We eat an unholy amount of Greek yogurt. I have it every day for breakfast with walnuts and honey, and if anything interferes with my little ritual, I start twitching uncontrollably until the situation is rectified. Fauxhawk likes it for dessert, preferably standing up in the kitchen with the refrigerator door open. I don't know if you've noticed, but Fage (the only kind of Greek yogurt in the States that I like) is expensive, especially if consumed in vast quantities. And lately I've been feeling increasingly creeped out by non-organic dairy products, imagining that we will eventually grow breasts in strange places if we don't go hormone-free.
Which is why I gave making my own yogurt a whirl. Several whirls. Like, at least five or six whirls before I got it right (and there is nothing more disappointing than mediocre yogurt). The result is thick, wonderfully tangy, creamy deliciousness, the recipe for which I will share with you here. If you are not interested in making your own yogurt, this post is going to be very, very boring. Instead I suggest you skip to the archives and count how many dumb spelling mistakes I've made over the years.
What you'll need:
- I part heavy cream to 3 parts whole organic milk (roughly 2 qts of liquid)*
- Yogurt culture
- Stainless steel pan
- Spoon or small whisk
- Heat source (more on this later) or electric yogurt maker (I like Euro Cuisine in the 2 qt size)
- Candy thermometer
- Fine sieve, muslin bag, or cheesecloth
Heat the milk to 180 (F) degrees, just as it starts to foam a bit along the edges of the pan. Remove from heat and let cool to 110 degrees, floating the pan in a sink of ice water to accelerate the cooling process. Add a packet of yogurt culture to a cup of the milk and stir until it dissolves completely. Some recipes call for a 1/3 cup of yogurt with live cultures instead of the powdered culture, but I've found that commercial yogurt as a starter for your first batch doesn't make the magic happen (maybe the live cultures are actually dead from sitting around for too long?).
Pour cooled milk into a sterilized glass jar with lid or a clean plastic container (avoid metal) and add in the cup of cultured milk. Stir.
If you are using an electric yogurt maker, pour into the container that comes with it, cover with a lid, and plug that baby in. The beauty of an electric yogurt maker is that it keeps the temperature stable at 110 degrees for as long as you need it, allowing the cultures to do their juju without you having to fuss.
If you don't have an electric yogurt maker, wrap the yogurt container in a towel and put it in the oven at 110 degrees (my oven doesn't have a low enough setting). I've heard that people also use hot water bottles in an insulated hot/cold container or heating pads (though I wouldn't want to leave one unattended). Just make sure the milk doesn't get too hot - the result will be a lot of dead bacteria and no yogurt.
Either way, I give it about 12 hours near a heat source. It's not an exact science - you can get away with 6 hours, but I've found that 10-12 hours gives the yogurt a nice tartness. When the yogurt is set (solid-looking), remove the container from the heat source, let it cool for an hour on the counter, and refrigerate for six hours.
You can eat the yogurt as is, or you can strain it for the full effect. Pour yogurt into a fine sieve, cheesecloth (doubled), or a muslin drawstring bag, and let the whey drip out. I've read that people collect the whey for a "refreshing and nutritious drink" but that seems utterly revolting to me, so I just dump it. When the yogurt is as thick as you like it (typically when the whey stops dripping), transfer to a lidded glass or plastic container and refrigerate. You'll end up with roughly half the yogurt you started with, but it will be thicker and tangier without the whey.
Reserve about a 1/3 cup of yogurt - this will serve as the starter for your next batch. Try to keep the container as bacteria-free as possible by avoiding double dipping after a spoon has been in your filthy, filthy mouf.
Yogurt is a tyrannical master. It's important to make your next batch within seven days of your first, or the culture won't perpetuate properly and will weaken. You can continue to use your yogurt as a starter for subsequent batches over an indefinite period of time, substituting dried culture if you take a break in yogurt-making to enjoy other earthly pursuits.
Eat with honey and nuts, stewed or fresh berries, or sliced banana.
*I know what you're thinking. Heavy cream! If that freaks you out, use all whole milk or 2% (I do)- the result will be slightly thinner and less decadent, but still very good. Non-fat milk has no place here.
Photograph by Mama Fence.
