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Greek Yogurt

Makes 2 quarts

Ingredients

  • 1-gallon milk (Trader Joe and Costco sells 2% lactose-free milk)
  • 3 tablespoons plain Greek yogurt with live and active cultures

Directions

  1. (Optional) Sterilize your pot – add 3 cups of water to the IP cooking pot, lock on lid and close Pressure Valve. Push the Steam button and adjust time to 5 minutes. When Beep is heard, do a Quick Release. When all pressure has been released, remove lid and dump put the water. Dry and cool off cooking pot.
  2. Pour 1 gallon of milk (1%, 2%, or whole) into a cool/cold Instant Pot. Set to “Venting” mode. Push "Yogurt" then "Adjust" until the screen reads "boil." Place the lid on and walk away. It will heat the milk until boiling, which takes about an hour. The display will say, “yogt” when it’s done.
  3. Once the boil cycle is finished and the pot beeps, give the milk a quick stir and then use a thermometer to read the temperature. You need the milk to have reached 180 degrees F. If it has not, push the "Saute" function, then “Adjust”, then select “Low” to heat the milk a bit more. NOTE: Getting the milk to 183-185 degrees and holding there for a few minutes, will yield a thicker yogurt.
  4. Once 180 degrees F have been reached, remove the pot insert, set the pot in a sink full of ice cold water and stir regularly with a whisk. Cool milk down to 95-110 degrees, whisking often. This takes about 15 minutes.
  5. After reaching 110* or a little lower, scoop out some milk from the pot and whisk in the starter - 3 tablespoons of plain yogurt. Pour milk with the starter back into cooking pot, whisking thoroughly. NOTE: Your yogurt taste will be determined by the starter you use.
  6. Place the pot insert back into the Instant Pot and close the lid. Press the "Yogurt" button again and then "Adjust" until the screen reads "8:00" Normal. This means the pot will incubate the yogurt for 8 hours. NOTE: Use the “Adjust” button to add on 2 more minutes to for "10:00" hours for a tangier yogurt. The incubation will end after whatever time you have set it.
  7. Once the incubation period completes, either refrigerate the yogurt as is, or make it into Greek yogurt.
    • To make Greek yogurt: strain the yogurt using single layer cheese cloth covering a large colander or strainer. Allow the yogurt to drip in the sink or over a bowl for 1-4 hours, (Annie uses 3 hours.) depending on desired thickness. The longer the strain, the thicker the yogurt. If you strain overnight, it will be super thick – you can stick a spoon in it straight up and it will remain straight.
  8. Store yogurt in the fridge and it will be good for at least two weeks. Don't forget to reserve 3 tablespoons of yogurt to be your starter for next time! Freeze this in ice cube trays and you're all set.