Homemade Greek Yogurt Recipe

This yogurt is chock-full of bacteria, and we love it!

No, we’re not trying to start an epidemic, so you can put away the hand sanitizer now.

Around here, we are huge fans of probiotics--healthy bacteria found in food that improve digestive and immune health.

These microorganisms can be eaten in food to repopulate the beneficial bacteria in your intestinal tract. Better yet, they are found in multiple foods, such as yogurt, kefir, and sauerkraut.

Why bother adding probiotic foods to your diet? These bacteria can regulate digestion to reduce uncomfortable GI symptoms, including constipation and diarrhea. Better yet, this bacteria can crowd out the “bad” bacteria, which can lead to an improved immune system and reduced risk of UTIs.

Ready to give probiotics a chance? You won’t have to go far. Try our recipe below for homemade Greek yogurt, and prepare to experience the perks of having more bacteria in your life.

Homemade Greek Yogurt

Ingredients:

½ gallon fluid milk, any fat level is fine

2 tablespoons plain yogurt with live active cultures

Sugar, honey, fruit, and flavorings to taste

Directions:

1. Place milk in a large stock pot, and heat to 180 degrees, stirring constantly so milk does not scorch (can also heat milk in microwave, testing every few minutes).
2. Remove from heat and allow milk to cool to 105-110 degrees. You can stir occasionally to help speed up the process of cooling.
3. Once cooled, add the 2-3 tablespoons of plain yogurt and whisk in well.
4. Cover pot, wrap pot in towels, and place into unheated oven with oven light on.
5. Let milk rest in oven for 7 to 8 hours. Note: if you typically do not tolerate yogurt, we suggest you try a longer ferment of up to 24 hours. This will allow the proteins to be easier to digest and for more probiotics to develop. Both of these factors make digesting yogurt easier.
6. Remove yogurt from oven, pour yogurt into strainer (colander) that has been placed into a large bowl and lined with coffee filters, or 4 layers of cheesecloth.
7. Allow the yogurt to drain 3-4 hours or longer in you prefer a thicker yogurt. If the yogurt becomes too thick, you can easily add back a portion of the whey liquid.

The probiotics found in yogurt are a wonderful way to support gut health, but for many people experiencing chronic IBS symptoms such as diarrhea, constipation, bloating, fatigue, and more, this is not enough. If you are experiencing long-lasting GI discomfort, consider scheduling a free phone call with our dietitian, Anna, who has helped many people find freedom from gut disorders, autoimmune conditions, and more!