Prep Time
1 minutes
Cook Time
~11 hours
Total Time
~20 hours
When working with any live culture, it's always good practice to sterilize any utensils or dishware you will be using. You can likely get away without doing this (I usually do), but it's good to do from time to time.
Place 2 cups of cold water and a trivet in the Instant Pot.
Place your Pyrex glass measuring cup and a large spoon (tablespoon size) in the Instant Pot.
Close the lid and move the Venting Knob to Sealing Position.
Sterilize at High Pressure (use the manual button or pressure cook button) for 3 minutes + Natural Release.
Milk (we usually make 1 gallon at a time with 2%)
4 tbsp Plain Greek Yogurt with Active Bacterial Cultures (we like the results of Chobani the best)
Heat Milk to 180°F – 200°F to denature the proteins
Set the Instant Pot to the Yogurt High setting
If the milk does not reach 180°F after the yogurt cycle, use the Instant Pot slow cooker medium setting for 5-15 minutes.
Cool Milk to 111°F
Fill the sink with water and place the pot in it. Add ice to the water for a more rapid cool down.
Create the yogurt starter by adding greek yogurt to a bowl and then add ~1 cup of 111°F milk. Mix the yogurt into the milk.
I find that a small whisk works best for for a through mix
Add the yogurt starter to the 111°F milk in the Instant Pot
Yogurt Incubation
Set the Instant Pot to the Yogurt Medium Setting (108°F) for 8-12 hours (10 hours is my personal preference)
Strain Yogurt & Stop Incubating Process
Once the yogurt has reached the desired tangy level, pour the yogurt into a Greek yogurt maker to separate the whey from the yogurt.
Place the Greek yogurt into the fridge to stop the incubation process.
The longer the incubation time, the more tangy the yogurt will be
You can open the lid for a taste test once the yogurt is set (roughly 6 hours)
Don’t disrupt the fermentation process by moving the Instant Pot or opening the lid. Wait until it is set (roughly 6 hours) before opening the lid
If you do not have a Greek yogurt maker, a great alternative is to place a colander into a container and line it with coffee filters, or cheese cloth. Coffee filters work well if only one layer thick.
The longer you strain the yogurt, the thicker it will be. To make plain yogurt into Greek yogurt, strain overnight (10-12 hours) to 48 hours. Check consistency every 12 hours and stop straining when you reach the consistency you like. If it gets too thick, you can add whey back in to reach the desired consistency.
To make plain yogurt into rich, thick labneh cheese (aka yogurt cheese), let it strain for 48-72 hours. Stir in salt as desired; a little salt really brings out the "cheese" flavor. Try 1/8 tsp for 2 cups of yogurt, adjust to taste.
https://www.pressurecookrecipes.com/instant-pot-greek-yogurt/
https://toriavey.com/how-to/how-to-strain-yogurt/