Homemade Greek Yogurt

I eat a lot of plain whole milk Greek yogurt, which is not only expensive but uses a lot of plastic. So, I got myself this little Bear yogurt maker that does Greek yogurt, regular yogurt and also soft cheese and fruit wine.

I'm struggling with finding non ultra-pasteurized milk where we live, so it takes a bit longer to get it to the right coagulatin', but the strainer setup really creates the perfect texture I like (which is like Fage Total). 

We used to have a yogurt maker with the individual glass containers, but I didn't exactly like the sloppy wet yogurt that it produced. And it always smelled a little sour in the kitchen after it ran its course. So, I stopped using it a long time ago and ended up donating it when we moved to the mountains.

This one, on the other hand, has no smell when it runs and it has the Greek yogurt strainer so I can get it to the consistency I like. And I, once again, have a lot more control over the ingredients going in and can minimize the plastic, especially if I get milk in returnable glass bottles. 

You basically heat up the whole milk (or whatever you are using) to 180 degrees Fahrenheit and hold it for a few minutes at that temperature, let it cool to 110 or so and then mix in your yogurt starter. And then into the Lil' Bear on the 'Greek Yogurt' setting it goes for 10 hours, or until it reaches a consistency you are fond of.

Also, when I'm making it myself...I can use the whey for other projects (replacing the water in things like bread or oatmeal). But, more importantly, this yogurt is organic and lactose-free, because that's the kind of milk we use. If you don't like it plain, I'm a big fan of our Coffee Yogurt recipe.

Do you prefer Greek yogurt or regular? Or none at all?

Affiliate links (this is not a paid advertisement, this is something I researched on my own):

Here's the little fellow I got:

Bear Yogurt Maker, Greek Yogurt Maker Machine with Strainer and Timer Control, Stainless Steel Inner Pot, Automatic Digital with 2 Glass Jars 1 Quart for Home Organic Yogurt, Cheese, Fruit Wine

Cultures for Health Greek Yogurt Starter Culture

Our OG EuroCuisine YM80 Electric Yogurt Maker if you want the one with the little glass jars