The skinny on homemade Greek yogurt...

So, I'm waiting for the milk to cool a bit, and thought i'd do an internet search /analysis on this yogurt I'm making... here goes---say, you're using 5 cups of milk.  It'll yield 5 cups of yogurt. Using fat free milk- 500 calories, 55 carbs, 40 g. protein.  NOW- drain the whey off and this is what you are left with---(per 1/2 cup serving)---69 calories, 5 carbs, and 8 g. of protein---Great  bang for your calorie buck!   Even using whole milk:  (per 1/2 cup serving) 80 calories, 5 carbs, and 8 g. protein.  The yield for 5 cups of yogurt to Greek yogurt is a reduction of 1/2 = 2.5 cups Greek.  The liquid whey that you discard holds 66calories per cup, and 13 grams of carbohydrates--put that into your house plants, folks, and enjoy some serious protein for very few calories and carbs...Go MILK!

Very cool you posted this. Back when I first started making yogurt I looked around online to see if I could figure out the calories, but didn't find anything specific.  Not only is the calories low, the yogurt is much better than store bought.  

I hear ya.  I was finding a Greek yogurt with great numbers.  Now all I can find are high carb Greek yogurt which doesn't even make since.

For real- never know what the manufacture is putting into the stuff.  Invest once into a yogurt maker- control your ingredients--the stuff is cheap-as-chips--cost of milk alone, and you know what's in it!  Yum, and enjoy.  The maker will pay for itself a million times over.  Been doing this for twenty years and more.

Really?  Thanks!  I'm not a "homey" kind of person but if it that easy.  When I wanted to try years ago, you had to grown it strain it, set it and re-strain.  Sounds easy peasy now.

What brand is your yogurt maker and where did you purchase it?  I would love to make my own.

I was wondering the same thing?  I checked out the ones available on Amazon, but would like to hear what machines people are actually using. 

I have this one:

 http://www.amazon.com/Euro-Cuisine-YM100-Automatic-Yogurt-Maker/dp/B001KZM4Y4/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1393768171&sr=8-2&keywords=yogurt+maker 

Here is the review I wrote on this model:

This was my first yogurt maker. I had no idea what I was doing and per the instructions that came with it I had no difficulty making yogurt. I use it constantly. It is pictured with the little jars, but since I make 2 batches a day I found the jars to be a pain. They are not hard to clean, but for me hard to keep track of what batch they came from. Nobody wants to eat a jar of yogurt that didn't get rotated out properly! I purchased the 7 cup round pyrex dish and far prefer that over the jars. The temperature runs a little hot on this though. It still makes good yogurt, but be warned. Also, looking back on it I would elect to purcahse a yogurt maker with a much higher lid so that I could make more yogurt in one batch. My family eats a lot of yogurt, and this is an issue for us. But, I did not mark it down for that since for most folks the output would be fine. 4 stars due to the temperature issue.

Now- I found that I never use the timer, and so there is a cheaper model that does not have it.  If you are budget conscience go for that model.  

I also highly recommend this for straining the yogurt:

http://www.amazon.com/Euro-Cuisine-GY50-Greek-Yogurt/dp/B0091XNL0I/ref=cm_cr-mr-title 

Here is the review I wrote on it:

I just started making yogurt and home and tried to concoct a strainer using my collendar and coffee filters. That got old fast so I bought this. I placed the yogurt in right out of the yogurt maker and let it sit during the school day, and came home to perfect greek yogurt. My daughter noticed right away that the texture of the yogurt looked much better and now she will takeit in her school lunches. Thick creamy yogurt after straining. Easy clean-up. So much easier overall!

Finally, I bought this because it was marketed as making yogurt cheese.  You could also use it to make Greek yogurt, as it only strains- but it is smaller and fits in the fridge better.  You cannot strain an entire batch, but you normally keep some out anyway for starter.  You also have to empty the whey twice, where as the other strainer only once.  http://www.amazon.com/Cuisipro-Donvier-Yogurt-Cheese-Maker/dp/B000064841/ref=cm_cr-mr-title 

You can buy starters on Amazon too.  I did try making soy yogurt, but with no luck- probaby because I used soy milk that was not sweetened.  

Totally worth it- and I am not a cook at all.  If I can do it, you can too!  I just measure out the milk, mic it for 9.5 minutes, let it cool for 45 minutes, add in and stir the starter, but the Pyrex bowl in the maker, pull it out 9 or so hours later, throw it in the strainer- best yogurt ever.  The Pyrex 7 inch round fits perfectly, and that size is very easy to find.  You can also get it on Amazon. 

Can't remember where I got the first- too long ago- it's in the basement..came w/ little jars and not very practical, however makes good yogurt.  The two I use are:  F.R.E.S.H yogurt Maker, by West Bend--makes about 5 cups at a time, also have a Euro Cuisine- came with 7 jars.  Like Happy Teacher, discarded the jars in favor of a dish that would nest in the maker.  I bought both of these at thrift shops-yard sales for a buck or two.  Hope you find one- you will not go back to the store stuff.

I remember making homemade yogurt 30 years ago when I was in college.  Don't remember what the machine was called. I think you can make it in the oven set really low temp.

I love those calorie counts. 

Anne