Morning all!
Karitx-you are so right that the full fat stuff tends to disappear! I was so miffed when they changed my brand's fat content. Particularly so as this brand already has a fat free and 2% version
lgwane- so true! Many commercial yogurts are full of... CRAP. Lots of negative and almost no benefit! And... OOOPS! I suppose a recipe would be appropriate! LOL
Chuckie - I DID try using the well with the lid off...no go Houston! With my Lil Girl, atop the t-well lids is the perfect spot.
SO... the recipe that I neglected to include in my original post:
***Before you start, please take the time to test your 'warm spot'! It is important that you are able to maintain a constant temp of 90-110 degrees.
Greek Yogurt
Ingredients:3/4 gallon whole organic milk
1 quart organic heavy cream
8 oz plain Greek yogurt (I use Fage brand) for your starter
Tools:Large t-well pot
Digital thermometer
Metal spoon
Mesh strainer
Cotton cloth (I use an old pillow case cut in half along the seams)
Pour milk and cream into your pot. I like to then place the pot into a deep skillet of water, to prevent the milk from scorching while heating.
Bring mixture to a temp of 160 deg. stirring regularly.
Remove from heat and allow to cool to 110 (do not cool to below 90) Stir occasionally to prevent a skin from forming.
Once the mixture has cooled to 110, remove a cup (approx) of the liquid and, in a separate bowl, combine with your starter yogurt. This thins out the yogurt, which you will then add back into the pot.
Put the lid on your pot. If using a t-well pot, don't clamp the lid. You will be checking the temp on a regular basis while it ferments and, you want to avoid disturbing the yogurt to much during this process.
Check the temp every hour or so...
I've found that the fermentation process take roughly 9-10 hours. After making a few batches, you will find your particular sweet spot.
Once fermentation is complete, remove from the warm spot, allow to cool for two hours and then place in the fridge overnight.
The next morning it's time to strain! In order to create a true Greek yogurt, this step is a must!
Line a mesh strainer with cloth. I use an oblong, over the sink strainer which I set on a 12L rectangular plastic tote. I use metal binder clips (office supply item) to fasten the cloth in place. ***these are only my suggestions, find what works best for you!
Gently spoon the yogurt into the cloth lined strainer, cover with foil and put in the fridge.
I generally allow my yogurt to strain most of the day. About halfway through this process, you will want to gently stir the yogurt once... As it strains, the yogurt will become so thick at the bottom, that it won't allow the whey to drain.
Once it's strained, put in the container(s) of your choice!
That's all there is to it!
You may dress it up or down as you like. I eat yogurt almost everyday for breakfast, adding shredded coconut, nuts and/or fruit. Great for cooking as well!