How to Make Greek Yogurt in Your Slow Cooker Crock Pot - A Crockpot Recipe

Yogurt

1/2 gal. milk (2%, whole, soy, goat, breast, whatever milk you have)

1/2 c. starter (start with a plain natural yogurt with live active cultures - after the first time, put back a little of your yogurt to use as a starter)

Pour your milk into your crockpot. Set it to LOW and let it go for a couple hours. You want the milk to get to around 180°. You can use a thermometer if you want to get your time exact. I usually just stick my finger in there and if it's hot, then it's ready to go.

Next, UNPLUG your crockpot. Let the milk cool down to about 80°. It needs to still be warmer than room temp, but cool enough that it will not kill the live active cultures. It usually takes three or four hours.

Now, dip out a cup or so of the milk, and whisk in the starter. Stir that mixture back into the milk in the crockpot.

Cover it up and wrap a couple of beach towels around it to let it INCUBATE. It always seems like I'm making yogurt and people come over and I feel like I need to explain why the kitchen is pretty much perfectly straight - except for that giant beach towel bundle on the counter... incubating yogurt people, please...

So let that sit there for 8-10 hours. Sometimes I let it go overnight. Most of the time I'm not clever enough to time it out that way.

Now you have yogurt. If you like your yogurt on the thinner side, or for making smoothies, you are done, and can stick that yogurt in the fridge!

To make Greek style yogurt:

Take a huge bowl and a piece of cloth. You can use several layers of cheese cloth, or some other thinnish cloth. I use a cloth diaper. One of the non-prefolds. Secure the cloth over the bowl, like a drum. For this, I use rubber bands and a paperclip. Get creative, this step is worth it if you like thick yogurt. Spoon your yogurt onto the cloth and let it sit. The longer it sits, the more whey drains out. Now you have LESS yogurt, but the yogurt you have is thick and delicious. I also like to gently stir the yogurt while it's in the cloth to keep the consistency smooth.

Put back a half cup or so to use as a starter, and store the rest of your yogurt in whatever container you like. The more you use your own starter, the more of a bite your yogurt will have. If you don't like that bite, just use a store-bought starter each time.

Save that whey! You can use it in baking! I also use it in beans, but that's another hub for another day!

We eat this stuff all the time. I get the Walmart 2% milk to make it with and have them price match Aldi. I make a gallon at a time, so I am left with about 1/2 gallon of yogurt and 1/2 gallon of whey.

The best Greek yogurt is served with honey, and that's how I like to serve it up, too. Basswood honey is the best with yogurt, though any kind is still great!