How Lazy Americans Make European Yogurt

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Yogurt in Europe is life changing. It’s creamy, and wonderfully natural. European yogurt also lacks the artificial sweeteners and preservatives found in processed American yogurt. Making your own yogurt, using the ingredients of your choice, is easy. I’ll show you how lazy Americans make European Yogurt. 

My first taste of French yogurt, wasn’t actually in France.

Rather, my first taste of French yogurt was in a small shop in Rome. The shop sold gelato, their own cheese, and yogurt. Miraculous, and heavenly yogurt! It was here I learned that impossibly thick Greek yogurt boasts a more tangy taste than its sweeter French counter part.

Homemade European Yogurt.

For simplicity, I make European yogurt in an Instant Pot.

Europeans typically don’t make yogurt in Instant Pots. However, it’s how I make it (and I’m a lazy American!).

First, if you don’t have an Instant Pot, there are plenty of recipes online that explain how to make European yogurt without one. You won’t be quite as lazy as I am but you can still be in the club, OK? My Instant Pot has a “yogurt setting”. This is something to look for if you are considering purchasing one.

Ingredients

  • Half a gallon of milk
  • 2 TBL Yogurt “starter” or “culture” 
  • 2 TBL Vanilla Extract (optional) 
  • 1/8 cup sugar or other sweetener (optional)

I start by pouring half a gallon of pasteurized milk into my Instant Pot.

I use whole milk or 2% milk. 1% is also great, but the texture is looser.

Next add two heaping tablespoons of plain yogurt from the store. Then, use a whisk to combine it really well.

The yogurt from the store will be your “starter”. Yogurt contains “live and active” cultures. They are living organisms (Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus) which convert pasteurized milk into yogurt during fermentation. My favorite starters are Fage yogurt, Siggi’s, or even Oui vanilla yogurt. Oui yogurt is made by Yoplait, and can be a bit spendy. However, it’s sold in glass pots that are reusable.

In addition to the milk and yogurt “starter”, I also add a couple of optional ingredients:

  1. 2 TBSP Vanilla Extract
  2. Sweetener – I add about 1/8 cup of white sugar, as my children prefer a little sweeter yogurt. If you are a purist and like a tangy yogurt, you can omit this. Some American yogurt makers add more (or less) sugar, or even sweeten it with a can of condensed milk for a custard type taste.

After that, secure the Instant Pot lid. Your Instant pot doesn’t need to be under pressure to make yogurt. After setting the timer for 8 hours (pressing the yogurt setting) I walk away. See what I mean? Lazy American.

After about 8 hours, the yogurt gets thick and watery. The watery part is whey. Greek (and French) yogurt makers achieve their thickest, creamiest texture by straining the yogurt and separating the two.

yogurt, homemade yogurt
Yogurt from the Instant pot

Straining removes the whey.

You can remove the whey in a variety of ways. I suggest a cheese cloth or a yogurt strainer. I bought a Euro Cuisine strainer in Spain, but they are now available on Amazon.

There are lots of great ways to use the leftover whey. Add whey to smoothies, use whey in baking, use it to cook potatoes, or toss it in black compost to make highly nutrient rich soil.

Straining to remove Yogurt Whey

Homemade yogurt is good for two weeks when refrigerated. For culturing, the yogurt should be used sooner. Use your yogurt within seven days if you plan to use it as “starter” in place of a store bought brand listed above.

I store my yogurt in the glass jars that grocery store yogurt came in. These Oui jars are great. It’s the dickens removing the labels, though. Yoplait, the maker of Oui sells lids that fit perfectly on their jars.

Reusable Glass Oui Pots.

My kids love to add to their yogurt. As a result I keep granola, fresh fruit, dried fruit, honey and nuts on hand. A new favorite is adding a dollop of homemade yogurt to oatmeal. Making and enjoying homemade European at home is easy and delicious!