Quick Tip: DIY Greek Yogurt
You guys see my grocery bill (and contents) every week, so you know I have a Greek Yogurt problem. It like it and I buy it weekly, but, it is a lot more expensive than traditional yogurt.
I always buy plain nonfat Greek yogurt, and use it as a nighttime snack, usually in a parfait form with some kiwi, mango, or strawberries if I’m lucky. Flavored varieties have a lot of added sugar, so I sweeten with fruit only. I don’t like to go to bed too hungry, but I don’t want to load up on a bunch of carbs before going to sleep. So, a small yogurt parfait does the trick when I need a snack, and is high in protein.
In reading the Café Flora Cookbook (seriously, I love this cookbook), I discovered something worth sharing. If you strain regular yogurt, you can get anything from Greek yogurt thickness to crème fraiche to cream cheese, depending on how long you drain it. By draining it, you remove the whey, and the yogurt gets thicker. You’re basically doing what the folks at Fage do to get Greek yogurt, but, saving a little money.
Genius.
You need:
- Yogurt (any type will work, except for yogurt with gelatin added as a thickener)
- Sieve
- Coffee Filter
- Bowl
Instructions:
- Put the coffee filter in the sieve and the sieve on a deep bowl
- Scoop the yogurt into the coffee filter
- Set the contraption in your fridge to let the yogurt drain
- After one hour, the volume will be reduced by 25%, perfect Greek Yogurt thickness
- If you drain the yogurt overnight, it’ll reduce by 50% you’ll have cream cheese thickness.
Before:
After 1 hour:
There are about 1.5 inches of liquid in the bowl, which measured to 3/4 cup!
Have a great Monday!
