Subscribe To This Site
Make Your Own Strained YogurtIf you can’t find the thick, strained yogurt used in Greek cooking at your local grocery store, it’s very easy to make your own. 
What you need1 colander 1 bowl to put under the colander 1 piece of cheesecloth or a clean white dish towel, big enough to cover the colander Piece of string What you do 1. Place the colander over a bowl, where it doesn't touch the bottom. (There has to enough space for the liquid to drain.) 2. Line the colander with the piece of cheesecloth or clean white dish towel. 3. Dump the plain, unflavored yogurt you want to strain into the center of the cloth. 4. Grab the four corners of the cloth and bring them together and lift the yogurt. 5. Now twist the corners to squeeze out the liquid. (You will see it dripping through the cloth.) You can force the liquid out, by putting the yogurt under slight pressure. 6. As soon as the liquid will start to drip more slowly, you tie the tip of the cloth with a string, just above the yogurt. 7. Place the bowl with the colander in the refrigerator and allow it to drain for at least 2-3 hours. If you want, you can place something heavy on top of the yogurt. 8. After draining, take the cloth containing the yogurt and place it on a piece of kitchen paper, without removing the string. 9. Try to squeeze out some more liquid by gently pressing the bag. 10. Now you can remove the string and put the strained yogurt, which should be as thick as sour cream, in a bowl using a spatula or spoon. Or why not use this more modern technique that my friend Charlie from California and his Greek wife now use to make thick strained yogurt. What you need 1 metal mesh coffee filter Empty 1 qt yogurt container Cling film or plastic bag What you do 1. Empty the yogurt into the coffee filter. If you want to use the full qt you need two coffee filters. 2. Place the coffee filter into the now empty 1qt yogurt container. Make sure there is enough room below for the liquid. 3. Cover with plastic cling film or bag. 4. Leave in the refrigerator for at least 12 hours. Leave it for as long as 24 hours if you want a thicker yogurt. The liquid collected in the bowl under the colander is just whey and it’s great to use for making bread or why not use it in smoothies.
|
