semi-homemade: Greek Yogurt

To give credit where credit is due, I first saw this idea from the amazing mommy of 3, brilliant homemaker, Nicole Lane. (You should definitely check out her blog...adorable kids, sweet family, words of wisdom....but at the very least, her recipe section. This girl makes her own deodorant and laundry detergent! And of course the energy bars that I blogged about a while ago.)

Anyhow, in case you didn't know it, there is a simple way to make your own Greek yogurt! I've used regular non-fat Dannon yogurt, and PS organic yogurt as well (found that the organic yogurt took a little long to strain before I got my desired consistency, but does have more protein, less calories, etc).

GREEK YOGURT

Step 1: Hang a medium-sized colander/strainer (w/ small perforations) over a larger bowl.

(There should be plenty of distance between bottom of colander and bottom of bowl, for the whey to drip and gather.)

Step 2: Line the colander with a coffee filter.

Step 3: Pour yogurt into coffee filter (I do 32 oz. at a time).

Step 4: Cover w/ saran wrap.

Step 5: Refrigerate for up to 8 hours/overnight, or according to the consistency that you prefer. I like it really thick, so the longer the better.

Tada! Greek yogurt!

As Nicole mentions in her post, you can save the whey in a mason jar to use for other purposes, which I did. However, I only take homemade to a certain level, so we'll see if I ever use it for anything!

Now, there are some debates about the nutritional value of Greek yogurt that has been purchased as Greek yogurt. But, on our budget, I just can't justify spending the $3.29 for a 7 oz. jar of Greek yogurt that I'm going to consume in three days. So, I like this idea much better!