How I make Greek Yogurt at home using a Crock-Pot Express

Cooking at home is always going to be the healthiest way to eat and more often than not it'll taste far better than what you'd find in stores or at a restaurant.

I recently started making yogurt at home, it tastes amazing and has much more probiotics than what you'll buy commercially. This is due to the longer fermentation process. From what I've read, most commercial yogurts only ferment for about 6 hours. I typically like mine at about 20-24 hours.

Skip to bottom for recipe breakdown

I start with whole milk from Braum's (they use exclusively A2 milk). I add about 2 quarts to my Crock-Pot Express and then set it to Yogurt, change temp to High, and then Start. This is to make sure we have fully killed off any bad bacteria before we start, you do not want any cross contamination.

Once this process finished, you need to let the milk cool down to about 95 degrees before proceeding.

Once cooled you add your probiotic starter. There's a couple of ways you can do this 1- Use 2 heaping Tablespoons of yogurt (not a measuring spoon) or 2- a couple of probiotic capsules that you open up and empty into the milk.

Again, make sure not to add these until the milk has cooled down or you will kill off the healthy bacteria.

For my first batch I did a combination, I used one heaping tablespoon of Member's Mark Greek Yogurt as that's all we had left and then I added 1 capsule of a multi-strain probiotic pill from Vitacost. Gently whisk into the milk to get full distribution.

At this time we add the lid back on and set it up for Yogurt. Low Temp. Increase the timer to 12 hours (max time allowed on this machine).

Since taste is subjective you can begin tasting it after 10-12 hours, but I do sgguest going the full 20-24 hours.

I typically turn the machine off and then reset it for another 12 hours so that it's ready for me to work with in the morning.

Pro Tip: Do NOT stir during the fermentation process

Once I'm ready in the morning I set up my rudimentary straining set up.

You can skip this if you want regular yougurt, but I only like Greek Yogurt which is yogurt that has been strained of it's whey either partially or completely.

My setup is a glass bowl, fitted with a metal colander lined with cheesecloth or something similar.

I then pour out about half of the mixture as that's the max my colander fits and I let that strain, covered with plastic wrap, in the fridge for a few hours.

I then bottle up the finished yogurt into a mason jar and pour the strained whey into a different mason jar. Repeat the process for the remaining yogurt.

The whey has many uses, but most importantly for yogurt you can use it as a starter for your next batch. Use approx ¼ cup.
You can also use the whey in different recipes and keep all the probiotic benefits. Experiment with it. I recently found adding some to a cold brew coffee reminded me of an Italian Soda.

I recently got a new gadget I was excited to try out that will save me so much time during the straining process and allow me to do it all at once, but it didn't show up until after I finished this batch. It's a special Greek Yogurt straining bowl with built-in cover.

I'm all about saving time now because it's often the time-consuming aspects of things that make me procrastinate or lose interest. This is going to be a game-changer for the final process.

Link to Strainer here

Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 quarts whole milk (I use Braum's A2 milk)
• 2 heaping tablespoons of plain Greek yogurt or 2 probiotic capsules

Equipment

• Crock-Pot Express
• Thermometer
• Whisk
• Cheesecloth
• Metal colander
• Glass bowl
• Mason jars

Steps to Make Greek Yogurt

• Prepare the Milk:
• Pour 2 quarts of whole milk into the Crock-Pot Express.
• Set to 'Yogurt' and change the temp to 'High'. Press 'Start'.
• This step kills any bad bacteria. Once done, let the milk cool to 95°F.

• Add the Starter:
• Add 2 heaping tablespoons of plain Greek yogurt or 2 probiotic capsules to the cooled milk.
• Gently whisk to ensure even distribution.

• Fermentation:
• Set the Crock-Pot to 'Yogurt' on 'Low Temp' and set the timer for 12 hours.
• Taste after 10-12 hours. For a tangier flavor, ferment for 20-24 hours by resetting the timer.

• Pro Tip: Do NOT stir during fermentation.

• Straining:
• For Greek yogurt, strain the mixture. Set up a glass bowl with a metal colander lined with cheesecloth.
• Pour half the yogurt into the colander, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for a few hours.
• Transfer the strained yogurt into mason jars. Repeat for the remaining yogurt.
• Transfer the strained whey into mason jars.

• Pro Tip: Save the whey for your next batch or other recipes.

Using Whey

• Use ¼ cup of whey as a starter for your next batch of yogurt.
• Experiment with whey in recipes for added probiotic benefits, like adding it to cold brew coffee for an Italian soda flavor.

Final Thoughts

I recently got a special Greek yogurt straining bowl with a built-in cover, which saves time and makes the process more convenient. This tool has been a game-changer for me, helping me avoid procrastination and stay consistent.