Jun272012

Crockpot Greek Yogurt, Redux

Crockpot Greek Yogurt

Several months ago I wrote about making my own Greek yogurt in the crockpot. Since then, I’ve made a batch weekly, and have adapted things a bit to work better for me.

I’m reposting with my streamlined method both as a reference for myself (so I can get rid of my ratty notes) and because Mike’s coworkers have demanded to know where he’s getting the yogurt he eats every morning, and he wants to send them here (hi guys!).

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Apr92012

Greek Yogurt in the Crockpot

Greek Yogurt in the Crockpot

Last week I made my own Greek yogurt! The process was so easy and inexpensive that I’d like to try and do it on a weekly basis.

Yogurt is one of those things I’ve never really considered being able to make at home. Like cheese, or even soap, it’s something I’ve just always assumed you buy, why on Earth would you try making it yourself? (For the record, I have made my own soap, and it’s definitely more fun than buying it!)

Greek Yogurt in the Crockpot

The original “recipe” (and I put recipe in quotation marks because there’s not much to it!) came from here.

The steps are pretty basic: I used a half gallon of 2% milk and just dumped it into my clean crockpot (I decided not to use a crockpot liner for this one). I set it on low and though the instructions say it’ll reach 180 degrees in about 2.5 hours, mine took closer to 4 (I used a digital thermometer to check).

At this point I combined the info on the blog with one of the comments further down.

When it got up to temperature, I turned off the crockpot and left the lid off for about 2 hours until the temperature got down to 105. Then I added half a cup of Oikos Greek yogurt as a starter directly into the crockpot and combined it with a whisk.

The blog says to wrap the crock up in towels and place it in your oven for the night with the light on. I completely bypassed that step. I wrapped the crock in towels but left it on my counter overnight (actually closer to 12 hours).

When I got up in the morning the yogurt looked beautiful (see first pic above), and I was ecstatic. It smelled right, it felt right and it tasted right!

(I will admit to being a little nervous about leaving a milk product out for so long!)

Greek Yogurt in the Crockpot

Before I did anything else, I scooped out half a cup of the unstrained yogurt to keep in the fridge as the starter for my next batch, as suggested in the comments.

I also did not transfer the crock to the fridge for three hours before straining. I felt this was unnecessary, as the commenter mentioned, so it went directly into a cheesecloth-lined strainer which was placed over a bowl. While it strained I put the whole thing into the fridge for about two hours.

Greek Yogurt in the Crockpot

It turned out perfectly! And you can’t beat $3 for this much Greek yogurt!

[originally posted at pinspired.org]

Feb22010

Homemade Greek Yogurt

Greek yogurt is thick, creamy and surprisingly easy to make. It’s also called for in many frozen yogurt recipes because there is less water in the mixture, making for less ice crystals and a thicker final product.

You can actually use regular yogurt to make Greek-style yogurt, and depending on what you want it for you can use just plain or vanilla, or even the fruit varieties. Sugar- and fat-free work too. Here’s what you do:


Get your strainer and a bowl big enough that the strainer can fit into it with a bit of space space between the bottom of the bowl and the bottom of the strainer.

Line the inside of the strainer with a few layers of cheesecloth (you can find cheesecloth in the baking aisle at the grocery store). Empty a container of yogurt onto the cheesecloth, and depending on how much you’re using you can even use a smaller strainer and bowl, etc.


You’ll immediately start to see some of the liquid from the yogurt. Gently cover the top of the yogurt with plastic wrap and place the whole thing in the fridge.

Depending on how thick you want your yogurt will determine how long it should stay in the fridge and drain. For a creamy, sour-cream textured Greek yogurt, keep it in for 4-6 hours. A more authentic Greek yogurt needs 8-12 hours, and 24 hours will give you something close to cream cheese.

When you’re done, gently lift the strainer from the drain bowl. The liquid that’s left is whey, and actually contains any bitterness from the yogurt. Scoop your Greek yogurt into an airtight container and keep stored in the fridge, or:


Make frozen yogurt!