Is Making Your Own Greek Yogurt Worth the Time and Expense?
August 11, 2011 9:33 AM Subscribe
Are you experienced in making Greek yogurt? What is the cost/benefit of making your own Greek (strained) yogurt?
I eat a lot of Greek Yogurt, and I am curious if it would be cheaper to make my own. With that said, I am happy with the taste of the Fage brand, so it's not that I'm necessarily looking for a better tasting strained yogurt, but only curious if there is a significant mark-up for the product sold at the grocery store. So I ask the following questions:
1) After investing in equipment, ingredients, cheesecloth, etc is there enough of a price difference to justify not just buying it from the supermarket?
2) How time-consuming is the process of making the yogurt?
I eat a lot of Greek Yogurt, and I am curious if it would be cheaper to make my own. With that said, I am happy with the taste of the Fage brand, so it's not that I'm necessarily looking for a better tasting strained yogurt, but only curious if there is a significant mark-up for the product sold at the grocery store. So I ask the following questions:
1) After investing in equipment, ingredients, cheesecloth, etc is there enough of a price difference to justify not just buying it from the supermarket?
2) How time-consuming is the process of making the yogurt?
1) Yes. We make ours in a crock pot with raw milk for which we pay about $4 per gallon. It's quite cost-effective.
2) It's not time-consuming at all. You have to do a small task, wait a few hours, then another small task, then wait more hours, then one last small task. I suppose there could be a concentration tax on people who don't multitask well.
posted by michaelh at 9:43 AM on August 11, 2011 [1 favorite]
2) It's not time-consuming at all. You have to do a small task, wait a few hours, then another small task, then wait more hours, then one last small task. I suppose there could be a concentration tax on people who don't multitask well.
posted by michaelh at 9:43 AM on August 11, 2011 [1 favorite]
The difference between Greek yogurt and regular yogurt is: you strain it. So, theoretically, you could just get the regular Dannon stuff, dump it into a strainer lined with cheesecloth, and let it drain into a bowl for a few hours. that could be a very simple dodge right there.
The way you make yogurt from scratch, in general, is:
1. You need to heat the milk to a certain temperature (about 180 degrees).
2. Then, you need to let it cool down to ANOTHER certain temperature (110 degrees).
3. Then, you introduce yogurt culture, by mixing in some yogurt itself (about a half cup of yogurt per quart).
4. Then, you need to let it sit overnight at a warm enough temperature to let the yogurt culture grow.
5. If you want to make Greek yogurt, then after you've let it sit overnight, you move it into the fridge to chill for a few hours, then take it out again and strain it.
You're going to need the pot and the milk and the bit of pre-made yogurt no matter what you do. The "yogurt makers" you see in shops typically are only for step 4 -- they hold the yogurt at a warm enough temperature overnight. There are ways to do step 4 without a yogurt maker -- some people with gas ovens leave the yogurt in a bowl in the oven overnight, and the pilot light sometimes keeps it warm; others throw the yogurt into jars and then tuck them into a cooler along with a hot water bottle. While it does work, it can be hit-or-miss, and that's why most people go with yogurt makers for step 4.
Whether or not this is cost-effective probably depends on how much Greek yogurt you eat, and whether the quarts of milk you'd by would be more or less in the long run.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 9:45 AM on August 11, 2011
The way you make yogurt from scratch, in general, is:
1. You need to heat the milk to a certain temperature (about 180 degrees).
2. Then, you need to let it cool down to ANOTHER certain temperature (110 degrees).
3. Then, you introduce yogurt culture, by mixing in some yogurt itself (about a half cup of yogurt per quart).
4. Then, you need to let it sit overnight at a warm enough temperature to let the yogurt culture grow.
5. If you want to make Greek yogurt, then after you've let it sit overnight, you move it into the fridge to chill for a few hours, then take it out again and strain it.
You're going to need the pot and the milk and the bit of pre-made yogurt no matter what you do. The "yogurt makers" you see in shops typically are only for step 4 -- they hold the yogurt at a warm enough temperature overnight. There are ways to do step 4 without a yogurt maker -- some people with gas ovens leave the yogurt in a bowl in the oven overnight, and the pilot light sometimes keeps it warm; others throw the yogurt into jars and then tuck them into a cooler along with a hot water bottle. While it does work, it can be hit-or-miss, and that's why most people go with yogurt makers for step 4.
Whether or not this is cost-effective probably depends on how much Greek yogurt you eat, and whether the quarts of milk you'd by would be more or less in the long run.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 9:45 AM on August 11, 2011
If you don't want to fuss with cheesecloth, I would recommend getting one of these yogurt strainers. I have one at home and when I want that thick greek-like texture but don't have time to make my own yogurt, I just put a cup of unflavored store-bought in it
http://www.rivertons.com/product_info.php?&c=06&i=b000064841
You can store the strained yogurt in it until you need to use it since it comes with a lid. When you're done, just rinse it out or put it in the washing machine.
posted by longdaysjourney at 9:50 AM on August 11, 2011
http://www.rivertons.com/product_info.php?&c=06&i=b000064841
You can store the strained yogurt in it until you need to use it since it comes with a lid. When you're done, just rinse it out or put it in the washing machine.
posted by longdaysjourney at 9:50 AM on August 11, 2011
Making yogurt can be a cinch with no special equipment needed. I happen to have a gas stove with a pilot light that generates the perfect amount of heat if I fill a pyrex bowl with a quart of heated milk mixed with a tablespoon of yogurt as starter (the internet is full of more specific recipes and advice). Depending on your situation, a heating pad or other gentle warming device might be the only investment item.
Since Greek yogurt is strained, you'll lose a little volume and add another step. If you decide that you'll make it often, you might want to find the perfect bowl and strainer combo to fit easily in your fridge for straining. I tend to skip this step because my strainer and bowl are kind of awkward and I'm lazy.
When I compare organic milk and organic yogurt from the same dairy, the price is about half. I also like the mild flavor that you can achieve with adjusting the heating times.
On preview, that yogurt strainer from Cuispro is sweet!
posted by annaramma at 9:54 AM on August 11, 2011
Since Greek yogurt is strained, you'll lose a little volume and add another step. If you decide that you'll make it often, you might want to find the perfect bowl and strainer combo to fit easily in your fridge for straining. I tend to skip this step because my strainer and bowl are kind of awkward and I'm lazy.
When I compare organic milk and organic yogurt from the same dairy, the price is about half. I also like the mild flavor that you can achieve with adjusting the heating times.
On preview, that yogurt strainer from Cuispro is sweet!
posted by annaramma at 9:54 AM on August 11, 2011
On preview, that yogurt strainer from Cuispro is sweet!
Yeah, my Dad laughed at me when I showed him the strainer (he's Greek and when he makes his own yogurt he would soak up the whey using white terry towels), but when I got him one as a gift, he switched to using it instead, due to the convenience and not having to deal with whey-soaked towels. :)
posted by longdaysjourney at 10:12 AM on August 11, 2011
Yeah, my Dad laughed at me when I showed him the strainer (he's Greek and when he makes his own yogurt he would soak up the whey using white terry towels), but when I got him one as a gift, he switched to using it instead, due to the convenience and not having to deal with whey-soaked towels. :)
posted by longdaysjourney at 10:12 AM on August 11, 2011
Pile on - is straining really the only difference? Many 8 oz plain yogurts (unflavored, unsweeted) have only 5 to 10 grams of protein, whereas Trader Joe's plain greek yogurt, for example, claims to have 24 grams per 8 oz serving. How is that even possible?
posted by peep at 10:44 AM on August 11, 2011
posted by peep at 10:44 AM on August 11, 2011
I use this glass steamer insert with a filter paper round in the bottom cut from a Chemex coffee filter. I set the steamer down into a flat-bottomed stainless steel vessel large enough to accommodate the body of the steamer but not the ears, leaving room below the steamer for the liquid that drains out. The steamer capacity is about a half gallon.
Before I put the yogurt in, I steam the whole thing in a wok to sterilize it. I also use a lower-profile lid for the steamer so the arrangement will slide easily into the second shelf of my fridge.
The first time I tried it, I used a quart of Straus Family Farm whole milk yogurt and left it in there for a week to see how much would come out, and got about 750ml of liquid and a final product only just distinguishable in texture from cream cheese (my partner used it for sandwich spread instead of mayonnaise). Almost all the liquid came out in the first day and a half.
posted by jamjam at 10:49 AM on August 11, 2011
Before I put the yogurt in, I steam the whole thing in a wok to sterilize it. I also use a lower-profile lid for the steamer so the arrangement will slide easily into the second shelf of my fridge.
The first time I tried it, I used a quart of Straus Family Farm whole milk yogurt and left it in there for a week to see how much would come out, and got about 750ml of liquid and a final product only just distinguishable in texture from cream cheese (my partner used it for sandwich spread instead of mayonnaise). Almost all the liquid came out in the first day and a half.
posted by jamjam at 10:49 AM on August 11, 2011
Many 8 oz plain yogurts (unflavored, unsweeted) have only 5 to 10 grams of protein, whereas Trader Joe's plain greek yogurt, for example, claims to have 24 grams per 8 oz serving. How is that even possible?
I'm not a food scientist, but this passes the smell test for me -- with the plain yogurts, some of the weight is taken up by whey, which is a watery byproduct of cheese/yogurt making. That whey doesn't have as much protein as the milk solids. If you strain out that whey, thus taking out that weight, then add more milk solids to make up the difference in weight, then...you're also adding more protein.
In other words (and I'm not saying this is accurate, this is the mental exercise I did to see if this worked): Say that your typical 8 oz of plain yogurt is about 5 oz of solids and 3 oz of whey. Also, let's assume that milk solids have 50% more protein than the whey. So there's a difference between something that's got only 5 oz of solids plus 3 oz of whey, and something that's got a full 8 oz of solids.
Again: I'm not a food scientist and my guess should not be accepted as law. But it makes sense as a theory to me.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 10:51 AM on August 11, 2011
I'm not a food scientist, but this passes the smell test for me -- with the plain yogurts, some of the weight is taken up by whey, which is a watery byproduct of cheese/yogurt making. That whey doesn't have as much protein as the milk solids. If you strain out that whey, thus taking out that weight, then add more milk solids to make up the difference in weight, then...you're also adding more protein.
In other words (and I'm not saying this is accurate, this is the mental exercise I did to see if this worked): Say that your typical 8 oz of plain yogurt is about 5 oz of solids and 3 oz of whey. Also, let's assume that milk solids have 50% more protein than the whey. So there's a difference between something that's got only 5 oz of solids plus 3 oz of whey, and something that's got a full 8 oz of solids.
Again: I'm not a food scientist and my guess should not be accepted as law. But it makes sense as a theory to me.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 10:51 AM on August 11, 2011
Oops, I got about 350ml of liquid draining out, not 750ml.
posted by jamjam at 10:55 AM on August 11, 2011
posted by jamjam at 10:55 AM on August 11, 2011
Personally, I don't use any special equipment to make yogurt cheese, which is what I call this concoction. I'm not making my own yogurt, though; I just use storebought. I use three things to make yogurt cheese, and they were all things I already owned:
- a fine mesh strainer
- coffee filters (paper)
- a pot to catch the drained liquid
There is a bit of cost involved, since I throw out the paper coffee filter after using it, but that's pretty minimal. If I were to buy a fine mesh strainer, I imagine that would set me back about $4 or so. Make sure you get one that fits over a pot or dish that you own easily; otherwise, the balancing act in the fridge could get a little intense.
I find that the yogurt diminishes by about half after the liquid is strained out. I usually strain a cup at a time. I set the strainer over the pot, the coffee filter in the strainer, pour a cup of yogurt in the filter, and then throw it in the fridge overnight. It usually takes about 12 hours or so to make, I think, although I haven't formally timed it.
It's delicious with fresh-cut strawberries, or with grape nuts and a few chocolate chips.
posted by k8lin at 11:03 AM on August 11, 2011
- a fine mesh strainer
- coffee filters (paper)
- a pot to catch the drained liquid
There is a bit of cost involved, since I throw out the paper coffee filter after using it, but that's pretty minimal. If I were to buy a fine mesh strainer, I imagine that would set me back about $4 or so. Make sure you get one that fits over a pot or dish that you own easily; otherwise, the balancing act in the fridge could get a little intense.
I find that the yogurt diminishes by about half after the liquid is strained out. I usually strain a cup at a time. I set the strainer over the pot, the coffee filter in the strainer, pour a cup of yogurt in the filter, and then throw it in the fridge overnight. It usually takes about 12 hours or so to make, I think, although I haven't formally timed it.
It's delicious with fresh-cut strawberries, or with grape nuts and a few chocolate chips.
posted by k8lin at 11:03 AM on August 11, 2011
I do this. It's not that cheap if you're buying organic milk. It is cheap if you aren't.
My schedule goes like this:
1) After dinner I heat the milk to 180, mixing in a little powdered milk to thicken it. Then I let it cool.
2) Meanwhile I clean a mason jar well. I usually pour some boiling water in it and swish it out. But you could boil the jar to be safe.
3) When the milk cools to 112 degrees, I stir in some yogurt (starter). Then I put it in a mason jar and stick that jar in a large thermos of 112 degree water and close it up.
4) In the morning, I put it in the fridge. Eat and enjoy.
OR
4) In the morning, I pour it into some clean cheese cloth, tie it to a shelf, and let it drip/drain.
I let it drain all day because I make it thick enough to use as cream cheese (yogurt cheese, but it tastes about the same). Then I stir in salt. Then I stick it in the fridge.
The process takes time, but there is very little work-time involved.
Supplies I bought:
1) Thermometer (Maybe 7 bucks?)
2) Cheese cloth (Got the good stuff from a cheese making supply company. Cost maybe 10 bucks but re-usable indefinitely.)
3) Milk. Powdered milk. A little thing of live-culture yogurt the first time I made it. (Now I just re-use the bottom of the last batch I made that's in my fridge.)
My understanding is greek yogurt is more tart than Dannon or whatnot. Homemade yogurt tends to be more tart I think too. I guess the longer you leave it, the tarter it is?
posted by serazin at 11:06 AM on August 11, 2011
My schedule goes like this:
1) After dinner I heat the milk to 180, mixing in a little powdered milk to thicken it. Then I let it cool.
2) Meanwhile I clean a mason jar well. I usually pour some boiling water in it and swish it out. But you could boil the jar to be safe.
3) When the milk cools to 112 degrees, I stir in some yogurt (starter). Then I put it in a mason jar and stick that jar in a large thermos of 112 degree water and close it up.
4) In the morning, I put it in the fridge. Eat and enjoy.
OR
4) In the morning, I pour it into some clean cheese cloth, tie it to a shelf, and let it drip/drain.
I let it drain all day because I make it thick enough to use as cream cheese (yogurt cheese, but it tastes about the same). Then I stir in salt. Then I stick it in the fridge.
The process takes time, but there is very little work-time involved.
Supplies I bought:
1) Thermometer (Maybe 7 bucks?)
2) Cheese cloth (Got the good stuff from a cheese making supply company. Cost maybe 10 bucks but re-usable indefinitely.)
3) Milk. Powdered milk. A little thing of live-culture yogurt the first time I made it. (Now I just re-use the bottom of the last batch I made that's in my fridge.)
My understanding is greek yogurt is more tart than Dannon or whatnot. Homemade yogurt tends to be more tart I think too. I guess the longer you leave it, the tarter it is?
posted by serazin at 11:06 AM on August 11, 2011
There's another way to make "strained" yogurt from regular yogurt that involves no equipment, no straining, and almost no effort. But it does take a few days. Just take your regular yogurt and scoop out a little hollow in the top. Put the yogurt back in the fridge. The next day, there will be a pool of liquid in the hollow. Pour the liquid off (save it--it makes a great substitute for buttermilk in most recipes) and put the yogurt back in the fridge. Repeat once or twice a day until the yogurt is the consistency you want. After three or four days it will be pretty thick, and, if you start with a flavorful yogurt like Nancy's, it will taste much better than Fage.
posted by bokinney at 11:57 AM on August 11, 2011
posted by bokinney at 11:57 AM on August 11, 2011
It's very easy and very economical, if you're a daily yogurt eater.
I use this no-straining-required recipe and this crockpot method, if I want to make more than my yogurt maker will handle.
With the crockpot method there's really no need for a thermometer if you follow the steps carefully--it's never failed to produce awesome product. When I use my yogurt maker I do heat the milk on the stovetop and I use a cheap candy thermometer from the grocery store (maybe five bucks).
Dry milk helps the yogurt thicken without straining and does not otherwise affect the flavor--in the winter I prefer to leave it out because I like to use the whey byproduct from straining to make bread--I use an old (washable and infinitely reusable) floursack towel to line an ordinary colander for the straining process.
As stated in the 101 Cookbooks recipe link, thickness and tartness comes from fewer cultures, cultured for a longer period of time. I use Fage as my starter (then I reuse my own yogurt several times before starting with a fresh starter), and I let it culture for ten to twelve hours. I find that 8-10 hours produces excellent flavor and pretty good texture but that an extra couple of hours makes enough of a difference in thickness that it's worth the wait.
My yogurt is magical and I feel sorry for people who enjoy yogurt but don't feel like it's worth making their own. Crockpots are a dime a dozen at thrift stores, and yogurt makers are not that expensive and often turn up at thrifts, garage sales, etc as well.
posted by padraigin at 1:15 PM on August 11, 2011 [3 favorites]
I use this no-straining-required recipe and this crockpot method, if I want to make more than my yogurt maker will handle.
With the crockpot method there's really no need for a thermometer if you follow the steps carefully--it's never failed to produce awesome product. When I use my yogurt maker I do heat the milk on the stovetop and I use a cheap candy thermometer from the grocery store (maybe five bucks).
Dry milk helps the yogurt thicken without straining and does not otherwise affect the flavor--in the winter I prefer to leave it out because I like to use the whey byproduct from straining to make bread--I use an old (washable and infinitely reusable) floursack towel to line an ordinary colander for the straining process.
As stated in the 101 Cookbooks recipe link, thickness and tartness comes from fewer cultures, cultured for a longer period of time. I use Fage as my starter (then I reuse my own yogurt several times before starting with a fresh starter), and I let it culture for ten to twelve hours. I find that 8-10 hours produces excellent flavor and pretty good texture but that an extra couple of hours makes enough of a difference in thickness that it's worth the wait.
My yogurt is magical and I feel sorry for people who enjoy yogurt but don't feel like it's worth making their own. Crockpots are a dime a dozen at thrift stores, and yogurt makers are not that expensive and often turn up at thrifts, garage sales, etc as well.
posted by padraigin at 1:15 PM on August 11, 2011 [3 favorites]
You could take another route and buy another company's regular yogurt and strain it overnight. I experimented with several companies' yogurts and found that buying the 32oz plain yogurt from Brown Cow works the best in terms of proximity of flavor to Fage (my faaavorite yogurt) and yield. If you use cheesecloth (the only extra equipment you'd need to buy and actually you can just use a sieve if you're like) you'll get about 17oz of thick, strained yogurt from a 32oz container of plain Brown Cow.
A container of that size is about 2-3 dollars so if you buy one 32oz container you'll be paying less than for 500g Fage.
posted by winterisfun at 7:35 PM on August 11, 2011
A container of that size is about 2-3 dollars so if you buy one 32oz container you'll be paying less than for 500g Fage.
posted by winterisfun at 7:35 PM on August 11, 2011
My experience is that one gallon of 2% milk will yield about two to two and a half quarts of very thick Greek yogurt--probably three quarts if I want a slightly thinner yogurt. It's very cost effective--here, at least, I can get a gallon of milk for $3 at CostCo, so there's that, and then there's the yogurt you use for a starter, which is about a buck for your first batch, and then (effectively) free after that, as you can use homemade yogurt for a starter without problem.
Price breakdown, then. The store-bought stuff is closer in consistency to the three-quarts-from-a-gallon yoghurt, in my experience, so we'll go with that. That's 96 ounces of yoghurt, or 12 eight-ounce cups. I got greek yoghurt on sale for $1 an 8-oz tub this week, but it's usually closer to $1.49 to $2. So going with the conservative numbers--$1/tub--that's $12 for store-bought, or $4 for homemade. Even considering the (fairly minimal) amount of work involved in making it at home, you're coming out significantly ahead, especially if you, like me, eat a lot of yoghurt.
I don't bother with a crockpot or yogurt maker--I just use a big, thick pot (Club Cookware from the 50s). Pour in gallon of milk, heat to 180, let cool to 110, dump in a couple ounces of purchased yogurt, mix well. Put lid on pot, place pot on a heating pad turned to low, leave overnight. In the morning, I line a strainer with coffee filters or paper towels and dump the yogurt into that. When it reaches the appropriate thickness, it gets dumped into a Tupperware and eaten for breakfasts.
Straining plain purchased yogurt does not, in my experience, give the same flavor profile as making it fresh or even purchasing Greek yogurt, but YMMV on that.
posted by MeghanC at 12:19 AM on August 12, 2011 [1 favorite]
Price breakdown, then. The store-bought stuff is closer in consistency to the three-quarts-from-a-gallon yoghurt, in my experience, so we'll go with that. That's 96 ounces of yoghurt, or 12 eight-ounce cups. I got greek yoghurt on sale for $1 an 8-oz tub this week, but it's usually closer to $1.49 to $2. So going with the conservative numbers--$1/tub--that's $12 for store-bought, or $4 for homemade. Even considering the (fairly minimal) amount of work involved in making it at home, you're coming out significantly ahead, especially if you, like me, eat a lot of yoghurt.
I don't bother with a crockpot or yogurt maker--I just use a big, thick pot (Club Cookware from the 50s). Pour in gallon of milk, heat to 180, let cool to 110, dump in a couple ounces of purchased yogurt, mix well. Put lid on pot, place pot on a heating pad turned to low, leave overnight. In the morning, I line a strainer with coffee filters or paper towels and dump the yogurt into that. When it reaches the appropriate thickness, it gets dumped into a Tupperware and eaten for breakfasts.
Straining plain purchased yogurt does not, in my experience, give the same flavor profile as making it fresh or even purchasing Greek yogurt, but YMMV on that.
posted by MeghanC at 12:19 AM on August 12, 2011 [1 favorite]
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posted by captaincrouton at 9:41 AM on August 11, 2011