Thursday, March 18, 2010

Homemade Greek Yogurt


I just found this article through a cheese blog I follow.
I'm so excited about it that I am posting it on BOTH my blogs.
I love Greek yogurt, and now have a recipe to make it myself! YUM!


The trick to Making Yogurt Cheese in a Dish Towel
Published: March 16, 2010 in The New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/17/dining/17mini.html

"Producing yogurt cheese is quite simple. It takes a couple of hours, but your presence is required only for minutes. All you do is strain some of the water out of yogurt, until it reaches the thickness you want. For straining, I recommend a colander or coarse strainer lined with a clean cotton dish towel of fairly fine weave, what used to be called flour sack. (Many recipes suggest the use of cheesecloth, but you’d have to use about 10 layers for the same results.) Dump a quart (or whatever quantity you like) of yogurt in there, set the colander over a bowl in the refrigerator, twist or tie the top of the towel, and wait.

To speed the process, squeeze every now and then, or don’t bother. When the yogurt has reached the consistency of sour cream, twist and squeeze once more and scoop out the yogurt, which will have been reduced in volume by about half. (I suppose you could save and drink the yogurt-water, or cook with it, but I don’t.) Store the thickened yogurt in a covered container and use it within a week or so for best quality."

Thanks Mark Bittman!

1 comment:

Joy! said...

Years ago when cruising in the Bahamas where fresh dairy of any kind was almost non-existent, I made my own yogurt using what I called 'paper milk.' Milk in paper cartons that did not require refrigeration prior to opening was relatively new and I stocked up before we left the U.S. Necessity being the mother of invention, I turned my yogurt into a more solid substance by draining it in a cone-shaped paper coffee filter. At the time, I did not know I was making 'Greek Yogurt,' but it sure worked as a substitute for sour cream in my chicken enchiladas. I still use the method for a low-fat sour cream sub. Works great to put into the cone coffee filter and set in the refrigerator overnight.