How to Make Greek Yogurt

Yogurt, made from fermented milk, has a tangy flavor when eaten plain, but easily picks up the flavors of fruit or other added ingredients. Greek yogurt is made by straining the fermented milk, which gives the yogurt a much thicker texture similar to sour cream. Because Greek yogurt is basically filtered regular yogurt, you can make it at home without any special equipment or ingredients.

Things You'll Need

• Large bowl
• 5- to 6-inch sieve (mesh strainer)
• Coffee filter
• 2 cups plain whole-milk yogurt

Instructions

1. Position the sieve over a large bowl. Make sure the bottom of the sieve does not touch the bottom of the bowl or else the yogurt won't have enough room to strain.

2. Place a coffee filter into the sieve so that it covers the surface of the sieve completely. The coffee filter will help absorb the excess liquid while the yogurt strains. If one standard coffee filter isn't large enough to cover your sieve, overlap an additional filter.

3. Pour two cups plain yogurt onto the coffee filter-lined sieve. Place the bowl and sieve with the yogurt uncovered into the refrigerator.

4. Allow the yogurt to filter in the refrigerator overnight or up to 12 hours or until it's half its original size (if you start out with two cups plain yogurt, you should end up with a cup of Greek yogurt). If eating the yogurt immediately, transfer it from the sieve to bowls and give it a quick stir to ensure it has no lumps or watery areas.

5. Place the Greek yogurt in an airtight container if you're not eating it immediately. Use it within one week for the best results. If the yogurt becomes watery, whisk it until it's smooth.

Tips & Warnings

• If you don't have a sieve, use any flat kitchen utensil with small holes, such as a sifter or colander. Use low-fat yogurt to make Greek yogurt if you want to reduce calories; however, it will not be as thick. If you want a larger batch and have a large sieve with extra room that can be lined with coffee filters, use four cups of yogurt instead of two. Allow at least 12 hours filtering time.

• Make sure the coffee filter completely covers the sieve or you may end up with watery yogurt because it didn't filter properly. Allow the yogurt to filter for an additional two hours if the consistency is too thin for your liking.

References

• Food Network
• Bon Appetit Magazine