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Fermented milk from Greece

Greek strained yoghurt (strangisto)στραγγιστό γιαούρτι

Greek strained yoghurt is plain yoghurt hung in cloth until much of its whey drips away. At home the yoghurt drains for 2–4 hours in the fridge; dairies use a separator or ultrafiltration. Codex counts it as a concentrated fermented milk, with at least 5.6 % protein.

Fully documentedFermented milk8 h – 14 h

Recipe

Amounts from a sourceUniversity of Illinois Extension home recipe. One quart of milk makes eight ½-cup servings of yoghurt before straining; straining it 2–4 hours gives Greek-style yoghurt.
Milk1 quart (about 0.95 L)The tested recipe uses 1 % low-fat milk; whole or 2 % milk also works[illinois]
Plain yoghurt with live cultures, as starter2 tablespoonsUse within 5–7 days if it comes from your own last batch[illinois]
Nonfat milk powder¼ cup (optional)Stirred into skim milk before heating for a thicker yoghurt[illinois]
Starterprevious batch of yoghurt or a yoghurt starter (home recipe) | starter culture of S. thermophilus and L. bulgaricus (dairies)

Total time across the recorded steps: 8 h – 14 h

Start
Drag the bar or press Play
82–85 °C

What changes: Heat reduces stray bacteria and readies the milk protein to set

Step 1 of 5
Heat the milk
Time
Not documented
Temperature
82–85 °C
Reported
Salt
None given
Acidity
Not documented
Which microbes the steps name, step by step
S. thermophilus
L. delbrueckii
Lactic acid bacteria

Dairies hold yoghurt milk at 90–95 °C for 5 minutes (Tetra Pak).

Flavour
Not documented
Texture
Not documented
Colour
Not documented

Microbes at work in this step

competing bacteria reduced

Method

Measured measured in a studySet fixed by a specification or tested recipeReported one source reports itTypical a general value, not sourced for this fermentUnconfirmed not yet checked against a source

At a glance

Greek strained yoghurt is plain yoghurt hung in cloth until much of its whey drips away. At home the yoghurt drains for 2–4 hours in the fridge; dairies use a separator or ultrafiltration. Codex counts it as a concentrated fermented milk, with at least 5.6 % protein. Made in 5 steps over 8 h – 14 h. The longest step, incubate until set, takes 6–10 h (University of Illinois Extension 2024) and runs at 42–46 °C (University of Illinois Extension 2024). Streptococcus thermophilus and Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus do most of the fermenting.

Key numbers
Main step6–10 hReported[illinois]Incubate until set
Temperature42–46 °CReported[illinois]Incubate until set

What makes this one different

Greek strained yoghurt is ordinary yoghurt with much of its whey drained off, so its protein rises to at least 5.6 %. Labneh is strained further and salted. Greek-style yoghurt that is not strained is thickened with added milk solids or stabiliser instead.

Related ferments

Variants

  • Dairy concentrated yoghurtYoghurt from milk held at 90–95 °C for 5 min is fermented in tanks, then the whey is removed by a nozzle separator or, after thermising at about 55 °C, by ultrafiltration.
  • Greek-style (thickened)Not strained. The milk is standardised to the final protein before fermenting, or stabilisers are added.

Safety

Use pasteurised milk; US yoghurt must reach pH 4.6 or lower within 24 hours of filling (21 CFR 131.200). BC guidance says to strain under refrigeration, and to discard batches that miss pH 4.6. Keep it at 4 °C (40 °F) or colder.

Hazards the sources name: Spore-forming bacteria from the milk, if cooling to the culture temperature is slow.

History and sources

Every number is labelled with how it is known. How this atlas is made

Codex lists Stragisto (strained yoghurt) with labneh, ymer and ylette as traditional concentrated fermented milks. In Greece strained yoghurt is traditionally made from sheep's milk, and Fage began straining cow's-milk yoghurt there for industrial production in 1975 (Wikipedia). Dairies drain the whey with a nozzle separator or by ultrafiltration (Tetra Pak).

  1. [illinois] University of Illinois Extension 2024, Making Yogurt at Home (best practice guide)gov
  2. [cxs243] Codex Alimentarius, Standard for Fermented Milks CXS 243-2003 (revised 2008, 2010)spec
  3. [cfr131200] US Code of Federal Regulations, 21 CFR 131.200 Yogurtgov
  4. [bc-yogurt] FOODSAFE BC with the BC Ministry of Health, BCCDC and Fraser Health, Guidelines for the Production of Dairy Products in Food Establishments, Yogurt sample documentation, September 2022gov
  5. [wp] Wikipedia, Strained yogurt (section on Southeastern Europe, Greece)wiki
  6. [tp] Tetra Pak, Dairy Processing Handbook, chapter 13 Fermented milk products (concentrated yoghurt)book