek Yogurt.

I was given a basic recipe about three years ago. I did not like how runny it was, and varied it many, many, times. It took about a year to perfect. This one isn't real sweet, and has a little sugar and honey, for flavor. The honey I use is from the store. I have used raw honey, that I had harvested a few months ago, and it didn't work as well. I like the clover honey from the store. You can modify it, by halving the recipe.

Things needed:
Medium size Igloo container.
Electric heating pad. The ones that do not automatically shut off, and have a low setting. CVS pharmacy has them.
Candy thermometer
Large whisk.
Heavy bottom pot, to heat mixture.
Plastic containers to culture the yogurt. I use round 32 oz Ziploc containers.

Ingredients:
1 gallon whole milk(low-fat can be used)
2 cups heavy whipping cream(half and half can be substituted for less fat)
3 cups of powdered milk
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup honey. I like the clover honey.
1 small container Chobani unflavored Greek Yogurt. Kroger plain Greek Yogurt works well too, as a starter culture. Others don't seem to have as fresh of active cultures in them.

Here we go.
Put whole milk, powdered milk, and heavy cream in large heavy bottom pot. This keeps the mixture from burning. Turn the heat to a medium high, for electric. Medium flame for gas. Put the Candy thermometer on the pot, inside mixture.
Heat to 200° Fahrenheit, whisking ever so offer, at first, and constantly, when around 175°-200°.
When at 200°, remove from heat.
Add sugar and honey, mixing well. Add more sugar and honey to taste. Do not re-use the tasting spoon. Enzymes in saliva will inhibit the yogurt from forming.
Get some ice, and put it in the sink, I use the entire bin in the freezer. Cover the ice with cold water. Set the pot in the ice bath, about half way up the pot, and cool to 100°, whisking and moving the pot around to cool faster.
When cooled to 100°, remove from water and ice.
Mix in the starter yogurt well, with the whisk.
Transfer the mixture to the containers. Leave the lids loose or cracked, let it breath, slightly.
Put the heating pad in the bottom of the Igloo cooler. Turn to low heat. I preheat the entire container on high, while making the mixture.
While on low, put the yogurt onto the pad, in the Igloo.
Put a few towels on top of the containers, to help retain the heat.close lid and forget. No checking.
After about 6 hours, rearrange the containers, from one end to the other. There will be hot and cool spots on the pad.
After another 4 hours, take out, wiggle the containers, they should have the consistency of Jello. Put in the refrigerator. It will get thicker as it cools.

Looks time intensive, but the only pain is stirring the entire thing, to keep it from burning, or boiling.
Do not over incubate the mixture. The time might also depend on the pads heat, and altitude. We really like it mixed with fruit and granola cereal.

DaltonGang


P.S. low fat versions can work, it's just not as creamy.

This looks like a great "full fat" recipe.The thick ,tasty low fat and non fat formulas used by dairy producers utilize either kosher gelatin (Mexican yogurts use swine) or tapioca to thicken the yogurt.Now I have to figure out how to get rid of the heavy cream,and substitute tapioca .You are right about the honey,it is a perfect match for plain yogurt...

Half and half can be used. Low fat milk can be used. Don't use thickeners. It doesn't need any.

malocchio said:

This looks like a great "full fat" recipe.The thick ,tasty low fat and non fat formulas used by dairy producers utilize either kosher gelatin (Mexican yogurts use swine) or tapioca to thicken the yogurt.Now I have to figure out how to get rid of the heavy cream,and substitute tapioca .You are right about the honey,it is a perfect match for plain yogurt...

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I use just non fat milk when making yogurt and, when it's ready, I strain it for a night on a cheesecloth. It gets thicker than any store bought yogurt.

My mother, now 74, started using this recipe, last year, and uses non fat milk, and no cream, or sugar, or honey. It turns out thick, too. It doesn't need straining either. It has the consistency of sour cream. Hers reminds me of a plain yogurt, with a slight sour cream taste. Not for me.

I really wish I liked greek yogurt. My wife loves it, but I can not abide the texture... or taste. Why is the perception that it's so healthy though? Seems pretty high fat/calorie to me.

jzuzphreek said:

I really wish I liked greek yogurt. My wife loves it, but I can not abide the texture... or taste. Why is the perception that it's so healthy though? Seems pretty high fat/calorie to me.

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I'm told it's much higher in protein.

It isnt the fat content in things that are bad, its the carbs.,(sugars, Starches).
Kazeryu is correct It is higher in protein. This recipe doesnt taste like the grainy tart Greek yogurt in stores . My 8 yr old even loves it.
For those who like yogurt, this will blow them all away.

The wife just uses whole milk and a bit of dry milk. Not real thick but to her liking.
She uses a slow cooker with a temp probe on it then wraps it in a blanket to set. Real simple.

However I will show her this so she can give it a try. I may want some thicker to make tzatziki.

I make yogurt all the time and the basics don't really vary very much, Greek yogurt just has a higher Curd to whey ratio then regular yogurt, you can accomplish this a few ways-

Remove more of the whey via straining: this is the tradition and most unadulterated way to accomplish this.You can make a cheese you can slice this way.

Adding extra protein to the mixture via powdered milk: this changes the water to protein level and can accomplish the same as straining, kind of....

The last is to add a thickening agent and is how agribusiness creates an adulterated processed version of a simple and natural product.

My mentor suggested that any sugars or flavors be added after the fermentation process is complete, as you could provide a medium for unwanted bacterial growth.

One thing I have found is the higher the temperature you inoculate the milk with the starter the tangier the result. I start inoculation at 132 again at 126 and finally at my target temp of 113 which is where I hold my mix for 8 or 9 hours. I then chill it for 24 hours then strain the whey off in a micromesh bag. The whey is a great base for protein drinks and shakes.

I worked with a guy from Kenya about 8 years ago. He mentioned his mom made yoghurt in the over the stove microwave. I guess he saw my interest and asked her to share the recipe. More or less the same as posts above but maybe more basic.

Scald milk
Let it cool to about 130 F
pour into a bowl that has been smeared with the last of your previous batch of yoghurt
Turn on the lights (in my case two 40 watt bulbs) under the microwave and place the bowl in the microwave until the yoghurt firms up (8-12 hours).


It is this easy. We use 2% milk.

(First time? Use any store bought yoghurt with active bacteria. Where I am that is mostly any yoghurt.)

I usually use the last 1/4 cup of homemade yogurt, to make the new batch. This works the best, and your batches get thicker with each batch. This doesn't work well If to yogurt is too old. I have noticed if the yogurt is too old, and you use it to make a new batch, it makes the yogurt tast a little tangy, like sour cream.

Well I'm not saying the OP is wrong or in anyway flawed with his recipe but everything I've read on yogurt making (and I've been doing it for a few years myself) says that any additives e.g sugar,honey,flavours should only be added after the culturing/incubation phase. But if the results are good who am I to argue.

FWIW I used to use fresh milk and heat for set temp for set time to break down the proteins - but then found that you can use UHT treated Milk (thats what its called here in Oz, heat treated milk thats sold unchilled in cardboard tetrapacks) and get identical results without all the fuss.

So a batch that used to take me 45mins to do now takes around 10mins and you cannot pick the results apart - if anything the UHT results are superior as taste is identical but as it's been definitely properly heated you get great thickening.

I also just use a big esky (another Aussie expression for a plastic/foam filled cooler box often used for picnics) with around 10cm of hot tap water in the bottom. After mixing up the new batch I place the container on a stand that keeps it OUT of the water. Lid goes on, keeps it right around the right temp with no need for heating pad etc. Obviously assess amount of water needed vs your hot tap water temp.

After you pull your new batch out - scoop a couple of tablespoons off into a lil container and put in the freezer. The bactaria are most active now and gives you the best results rather than using last of old batch. Just need to ensure you pull it out of freezer several hours PRIOR to new batch so bacteria can wake up for new batch.

Switching to UHT milk really saves so much hassle and in Australia this is the same price or even cheaper than fresh milk - go figure.

We don't have UHT milk here. At least it isn't as readily available. I remember it everywhere in Europe.
I never thought about freezing a fresh scoop of the freshest yogurt, to be used in the next batch. I will use that in the future.
I have always added the sugar and honey to the hot milk, just before cooling down, and it hasn't effected the thickening process. Everything I have read, says that a lot of the live bacteria needed to the process is killed, when it is added to the milk, if the milk is hotter than 100° F. I make sure I monitor the temps religiously.

DaltonGang said:

We don't have UHT milk here. At least it isn't as readily available. I remember it everywhere in Europe.
I never thought about freezing a fresh scoop of the freshest yogurt, to be used in the next batch. I will use that in the future.
I have always added the sugar and honey to the hot milk, just before cooling down, and it hasn't effected the thickening process. Everything I have read, says that a lot of the live bacteria needed to the process is killed, when it is added to the milk, if the milk is hotter than 100° F. I make sure I monitor the temps religiously.

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I am not a fan of UHT milk but I know walmart carries it. HEB probably has it also.

thematthatter said:

I am not a fan of UHT milk but I know walmart carries it. HEB probably has it also.

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Oh it's ghastly stuff to drink as a replacement for fresh milk - definitely only for emergencies but taste wise I find it very hard to tell yogurt made using it vs fresh milk. That said I do like my yogurt VERY tart and tangy so those who prefer more of a mild style may feel you can pick them.

I think Australia produces a massive surplus of milk hence production and proliferation of UHT is very widespread, is very odd it's less costly than fresh milk here given the extra effort etc that goes into it's prep. Anyway if you have cheap access to it it'll made whipping up yogurt a 5-10min cakewalk and takes the temp vs time hassle out.

Well, i think i might try a small batch with the boxed UHT milk, just to compare. I have frozen some, to use as a starter. I will look harder in Walmart and HEB.