Home-Made Greek Yogurt

Our answer

Greek (or Greek-style) yogurt thicker than regular yogurt. The reason for this is that it is strained yogurt, which means that it is relatively easy to make at home. You need some plain or natural yogurt, a sieve (strainer), some clean cheesecloth or muslin and a deep bowl or jug. You can use full fat (whole milk) yogurt, reduced fat (2% fat) yogurt or fat free yogurt for this but we feel that it is better made with the full fat or reduced fat type.

Line the sieve with a double layer of cheesecloth and set it over a bowl or jug (make sure that you can fit them into your fridge). Spoon the yogurt into the lined sieve and leave in the fridge overnight. In the morning you should have some thin liquid (whey) in the jug and thickened Greek-style yogurt in the sieve. Transfer the yogurt to a container and store in the fridge. It is best to eat it within 5 days. The whey can be discarded or can be used to make up some of the liquid in a bread recipe (it gives the loaf a slight tang).

You can continue straining the yogurt for an extra day or so until it is very thick, to make a yogurt cheese. Yogurt cheese can be spread onto crakcers or formed into small balls and the balls can be rolled in chopped herbs or chopped nuts to make a canape or appetizer.