Janet's Instant Pot Greek Yogurt

A gallon of milk and a spoonful of starter yogurt turn into thick, tangy Greek yogurt using the Instant Pot's yogurt setting — no special equipment needed. Straining through cheesecloth is what takes it from regular yogurt to thick Greek-style yogurt, and the leftover whey is valuable enough to save for baking.

What You Need

• 1 gallon 2% milk (pasteurized, not "ultra-pasteurized"; do not use raw milk)
• 1 tablespoon plain Greek yogurt (store-bought the first time, then reserve your own from future batches)

Method

1. Pour all the milk into a 6–8 quart Instant Pot. Set to the "Yogurt" setting on boil — this should take around 8 minutes.
2. Let it boil until the cycle finishes, then check the temperature with a candy thermometer. It should read 182°F; if it's lower, simmer a few more minutes until it comes up to temperature.
3. Remove the inner pot and place it in a large bowl filled with ice to cool the milk down to 115°F.
4. Spoon 1 tablespoon of the warm milk into a small bowl with the 1 tablespoon of Greek yogurt starter and mix thoroughly.
5. Pour this mixture back into the pot of milk and whisk well to combine.
6. Return the inner pot to the Instant Pot and press the "Yogurt" button until the display shows 8 hours. Let it incubate undisturbed.
7. After 8 hours, remove the pot and slice through the set yogurt inside.
8. Set up two large bowls with wire strainers lined with cheesecloth. Divide the yogurt between them and cover each with a towel.
9. Refrigerate or place in a very cool spot for 2 hours, until the whey has separated and the yogurt has thickened.
10. Scrape the strained yogurt into a large mixing bowl and whip with an electric hand mixer, adding a little reserved whey if it's too thick.
11. Store in large mason jars in the refrigerator.

Tips & Notes

• Always use pasteurized (not ultra-pasteurized/UHT) milk — UHT milk won't set properly.
• Save a spoonful of each finished batch as the starter for your next one instead of buying store-bought yogurt every time.
• Don't discard the whey — it adds extra nutrition when used in place of water in breads and rolls.
• The longer you strain, the thicker the yogurt; strain longer for a spreadable, labneh-like texture.

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