Fat-Free Greek Yogurt

So the other day I saw this amazing blog post with a recipe for how to make your own greek yogurt. In case you don't know, greek yogurt is like REALLY expensive at the grocery store so I have only ever tried it once. Anyway, this yogurt is SOOOOO good. With some honey and granola on top, I might even choose it over ice cream. It's THAT good. If you have extra time, you should really read that blog post. It's pretty informative. She even has yogurt troubleshooting to help you figure out what went wrong if you fail (which I totally did the first time).

What you need

8 c. skim milk

1/4-1/2 c. nonfat dry milk (I used 1/2 c.)

1-2 tsp. yogurt as a starter (I used 2 tsp. of plain greek yogurt, you can use any type of plain yogurt you want, just as long as it has live cultures in it.)

What you do
First, put the 8 c of milk in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave until little bubbles appear around the outside and the temperature reaches 175-180F (it takes me 17 minutes on high). Stir it once or twice during microwaving so that a skin doesn't form on top.

Wait until the milk's temperature falls to 110-120F (this will take 30-45 minutes). THIS IS IMPORTANT. It it's hotter than 120F it'll kill the bacteria. Seriously, let it cool down to 110-120. Preheat the oven (the temperature doesn't really matter) FOR ONLY ONE MINUTE then turn the oven off and the oven light on. Cover the bowl with a towel and place in the oven with the light still on. Shut the oven door. It now needs to incubate for 6-10 hours at between 100-110F. In 6-10 hours (mine is best at about 8 hours) you will have yogurt. WOOHOO!!

It will be set, but still have a pretty thin layer of whey (yogurt-y liquid) on top. (See below picture.)

Spoon the mixture into a thin sieve lined with cheesecloth or paper towels over a bowl.

Drain until it's the consistency you like. The longer you drain it, the less whey there will be be and the thicker it will be. This makes it more like greek yogurt instead of regular yogurt. Once its drained the way you like it, spoon it into a large bowl or tupperware and whip with a good whisk until smooth, thick, and not clumpy at all. And there you go, yogurt. Thick, delicious greek yogurt for a fraction of the price you would buy it for at the store.