Homemade Greek Yogurt

Ingredients

• 6 cup milk (whole milk recommended for creaminess)
• 0.25 cup plain Greek yogurt (used as a starter culture; ensure it has live active cultures)

Steps

1. 1

   Add 6 cups of milk to a pot over medium heat.

2. 2

   Warm the milk up to 185°F (85°C), or until it is bubbling but not yet boiling.

3. 3

   Set the pot in a cold plunge (ice bath or cold water bath) until the milk temperature cools down to between 90°F and 100°F (32-38°C).

4. 4

   Add about 1 cup of the warmed and cooled milk to the container holding the 1/4 cup of plain Greek yogurt. Mix well, making sure to scrape down the sides of the container.

5. 5

   Pour the remaining pot of milk into a warmed, but turned off and unplugged crockpot.

6. 6

   Pour the yogurt and milk mixture from the container into the crockpot and whisk it up to combine thoroughly.

7. 7

   Wrap the crockpot in a thick towel and leave it undisturbed on the counter for 8 to 10 hours (9 hours is recommended).

8. 8

   After the incubation period, prepare a straining station by setting a strainer inside a large bowl and lining the strainer with a cheesecloth folded 4 or 5 times.

9. 9

   Pour the thickened yogurt (the gooey substance) from the crockpot into the cheesecloth.

10. 10

    Place the strainer and bowl in the refrigerator for another 9 hours to strain the liquid whey out. This process thickens the yogurt and increases the protein content.

11. 11

    After 9 hours of straining, pour the finished Greek yogurt back into a storage container.

Notes

Straining the yogurt is what transforms regular yogurt into Greek yogurt. Once strained, the yogurt will have approximately double the protein content per serving compared to the milk used. The leftover liquid is whey, which can be saved for other culinary uses.

Nutrition per serving

• breakfast
• vegetarian
• gluten-free
• high-protein
• homemade
• slow-cooker
• dairy