The Yogurt Test

With so many brands of yogurt on the market, I decided to find out if different brands of yogurt produce different results when making Greek yogurt.

This past weekend I tested two brands of yogurt: Olympic Non-Fat Organic & Astro Original 0%.

The tools: 1 layer of cheesecloth, bowl and clips

The Assembly:

1. Cut cheesecloth to fit the circumference of the bowl you are using
2. Clip the cheesecloth to the sides of the bowl TIP: mold the cheesecloth against the bowl so it too is in the shape of a bowl but be sure the cloth does not touch the bottom of the bowl (allow 3 inches of clearance)
3. Gently spoon the yogurt onto the cheesecloth
4. Cover the bowl with aluminum foil
5. Place in fridge for 2 days

The Outcome:

Olympic Non-Fat Organic

• Yogurt became thick
• The yogurt lost 1/3 of the volume
• 2 cups of whey strained into the bowl

Astro Original 0%

• Yogurt became really thick, it was almost cream cheese texture. Definitely much thicker than the Olympic Non-Fat Organic
• The yogurt lost 1/2 of the volume
• 1.5 cups of whey strained into the bowl

Verdict

• Both the Organic Olympic and the Astro Original turned out nice and thick, just like Greek yogurt should be!
• But, I have a favourite! Astro Original 0% has officially become my go-to yogurt for making Greek yogurt. 

A Classic

My favourite way to enjoy Greek yogurt is with granola and agave syrup.

My preferred granola is Kashi Go Lean. It is low fat and high protein: 230 calories, 3 g of fat, 9 g of fibre and 10 g of protein for 1 cup serving.

The agave syrup is much sweeter than honey so only a touch is needed.

Perfection!

Greek Yogurt and Mexican Night

When I first discovered Greek yogurt I ate as a post-exercise snack with granola. A perfect combination of creamy, sweet and crunchy. But surely there must be more to Greek yogurt than this?

Now that I have successfully made Greek yogurt, I am inspired.

Since my homemade Greek yogurt has the tang and thickness of sour cream, my first Greek yogurt recipe came to me as the star ingredient for Mexican night!

Mexican night is always fun! I made Mexican turkey mini meatloaf, avocado and tomato rustic salad, nachos with cheese accompanied by Cilantro Coriander Greek yogurt.

Cilantro Coriander Greek yogurt

1 cup of Greek yogurt

1/2 cup of cilantro finely chopped

1 tbl freshly ground coriander (I purchased coriander seeds and ground them in a pepper mill)

1/2 lime squeezed

Salt and pepper to taste

Who the heck blogs about yogurt?

Well I never thought I would end up doing the dirty job.

It all started back in November 2009. My local specialty food shop started carrying Chobani and Oikos Greek yogurt and I fell in love instantly. Not only is the taste incredible with the creamiest texture I have ever had in a yogurt, the nutritional information knocked my socks off: 120 calories, 0 grams of fat and 15 grams of protein.  Now this is my idea of a super food, high in protein, perfect for a post-exercise snack when your body needs the carbs and protein for muscle repair. So at $3.29 CDN a pop (for 175ml) I started stocking up and spending a pretty penny to support my daily yogurt habit.

I never occurred to me that I could make my own Greek yogurt. This idea was suggested to me just 3 short weeks ago and I was really excited. It sounded so easy and I liked the idea of being able to make my own Greek yogurt. 

So here we are.

I present to you my first attempt at making Greek yogurt.

The tools:

1. 1 tub of 0% yogurt - I used Astro Original 0% at $3.49 for 750 ml
2. Cheesecloth
3. Bowl
4. Clips

 

The Assembly:

1. Cut cheesecloth to fit the circumference of the bowl you are using. Use one layer of cheesecloth.
2. Clip the cheesecloth to the sides of the bowl TIP: Mold the cheesecloth against the bowl so it too is in the shape of the bowl but be sure the cloth does not touch the bottom of the bowl (allow 3 inches of clearance)
3. Gently spoon the yogurt onto the cheesecloth
4. Cover the bowl with aluminum foil
5. Place in fridge for 2 days

The Outcome:

Thick luscious yogurt with 1 cup of whey sitting at the bottom of the bowl.

The yogurt volume was reduced to 1/2 the container or 375 ml.

I declare myself a Greek yogurt making pro.  How can I use this new skill for good? What am I going to make with all this yogurt?

Stay tuned....