When I was a boy my mother would often make Tzatziki and she would always use thickened yogurt that she made herself. Not the yogurt (although she can and does on occasion) but the thickened yogurt that has recently been gaining notoriety as "greek" yogurt. I have always seen it various places never paying much mind to it. I figured if someone is in a pinch, they can just grab a container of thickened yogurt to make their last minute greek dipping sauce. Usually these were in clear plastic containers such as you would find in a bulk store. But with this new surge in the market for "greek" yogurt culminating in a new advertising campaign for Oikos starring well known greek icon, uncle Jessie himself, John Stamos. With a price tag double the balkan style yogurt that most likely is it's source I had to ask. Why would anyone pay for something that is literally as easy to make as making a pot of tea. All that is required is a few seconds of "work" and a few hours of time. Is our society so crippled that we can't wait for 4-8 hours for anything? It's yogurt, not a new kidney. Other than those last minute greek dinner parties, I don't know anyone in dire need of thickened yogurt. I looked at the Oikos website to see if there was anything more to their greek yogurt. They even have a "How we make Oikos" page on there in which they reveal that they use a "centuries-old straining method that removes the whey from the yogurt" and that this "requires about three times the milk used to make regular yogurt". Well let me take the time here to de-mystify this most basic of sacred straining methods and in the process explain how three times the milk can me obtain with the same amount of yogurt.
"Greek" Yogurt
1. get a tub of your favorite organic or low fat Balkan Style Yogurt.
2. lay two or three paper towels (or a few layers of cheesecloth) in a seive over a bowl.
3. pour yogurt into paper towel covered seive.
4. cover with plate or pot lid and put in fridge overnight.
5. Remove lid, dispose of bowl of yogurt liquid (whey), what you are left with in the paper towel is thick, creamy greek yogurt, and because of all the liquid removed about a third of the amount which may also be considered "three times the milk" in it's condensed form. Maybe not, I'm not a fancy food scientist.
So, there you have it folks, "greek" yogurt de-mystified, the "centuries old straining method" brought crashing into the modern kitchen. Do I feel guilty for exposing this secret recipe to the world? Well let me put it this way; At over $4 for a small tub, I seriously don't think Dannon are kicking any of that money back to the old world yogurt craftsmen. Better that "greek" yogurt be put back in the hands of mom and pop bakeries who took the time to strain some yogurt so that you could have a last minute dip for your keftedes (greek meatballs). And Stamos, c'mon you're better than that.
