A community of 30,000 US Transcriptionist serving Medical Transcription Industry

How is Greek yogurt different from homemade yogurt?

Posted: Jan 23, 2013

For years I thought I didn't like yogurt, then I found this 0% fat Greek yogurt. It is great mixed with hot foods, as a sour cream substitute, and even to eat straight. I guess I just didn't like all the artificial flavors in other commercial yogurts.

Back in the 1970s people made their own yogurt all the time. I thought I might give it a shot, but how is Greek yogurt different from homemade yogurt?

I'd appreciate any info on this. I plan to make it a big part of my diet and would like to try making my own, if I can make actual Greek yogurt. Thanks.

;

i have no clue, but Costco... - sells...

[ In Reply To ..]
it would seem easier to buy it dont ya think? save kitchen time for something else maybe... My costco sells a giant plain greek yogurt for around $5. I mix a small bowl everyday with raw honey. It is fabulous and helps me swallow my vitamins. 23 grams of protein per cup. Crazy! I'm in love. Good luck attempting to make your own. Check out blogs on wordpress for homemade yogurt or i also like foodgawker. Pinterest too. You will find a recipe for sure on one of those. my craze last week was making pizza dough.

Greek yogurt - has

[ In Reply To ..]
a thicker conistency because it has been drained of more whey than ordinary commercial yogurt. If you get plan commercial yogurt (with no flavorings or gelatins or other additives in it) you can drain it through cheesecloth until you have yogurt with the same consistency as commercial Greek yogurt. Or you can just buy Chobani (the lemon and blood orange flavors are my favorites) and save yourself the trouble of making your own.

Most commercial yogurt (and commercial Greek-style yogurt) is made from cow's milk. I suspect that real Greek yogurt (actually made in Greece or by actual Greek persons) is likely made from goat's milk or sheep's milk.

Making yogurt is really easy and takes very little time-sm - anon

[ In Reply To ..]
I prefer my yogurt made with whole fat milk but all it takes is warming the milk (I do this for 12 minutes in the microwave) letting it cool back down, mixing in a little yogurt (or culture) and then putting in the yogurt maker and coming back later and putting it in the fridge. I can make a quart of yogurt for the price of the milk. I prefer to Fage. If I wanted it thicker, I would just strain it either through cheesecloth (as above) or more likely, I would use a coffee filter. The drained liquid can be saved for making bread, soup, smoothies, etc. I find that the quality of the yogurt depends on the milk and the cultures used and so if you were going to make it, just find a brand you really like, buy some plain and use that as your starter.

I make my own Greek yogurt - shipwrecked

[ In Reply To ..]
I hated yogurt until I tasted a free sample at the grocery store. I bought a cheap Deni yogurt maker at Amazon and have been making my own ever since.

After it's made, I dump a couple jars in a paper coffee filter over a bowl for a few hours, depending on how thick you like it. If you leave it long enough, you can make yogurt cheese. Doesn't matter what kind of milk you use, skim, 1%, whole, etc.

Now I want to make yogurt - wheres_my_job

[ In Reply To ..]
I just went and bought vitamins today - maybe I can splurge on a yogurt maker around Valentine's Day, if it's not too expensive. That, and a pretty bra! (yogurt, bra, sure why not)

Making yogurt - Shipwrecked

[ In Reply To ..]
I got my Deni yogurt maker on Amazon for $20. Don't waste your $$ on expensive machines. All you really need is a low temp heat source and baby food jars (but baby food is expensive to buy just to get the jars). Some people have used crock pots or even a heating pad with some kind of dome cover, maybe the top of a cake keeper.

The first yogurt I actually liked was Fage Greek yogurt, so that's what I use for my culture, and 2% milk.

I heat a quart of milk in a big pyrex measuring cup in the microwave until just starting to boil (around 18 minutes), add about 1/4 cup dry skim milk (it makes a thicker yogurt), and cool until its 120 degrees. Add about 1/3 cup yogurt, mix, and pour into jars. Put the jars uncovered in the machine and let it "cook." The longer you cook it, the thicker it is (maybe 6-8 hours). If you want it even thicker, drain it in a couple of coffee filters.

This will sound disgusting to many, but I like to mix the chilled yogurt with some unsweetened cocoa and Splenda, some fresh fruit, granola, and maybe a shot of DaVinci sugar-free syrup. I still don't really like the taste of plain yogurt.

im confused, so you have to buy yogurt to - make yogurt?

[ In Reply To ..]
Then why not just buy yogurt? Sounds like a lot less hassle.

No you don't have buy yogurt - shipwrecked

[ In Reply To ..]
No you don't have to buy yogurt to make it except the first time. After that you use a culture from your previous batch. It's cheaper to buy a quart of milk than 6 containers of Yoplait, plus you can choose the milk you like and the thickness you want.

I have more questions if that is ok - cant boil water

[ In Reply To ..]
What does that mean, A culture from your previous batch? I am serious in learning, however, I am just not bright in the kitchen. Is there a video somewhere? I love greek yogurt and seriously cannot afford it. If this is something I can make on my own, I would love that! How long does your fresh yogurt last? Then if you have to use your previous batch, what if you dont make it before its expired? Am I saying that right? Ugh. Sorry.

Does this work like sourdough bread? - MarthaStewart_NOT

[ In Reply To ..]
I understand some cultures can date back several years.

Not exactly like sour dough starter - shipwrecked

[ In Reply To ..]
The yogurt culture/starter is just a couple spoonfuls of your last batch. If you eat the whole batch without keeping a couple tablespoons aside, you have to start from scratch with store-bought. It isn't like sour dough starter that you keep for years (unless you forget to feed it).

To make it clearer, milk becomes yogurt through the action of good-guy bacteria--sm - anon

[ In Reply To ..]
so, you take a couple tablespoons of yogurt, add it to your milk, incubate it and then you end up with yogurt. It does not really expire, just gets tangier over time. My daughter eats yogurt every morning with her breakfast, using a little jam and Splenda (she is diabetic). It does not have a chance to sit around too long, I make 1-2 batches a week.

A bigger problem here was training the household to leave a little yogurt for the next batch. To remedy this, I just froze some yogurt in ice cube trays to keep just in case. The important thing with this is to not microwave the cubes as the high heat will kill the bacteria. I just let them defrost overnight in the fridge. Once you get a yogurt maker, look for canning jars that will fit in it or glass jars from other products you use. Mine is a Waring Pro that hubs found at Tuesday Morning for a good price. Because I am too lazy to drain it, I like that it can be done in individual containers. There are others (the Yogurmet for instance that looks good) that makes it all in one container. It is also possible to make dairy free yogurt (coconut milk is my favorite) but it is a little more complicated.

Cultures - shipwrecked

[ In Reply To ..]
The culture is also called a starter, or already-made yogurt that you add to scalded milk. After your initial batch where you have to use store-bought plain yogurt, you just save some from your current batch to use as the starter for your new batch. There is dried yogurt culture available, but is a major waste of time and money. Just use yogurt.

My machine makes six 6-ounce jars. I usually dump 2 jars into a double coffee filter to make one serving of Greek yogurt for my snack. The volume reduces as the whey drains out. I could dump all six jars into coffee filters if I wanted.

I don't know how long it will last, but I usually make a batch once a week. You can make any size batch you want. I don't have to make all six jars.

There are lots of youtube directions, one even shows you how to make it using a big pot and heating pad. If you're gonna pour it into jars, I suggest a pyrex measuring cup, since it's easy to pour into the jars (and the milk sticks to pan and is nasty to clean).

It's very forgiving and everyone has their own way of making it. I think my first batch heated for about 10 hours, now 6-8 hours will work. The longer you let it heat, the thicker it gets, and even then I drain it.

Thank for the info... - MarthaStewart_NOT

[ In Reply To ..]
I'm currently buying the Fage brand, and I like it thick. I also prefer savory rather than sweet yogurt. I would like to get it the consistency of tofu, cut it in cubes, and have it as finger food. I'll look for that yogurt maker. Lots of great ideas here.

Similar Messages:

Dec 05, 2014
I recently started eating a little container of Chobani flavored yogurt every day. When I opened one from the last batch I bought, it was slightly separated. I stirred it together, and I thought the first taste was a little off, but then it seemed okay. How would you know if something that is bacteria goes bad? Just kind of curious about this now. I don't particular like yogurt and just started eating it for "female" reasons, so I'm not at all familiar with it. ...

Sep 01, 2012
Narcissist-in-Chief never ceases to amaze. link ...

Nov 15, 2016
I'll bet they're glad it's his last visit. Obama said he was going on this trip to calm world leaders' fears regarding Trump. HA! The "world leaders" called Trump the night he won to congratulate him. I wonder when Obama will let go of his delusions of grandeur. LOL!!! ...

Apr 03, 2011
Hey my fellow MTs.... Years ago I ran into a man that made homemade wine. He would take grape concentrate and about 7-9 pounds of sugar, yeast and water and mix that up into a 5 gallon container. Then he would take a balloon and rubber band and seal the mixture. He said the balloon would inflate and once it desufflated the wine would be ready..usually a month to a month and a half. I cannot remember his exact recipe, but the wine he made was so good and very very cheap t ...

Aug 04, 2013
Has anyone investigated or implented the use of homemade products - cleaning products, laundry soap.....the list I've found on the internet is endless. Interested in if anyone had attempted or are using the cheaper alternatives, not to mention healtier, especially when saving money in our profession is so important. Woud love to hear some ideas!!! ...

Dec 04, 2011
the Pilsbury roll out crusts or the frozen crusts? I'd love to make homemade pies, but I always mess up the crust! I've wondered if the store bought crusts are any good? ...