Q. Which of your yogurt cultures will make thick homemade yogurt when using low fat milk?

A. Both our counter-top yogurt cultures (Viili, Filmjölk, Matsoni) and our heat-loving yogurt culture (Traditional Greek and Bulgarian) thrive on whole milk.  Ultimately, fat is what makes natural homemade yogurt thick and creamy.  Low fat milk simply doesn’t have enough fat to yield a thick homemade yogurt.  Commercial low fat yogurts normally have additives and stabilizers which make them unnaturally thick and creamy.

If using low fat milk is a priority, straining the finished homemade yogurt can improve the thickness considerably.  To strain the finished yogurt, place the yogurt in cheese cloth or a towel and suspend it over a bowl or large jar.  Allow the liquid (whey) from the yogurt to drip until the yogurt reaches the desired consistency.  This will likely take several hours.  After the straining is completed, you can use the whey for a number of tasks including soaking grains, cooking, etc.  For a number of great ideas on how to use whey, click here to check out this blog post from Kelly the Kitchen Kop.  While straining homemade yogurt is an extra step, if using low fat milk is your only option, it is likely worth the effort.