Kurt R.A. Giambastiani

Dang. I was hoping to report on my second proof copy of FC:I, but it hasn’t arrived yet. So, to keep up with my “write every weekday” goal, we’ll go somewhere else entirely.

Yoghurt.

Didn’t see that coming, didya?

More to the point, homemade yoghurt. Even more to the point, homemade Greek yoghurt.

If you’ve been keeping up with this blog, you know that I don’t like paying more than I have to for…well…just about anything. Sure, there’s a point where saving my time is worth paying more, but when it comes to Greek yoghurt, hardly.

Admit it, Greek yoghurt is da bomb. It’s creamy. It’s thick. It stands up in your spoon, all luscious and white, and just screams “mouth feel.” (You foodies know what I mean.) So, yes, it’s good, and yes, it’s even three times as good as regular yoghurt, but it still irks me no end to shell out $6 for a tub of it.

So, I don’t. I make my own.

How? Easy. Dead easy.

• Buy a tub of the cheap stuff (32 oz of plain yoghurt of any fat content you wish (the fatter the better)).
• Get a colander or a sieve and line it with cheesecloth. I actually have a couple of quart-sized muslin bags I use for this.
• Dump the cheap yoghurt into the colander, sieve, or muslin bag.
• Put the colander/sieve into a large bowl, or hang the bag over a bowl, and store in the refrigerator.
• Wait 24-32 hours.
• Voila. You have Greek yoghurt.

Greek yoghurt is (essentially) regular yoghurt with more of the whey drained from it. That’s what catches in the bowl. The whey is good, but you never get enough to make it worth working with (some people make cheese from the whey), so I just drink it or toss it.

This yoghurt is great, and if you add in a dollop of jam or conserve (like the plum conserve I made the other day), it’s heaven.

k