Can it be?? Crock Pot Greek Yogurt!!

So, this is a recipe that I have only recently started making, but it is so fantastically simple and foolproof, that I just have to share!!

Our family is relatively new to the whole Greek Yogurt scene, but since discovering how amazingly healthy it is, how remarkably versatile it is, and how protein packed this deliciously creamy treat is, we've spent our fair share of money purchasing buckets of this stuff!  So, I began researching what makes yogurt Greek, and if I could do this myself at home.  And do you know what I discovered??  I could indeed make it myself, and for about a fifth of the cost of the store bought stuff!!  I generally followed the basic directions for crock pot yogurt from this super great post: http://www.nourishingdays.com/2009/02/make-yogurt-in-your-crock-pot/  though I made a few changes based on some other research I did.

Crock Pot Greek Yogurt

Ingredients:

• 1/2 gallon of Milk (you can use any kind of milk you would like - lowfat, whole, organic, I just use non-fat)
• 2-3 Tbls. Plain Yogurt (I used Chobani Plain Non-fat Greek Yogurt, but you can use any plain yogurt as your starter as long as it has live cultures)

Directions:

  Allow me to begin by saying that due to the amount of time the yogurt has to sit to actually become yogurt, I usually start this process around 2-3 in the afternoon so my yogurt can culture overnight.  Just figure out what time you want your yogurt ready in the morning, and count back 14-18 hours for your start time.

  Using a 4-4.5 quart crock pot, plug in and turn crock pot on to the low setting.  Pour a half gallon or 8 cups of milk into the crock pot.  Put the lid on and leave it to heat for 2 hours and 45 minutes.  After it has heated, turn off and unplug the crock pot, then just leave it alone for 3 hours.  After this, pull 1-2 cups of the milk out of the crock pot, and whisk in your starter yogurt.  Pour back into the crock pot with the rest of the milk and whisk thoroughly.  Wrap the entire crock pot in a thick towel and place in a warm spot (like the oven) for 8-12 hours.  At this point you have good old plain yogurt.  

  To make plain yogurt into Greek yogurt, you want to line a colander with a clean t-shirt that has no print or screening on it.  You want about 2 layers of material, so a t-shirt works great for this!  Place the lined colander into a large bowl, making sure that the colander is resting at least an inch above the bottom of the bowl.  Now pour all of that yogurt into your colander, cover the top with a little plastic wrap, and place in the fridge for about an hour.  What you'll see is that the yogurt solids, or yogurt cheese, is left sitting in the t-shirt, while a clear-yellowish liquid called whey, is drained into the bowl.    You may need to stir the yogurt every once in a while if you see whey sitting on the top.  You want your yogurt to reduce by about half, but once the whey is drained you are left with some lovely, creamy Greek yogurt!  I throw my whey out, but I'm sure you could probably find some recipe somewhere that uses the whey.   I also read that dogs really love the stuff, so if you can't bear with letting it go, find some sweet little pup to give it to and make their day!  Let your yogurt sit in the fridge for a good couple of hours before you use it for the best flavor, and remember to save at least a couple tablespoons so you can make another batch soon!! :)