THIS HAS BEEN A FUN EXPERIMENT. I'VE BEEN CONSUMING ONE 7 OZ. CUP PER DAY OF PLAIN FAGE GREEK YOGURT. AT $1.89 A POP, I'M OVER BUDGET! I THOUGHT I'D TRY MY LUCK AT A HOMEMADE VERSION.I HEATED 1/2 GALLON OF 2% ORGANIC MILK TO A SCALD: 180 F. THEN COOLED IT TO 115 DEGREES. I ADDED ABOUT 3Tbs OF FAGE YOGURT TO THE MILK, AND WHISKED UNTIL THOROUGHLY BLENDED. I POURED THE MILK INTO 2 CLEAN PLASTIC YOGURT CONTAINERS, AND SNAPPED ON THE LIDS. (IF I HAD 2 GLASS QUART JARS, I'D HAVE USED THOSE INSTEAD.) I PUT THE 2 CONTAINERS IN A LARGE SOUP POT, AND ADDED 115 DEGREE WATER NEARLY UP TO THE RIMS OF THE YOGURT CONTAINERS. I PUT THE POT LID ON, WRAPPED IT IN A TOWEL, AND PLACED THE BUNDLE THE OVEN, WHICH I HAD PREVIOUSLY WARMED TO 180F AND TURNED OFF. I LEFT IT OVER NIGHT, AND THIS MORNING HAD 2 QUARTS OF YOGURT!
SINCE MY STRAINER IS NOT VERY BIG, I STRAINED THE YOGURT IN 2 BATCHES. I LINED THE STRAINER WITH A PAPER TOWEL, DUMPED IN A QUART OF YOGURT, PLACED IT OVER A BOWL, COVERED WITH SARAN WRAP AND PUT IN THE FRIDGE TO DRIP. EACH QUART YIELDED 1.5 CUPS OF WHEY AFTER 3 HOURS.
USING THIS METHOD, TWO QUARTS OF MILK YIELDS 3 CUPS OF WHEY AND ABOUT ONE QUART + 1/4 CUP OR SO, OF STRAINED YOGURT, WHICH COST $4.19. (IT LOSES SOME VOLUME WHEN STIRRED AND PUT INTO ITS FINAL CONTAINER.) IT'S TAKEN QUITE A BIT OF EFFORT, BUT WITH SOME MODIFICATIONS IN MY PROCESS, I CAN IMAGINE DOING THIS ON A REGULAR BASIS.
OH . . . AND THE TASTE? IT'S FANTASTIC. SMOOTH AND CREAMY. I JUST ATE A LITTLE BOWLFUL WITH MAPLE SYRUP. YUM!
