Making Greek Yogurt with Raw Milk

Make regular or Greek yogurt from milk purchased raw by heating it to 175–180°F before adding the starter, then incubating and straining as desired.

8 servings

yogurt made from raw milk with strawberries.

Prep Time 20

Incubation + Straining Time 8

Total Time 8 20

Ingredients

1 quart (946 g) unpasteurized dairy milk
1 tablespoon fresh plain yogurt with live active cultures

Instructions

Make the Yogurt

Heat the milk: Pour the milk into a 2-quart microwave-safe glass bowl or pitcher. Microwave uncovered on High until bubbles begin to appear around the edge and the temperature reaches 175–180°F. Check after 9 minutes; in my microwave, this takes about 11 minutes.
Alternatively, heat the milk in a heavy saucepan on the stove, stirring occasionally, until it reaches 175–180°F.
Cool the milk: Let the milk cool undisturbed to 100–110°F. A skin will likely form on the surface; lift it off with a spoon before adding the starter. Use an ice bath to speed cooling if desired.
Add the starter: Whisk in the fresh plain yogurt. Use purchased yogurt with live active cultures or yogurt saved from a recent homemade batch.
Incubate: Cover the milk and place it in a warm environment that stays around 100–105°F. Incubate without disturbing for 4–8 hours, or until the yogurt is set. A longer incubation produces a tangier flavor.
Choose regular or Greek yogurt: For regular yogurt, whisk until smooth and refrigerate. For Greek yogurt, strain it before chilling as directed below.

From Regular Yogurt to Greek Yogurt

Transfer to a strainer: Carefully spoon or pour the warm yogurt into a fine-mesh yogurt strainer, straining pouch, or colander lined with a large paper coffee filter.
Strain the yogurt: Let the yogurt drain for 1–3 hours, or until it reaches your preferred thickness. For moderately thick Greek yogurt, strain until its volume is reduced by approximately one-third. Empty the collected whey as necessary.
Whisk until smooth: Transfer the strained yogurt to a clean bowl and whisk until smooth. If it is thicker than you prefer, whisk in a small amount of milk or leftover whey.
Flavor and chill: Add sweetener or flavoring, if desired. Refrigerate until cold.

Notes

Food safety: This recipe starts with unpasteurized milk but heats it to 175–180°F before adding the starter. I do not recommend making yogurt from raw milk without heating it first.

Storage: Refrigerate homemade yogurt promptly and use it within 7—10 days.

Timing: Total time does not include cooling the milk or the optional 1–3 hours needed to strain Greek yogurt.

Nutrition: Nutrition information is an estimate. The values will vary depending on the milk and the amount of whey removed during straining.

Nutritional Information