GREEK YOGHURT STARTER INSTRUCTIONS

 

WHAT’S REQUIRED:

• 1000ml of pasteurised milk (whole milk works best). Boil the milk before hand and then allow it too cool back down to room temperature. Never place your starter culture into hot milk. Always allow it to cool back down after boiling!

• The freeze dried yoghurt starter.

• A yoghurt maker or similar device capable of heating to 42 degrees.

 

DIRECTIONS:

1. Fill a jug with 1000ml of milk (boil and cool the milk down beforehand).

2. Add the yoghurt starter to the milk and stir VERY well.

3. Add the mixture to your yoghurt maker jar/pots.

4. Heat the yoghurt for 10 hours. You may notice that the mixture has separated into curds and whey (thick white lumps surrounded by a yellowish liquid), this is normal and expected to happen.

5. If the yoghurt has not set after 10 hours. Leave it in the yoghurt maker longer. Keep checking on it every 2 hours if possible. In some instances, it can take up to 18 hours to fully set. Please be patient.

6. To strain to a Greek yogurt consistency, set a fine sieve lined with cheesecloth, a coffee filter, or a plain white paper towel over a bowl and spoon the yogurt into the sieve. Refrigerate and allow the liquid to drain off for 8-12 hours.

7. Ensure you keep back enough yoghurt each time you make it to re-culture the next batch. You will need roughly one tablespoon of the culture per 1000ml of milk. Always re-culture from fresh yoghurt no older than 7 days for the best results. This is a heirloom yoghurt that can be re-cultured indefinitely.

8. If you can’t eat your Greek yoghurt that day, it will keep in the refrigerator up to 7 days, and you can use it to re-culture other batches during that time.

 

FLAVOURINGS:

Feel free to experiment with flavouring your yoghurt. The important thing to remember is to always remove enough Greek yoghurt to re-culture the next batch before you add any flavourings.