After much research online, I found this site to be the most helpful when learning how to make greek yogurt. It will walk you step by step through the process with pictures and tips. I've made it 4 times now and it has gotten better each time. LOVE how cheap it is to make too compared to what I was paying at the store.
Ingredients
2 quarts
milk
2 tsp. plain yogurt
¼ cup instant dry milk powder (optional) –I
haven’t tried this yet
1
tbsp. vanilla extract (optional) – I didn’t
bother with this either
---Add 2
quarts of milk to a saucepan and heat over medium-high heat, stirring
occasionally. (You can use whatever type
of milk you prefer. I like 2%, but skim,
1% or whole are all fine too.) Continue
heating until the temperature reaches 180˚ F.
(This denatures the milk proteins so that they do not interfere with the
incubation process.) Remove from the
heat.
----Set
aside and let cool, stirring occasionally, until the temperature has dropped to
between 110-120˚ F. It is important that
the temperature is within this range so that the bacterial cultures can do
their thing. If the temperature is too
hot, the cultures will be killed. If it
is too low, they won’t incubate properly.
----Add the
milk to a ceramic or glass bowl and stir in 2 teaspoons of plain yogurt. This will provide the live active cultures
needed to make your yogurt work – essentially, yogurt is a starter for making
more yogurt. (Some people say that you
shouldn’t use your homemade yogurt as the starter for more yogurt because it
may cause a sour taste. Some people say
it is fine to use your own yogurt as a starter.
You’ll have to experiment and see what works for you.) If you are using instant dry milk, whisk it
in at this time.
----Preheat
the oven (to any temperature), shutting the oven off after 1 minute. This serves to slightly warm the oven, taking
any chill out of the air. Turn the oven
light on. Cover the dish and wrap the
covered bowl in a couple of thick kitchen towels. (I use a Pyrex dish that has a lid, but I’m
sure you could use a mixing bowl and cover it with a plate just fine.) Close the oven and let the mixture incubate
in the warm oven. (It is important that
the mixture stay within the aforementioned temperature range during the entire
incubation period. If you feel that the
oven may be getting too cold, you can do additional 1 minute preheat periods
every couple of hours. I find this
unnecessary and anyway, I’m asleep while this is going on in my kitchen.)
----Now you
just wait and let the yogurt incubate.
The incubation period can vary significantly. It can take as little as 8 hours but mine
takes closer to 12. As such, I prep my
milk mixture before going to bed at night and let the yogurt incubate
overnight.
----When the
yogurt magic has happened, you will know because the mixture has become thick,
gelatinous and, well, yogurt! At this
point the yogurt will have a lot of excess liquid and be fairly runny. Place a fine mesh sieve over a large bowl,
and line with a thick paper towel, coffee filter, or cheesecloth. Pour the yogurt into the sieve, place the
straining set up in the refrigerator, and strain until most of the liquid has
been drained from the yogurt. (This
liquid is known as whey. Some people
save it and use it for other things. I
discard it.)
----Place
the yogurt in a storage container, whisk to smooth it out (I like to add a
tablespoon of vanilla extract), and store in the refrigerator. This keeps for at least a week. J
I always love this time of year!! I am So excited about the upcoming topics this month. Also, pumpkin recipes are my favorite, so if you have any you want to share please email me or bring them to class! I will share a few of my favorite HEALTHY fall recipes with you this month too. 
