Over the years, Greek yogurt has become all the rage -- first there was only Fage, but now it seems every yogurt company is making Greek yogurt (there's even a new line aimed at kids). Greek yogurt is known for its incredible creaminess and its higher level of protein compared to regular yogurt. Many of us have made the switch for those reasons, but our wallets have taken the brunt of it. The good-quality kind is expensive -- a 17.6-ounce container costs around $4.69 whereas a 32-ounce container of regular yogurt costs around $2.79. You're basically getting half the yogurt for double the price.
So what makes Greek yogurt different? It has been strained. But strained yogurt isn't particularly Greek -- other cultures throughout the Mediterranean and Middle East do it too. If you take regular yogurt and strain it, you will have strained yogurt and whey on the other end. If you want to save yourself some money, then that's exactly what you want to do. Straining a 32-ounce container of plain, regular yogurt will yield about the same amount as a 17.6-ounce container of Greek yogurt -- and it's nearly half the price.
- strainer
- bowl
- cheesecloth
- 32-ounce container plain, regular yogurt (full fat, low fat, nonfat, organic, etc.)
- plastic wrap
Place a strainer over a large bowl, line it with cheesecloth and dump in the regular yogurt. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate. After about 1 to 2 hours you will have yogurt that is as thick as sour cream. If you want it even thicker, let it sit for a few more hours, even overnight. Discard the whey that has drained out into the bowl. Transfer the yogurt to a sealable container and store in the refrigerator. Enjoy within 1 week.
For recipes to use that Greek yogurt you've just made, see our slideshow below.
Greek Yogurt Recipes
Yogurt photo from Cooking for Geeks, Flickr.