Tips & Tricks: Greek Strained Yogurt

Ok, this is my tip/trick of the month. Back when I was taking culinary classes, Greek yogurt wasn't really widely available like it is now. So, if you needed it for a recipe, you had to strain your own. In case you were unaware, the only difference between regular yogurt and Greek yogurt is that Greek yogurt is strained; that's why it's thicker. It's really not that difficult of a task to strain it yourself and it will save you a little bit of money.

I paid about $2.50 for a 16oz tub of plain yogurt. This will yield about 8oz of strained (Greek) yogurt. That same amount of Greek style yogurt would cost you anywhere from $4 - $5, depending on where you buy it. So, not a huge savings but every dollar counts! Plus, little savings like this add up over time.

Here's what you do:

1. Line a mesh strainer with cheese cloth or paper towel; either one will do.
2. Set the strainer in a large bowl so that there is at least 3 inches between the base of the strainer and the bottom of the bowl.
3. Dump in the entire 16oz container of plain yogurt. You will immediately see liquid start to drip out the bottom of the strainer.
4. Cover with plastic wrap (to prevent refrigerator funk) and place in the refrigerator.
5. After 30 minutes, take the yogurt out of the refrigerator. Take the strainer out of the bowl, dump out the liquid that has collected in the bottom of the bowl, then place back in the refrigerator.
6. After 1 more hour, again take out the strainer and dump out the liquid that has collected.
7. After another 1.5 hours, again take out the strainer and dump out the liquid.
8. At this point, the yogurt should be nice and thick and will have decreased in volume by about 50%. You can transfer the yogurt back to it's original container for storage. Just make sure to wash it first!
9. After step 5, you can actually just leave it in the refrigerator overnight if you don't have time to keep checking on it.