A2 Whole Milk Greek Yogurt

Greek yogurt made with A2 whole milk that is minimally pasteurized (HTST) -- not ultra pasteurized. A2 milk is gentler on digestion. Recipe involves heating milk at 185 degrees for 30 minutes; adding active yogurt culture; fermenting at 105 degrees for 4-8 hours; and straining yogurt. Your can vary your active yogurt culture (e.g., Fage, Chobani, Skyr) and length of time in fermenting or straining step to create different textures or flavor profiles. Picture shows A2 Greek yogurt finished with vanilla paste, mixed berry puree, and granola containing pumpkin seeds, dried blueberries, walnuts, coconut, and cocoa nibs. Delicious!

Author

Brandon Smit

Cooking and Dachshund enthusiast!

Prep Time: 00:00

Recipe Time: 00:30

Temperature : 185F / 85C

Ingredients

• 2 quarts (0.5 gallon) A2 whole milk (minimally pasteurized)
• Active yogurt starter or yogurt with active cultures (e.g., plain Fage yogurt)
• 1.5 tsp vanilla paste per quart (optional)
• Fresh fruit or fruit puree (optional)
• Granola (optional)
• Greek yogurt strainer (Euro Cuisine GY60) or cheesecloth and colander

Directions

1. Set your Anova Sous Vide Precision Cooker to 185ºF / 85.0ºC
2. [2] Denature Milk Protein at 185 (F): * Using two 1-quart mason jars, pour 1-quart of A2 whole-milk into each jar. Place jars in sous vide water bath. Heat at 185-degrees for 30-minutes. NOTE: This step denatures the proteins in the milk, which allows the yogurt to thicken.
3. [3] Cool Milk to 105 (F): * Remove approx. half of the heated water from sous vide bath and replace with cold water and ice. Keep doing this until Anova registers 105-degrees. Cool milk to 105-degrees, confirming with a kitchen thermometer. NOTE: This step gets the liquid to the ideal temperature for activating the yogurt culture.
4. [4] Create Yogurt Culture: * Remove approx. 0.25-cup milk (@ 105-degrees) from each jar and pour into a clean bowl. Add active yogurt culture to bowl and whisk to combine. NOTE: You can use either a yogurt starter packet or your favorite Greek yogurt with active cultures (e.g., Fage, Chobani).
5. [5] Introduce Yogurt Culture: * Add cultured-mixture back into each mason jar containing milk (i.e., evenly distributed between jars). Stir lightly to combine.
6. [6] Prep Sous Vide Water: * With your sous vide water bath cooled down to 105-degrees (F), set Anova Sous Vide Precision Cooker to 105-degrees (F).
7. [7] Ferment Milk: * Heat jars containing cultured-milk in sous vide bath. Ferment at 105-degrees (F) for 4 to 8 hours to activate culture. NOTE: When using active cultured-yogurt, I got ideal results at 8-hours. However, if using a yogurt starter packet, you may want to ferment closer to 4 hours for milder yogurt, as closer to 8 hours may result in a more sour-tasting yogurt.
8. [8] Strain Yogurt: * After fermented for 4 to 8 hours, transfer yogurt to a Greek yogurt strainer. Strain yogurt in refrigerator until it reaches your preferred consistency with longer time straining equaling thicker consistency. NOTE: I use a Euro Cuisine strainer (GY60); however, you can accomplish straining using a cheesecloth lining a colander.
9. [9] Store A2 Greek Yogurt: * When desired thickness is reached, remove strained yogurt from strainer and transfer to a storage container. Discard liquid whey remnants or save for another recipe. NOTE: Whey remnants can be used as a protein source in a different recipe (e.g., baking, smoothies, soups).

Finishing Steps

1. Mix in favorite flavorings (e.g., vanilla, fruit purees, honey). Top with favorite granola. Enjoy!