How to make the thick Greek yogurt.
Fold a cheesecloth 4-6 layers and hang it for a few hours so that the water in the Yogurt can drip from it and you will be left with a rich, thick and creamy Yogurt.
I used the “pinky test” (no thermometer) and incubated in my Oven with the light on to create a warm environment for the Yogurt bacteria to grow.
A Thermos will also do this perfectly. It’s extremely easy and economical, and resulted in a very mild yogurt that doesn’t require much sweetening, and has lots of versatility.
A dutch oven or a heavy disc bottom pot will be a great help to reduce scorching of the Milk so it’s a good idea to invest in one.
Do you need further help in making your homemade yogurt? Read below to get the answers to the FAQS about Yogurt.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ON MAKING HOMEMADE YOGURT
WHY DO YOU NEED TO BOIL THE MILK BEFORE MAKING YOGURT?
The biggest reason to heat milk to almost boiling before fermenting is that it improves the texture of the yogurt.
During fermentation, the bacteria consume lactose and produce lactic acid which causes the milk proteins to denature and coagulate trapping most of the fat. The proteins involved are primarily the casein proteins.
When this happens, there is still quite a bit of protein left that isn’t bound up in the new casein mesh. All of the albumin proteins are water soluble and will not add to the structure of the yogurt.
These albumin proteins denature when you heat them. For this reason, recipes universally call for us to heat the milk to 190 and then cool. The albumin is denatured and is able to tangle up with the casein during fermentation and add to the yogurt structure.
Skipping this step will make a very profound difference to the structure of your yogurt. Without it, your yogurt will be thinner and much more fragile. When you scoop it there will be more whey and all that albumin will wash out in it
IS MAKING YOUR OWN HOMEMADE YOGURT COST EFFECTIVE?
Making your own homemade yogurt will save you very when it comes to monetary value, but it’s good to make it at home at least once in a while not just because it tastes so much better but it provides more active cultures which are highly beneficial to the health.
Most of the commercial yogurts aren’t incubated/cultured properly and then need fillers to make them thick.
HOW DO YOU GET A THICK AND CREAMY HOMEMADE YOGURT?
Keeping a consistent temperature and leaving the Yogurt undisturbed between 105-110º will yield a thick, creamy and sweet Yogurt. If possible, leave it overnight and if you still want it thicker, simply strain it with a cheesecloth. Please refer to my explanation on how to make thick Greek yogurt above.
WHAT IS YOGURT STARTER?
According to culturesofhealth dot com, a yogurt starter is a carefully balanced blend of bacteria which consume lactose. This blend of bacteria converts the lactose in milk to lactic acid, giving yogurt that classic, deliciously tangy taste.
The starter contains live bacteria culture that converts the Milk into Yoghurt
Notes:
I don’t make use of thermometers for my homemade Yogurt, however, I will suggest you get one if you are worried about temperature measurement
Use whole Milk. This Milk produced the richest and thickest Yogurt
I only used 2 tablespoons of Yogurt from a store-bought yogurt, I did not use any packaged starter for this recipe.
I sprinkled my homemade Granola on my yogurt but you can use fruits or any other flavorings of your choice.
How To Make Yogurt (VIDEO)
Instructions
- Pour the Milk inside the Pot and heat it up to about
- Remove it from heat and allow it to cool down till it’s warm to the touch ( 110°F to 115°F. )
- Stir in the starter culture. Make sure to completely dissolve in the Milk.
- Cover it up with a tight-fitting lid and keep in in the Oven with the light on for 6 to 12 hours depending on how tangy you want it to be.
- Chill in the fridge for about 2 hours or more before serving.
- You can add sweeteners of your choice, fruits, or simply customize it to your taste.
Hello! I can’t wait to try this. How long does this typically keep in the fridge before spoiling? do you find the plain Greek yogurts in the store are an acceptable yogurt starter?
Good day Chef.Tganks for sharing the recipe. Process says leave it in the oven with the light on. Does it mean I have to leave it in the saucepan since a plastic container will melt in the oven.Awaiting your response
Your plastic will not melt because you don’t need to heat up your oven. All you need to do is to switch on the light of the bulb in the oven. That is what will create a warm environment for the yogurt culture.
If you don’t have the bulb in your oven, simply place the yogurt in the warmest area in your house. I hope that helps?
Hello Chef Lola.
I am just about to give making my own yogurt a try but I have a challenge with where to get an appropriate yogurt starter. I know you said one can use a previously made or store-bought yogurt, I just don’t want to be confused and go to buy an Hollandia or a cedar yogurt. Should I just go ahead and order from Amazon an actual yogurt starter or what?
.
I await your response.
Regards,
Lara.
I apologize for the late response. If you can’t find the raw unsweetened yogurt, I will advise you to order the starter from Amazon.
Thank you so much madam.
You are welcome 🙂
Can I use hollandia yogurt as a starter?
Thanks
You are welcome Funke.
Hello Lola,
Do you mean whole milk is referring to the raw milk coming from a cow?
Yes, it’s milk directly from a cow that has been pasteurized. You can buy that in most large supermarkets in Nigeria.
Thanks very much, your video was helpful. I really want to try it out but I’m confused which is classified as whole milk…
Hi Kemi, I apologize for the late response, whole Milk is just the Milk from cows that has been Pasteurized (exposed to an elevated temperature for a period of time sufficient to destroy certain microorganisms without radically altering taste or quality) and sometimes homogenized (the fat droplets are emulsified so that the cream does not separate).
Note: Whole Milk is totally different from Powdered Milk or Evaporated Milk but both can be reconstituted and used for any recipe that calls for whole milk.
Thanks for the Great recipe,, pls where can we buy whole milk
You can get it in any Grocery or Supermarket.
Hello Lola,
Do you mean whole milk is referring to the raw milk coming from a cow?
Yes it’s from a cow but it has been pasteurized
Thanks for the recipd. At what point do we add sugar if we want a sweet yoghurt?
Hi Mosun You will add it after the whole process.
Thanks for the recipe Lola. It looks so fresh. I will sure give this a try.
Thanks Isabelle, I will be happy to know the outcome whenever you get a chance to try it.