Greek Yogurt Starter Culture | 2 Packets Dehydrated Heirloom Style DIY Probiotic Yogurt | Delicious for Smoothies, Granola and Berries, Tzatziki, Soup, & Other Healthy Snacks

I ended up using UHT organic whole milk because it's all I had available. The instructions said to avoid it, but in reading online I found that it's fine to use, and that you can skip the initial heating to 160 degrees F with UHT milk so I gave it a try. I added the culture at 110 degrees F and used a wire whisk to mix it in. Then I put it into my Instant Pot on the yogurt setting. After 5 hours it was still liquid and after 7 it was only just barely starting to set, so I let it go for a full 12 hours, and in the morning it was set but still soft. I left it in the fridge to strain through cheesecloth for a couple of hours, and when it was done I had nice, thick Greek-style yogurt. It tastes fantastic right out of the strainer. It's very similar in flavor and texture to Fage brand Greek yogurt, which is my favorite. I put a few ounces to start my next batch in a safe place in the fridge. I'm looking forward to having a regular supply of fresh organic yogurt for a fraction of the cost of store-bought.

I've been making homemade Greek yogurt for years with great results, so I know what I'm doing. I switched to this starter because my current culture had become ropy, and I was hoping a fresh heirloom culture would solve the problem. It didn't — because the batch failed entirely. I followed the instructions precisely: heated one gallon of whole milk to 180°F, cooled it in an ice bath to 110°F, whisked the starter into warm milk before adding to the full gallon, and incubated in my Instant Pot on the same setting I always use. After 14+ hours, the milk was still completely liquid. The starter also left brown flecks floating at the top that never dissolved properly — not a good sign. I had to throw out an entire gallon of milk. After posting about this I discovered many other reviewers experienced the exact same thing — liquid that never set, brown flecks, total failure. This appears to be a recurring quality control issue with this product, not user error. I wish I had read the reviews more carefully before purchasing.

I've been making my own yogurt for about 25 years, using a store-bought plain yogurt with cultures and in several different types of yogurt makers, mostly Oster brand 1-quart, but also Salton, and a Waring 2-quart. I only recently began using a powdered starter. Until I bought an Oster Mykonos Greek Digital Homemade Yogurt Maker, 2-Quart CKSTYM1012 maker in 2014, I never would strain yogurt and wasn't even aware you could. I wish I had known about it sooner because I really can't stand runny, bitter yogurt, which would frequently happen over the years. I prefer a firm, mildly tart yogurt....just short of being sour cream! 😁 Note: The Oster Mykonos Greek square yogurt maker comes in a digital CKSTYM1012 and manual CKSTYM1010 option, but both come with ONE 1-quart rectangle container and 6 small glass containers. I prefer to use only the 1-quart container, so I bought an extra Mykonos Greek yogurt maker and swapped the individual jars for the rectangle container. So I do TWO 1-quart rectangle containers per batch. Since getting the Greek yogurt maker, I will never go back to unstrained yogurt again. As for a starter, in the past, I would start my first batch using a plain yogurt with active cultures from the grocery store, usually Mountain High brand in So. Calif. For subsequent batches, I would use a few heaping tablespoons (about 1/3 cup) of the current batch for the next batch, and so on. It wasn't until 2016 that I started using a freeze dried starter by Yo Gourmet that I would buy here on Amazon and use for about every 5th batch, using two heaping tablespoons of yogurt reserved from the current batch as the starter for the next batch. I looked into other brands, including this Cultures for Health, but saw the negative reviews about the first batch turning out awful, that I hesitated to try it. However, a week ago, when I tried to order more Yo Gourmet yogurt starter, Amazon was out, so I decided to try this Greek Yogurt start by Cultures for Health and am I glad I did! I just made my first batch two days ago using my usual process [below] and my first batch came out perfect! It's firm with very little tartness 👍 The photos attached shows my first batch using ONE packet of Cultures for Health. In the cup shown, I have about 2/3 of a cup of yogurt on top of 1/3 cup chopped up trail mix (done in my Vitamix dry container) that I keep a running batch of to add to each serving of yogurt. This is the process I've been using for 6-years with the Oster Mykonos 2-quart yogurt maker: * Heat 9 cups (or slightly more than a half gallon) of whole milk in our GE Microwave for 23 minutes on High to achieve 180° - 185° - I use a 2-quart Pyrex glass measuring bowl * Cool to between 106° - 110° * Put ONE .5 or .6 gram powdered starter into a separate 2-cup Pyrex measuring cup and pour a cup of the cooled milk into the starter and stir/whisk until dissolved. Add back to the main batch of milk and stir in. - subsequent batches....I use two heaping tablespoons or about 1/3 of a cup of the previous batch's yogurt and mix in the same as above. * When I pour the milk into the yogurt maker containers, to ensure I achieve an optimal mix of milk and starter, I alternate pouring the milk into both 1-quart containers, back and forth, back and forth, so neither container has more active cultures than the other. * Cook the yogurt for 15 hours (12 hours is the minimum I will do because I prefer firm yogurt) * After the yogurt is cooked, cover the containers and place in the fridge for a minimum of 8-hours * After 8-hours, transfer the chilled yogurt to the strainers and put back in the fridge for at least 6-hours. * Pour out the strained liquid. Enjoy!

Excelente iniciador de yogurt. Gran sabor, facil de preparar y tipo heirloom por lo que me puedo olvidar de los envases plásticos para siempre.

now I can make my own greek yogurt one of the best. the price of this starter compare to other is expensive, with the same brand and content.

The product has 2 sachets it’s expensive comparing such less amount and worthless comparing to the end result I make regular yogurt at home that much more think than this I follow the written instructions using a standing thermometer but I a yogurt that didn’t set in specified time nor got the correct consistency at all Yogurt was loose even after it set in the fridge I’m not sure what is the issue whether the starter is not active or not been stored well or the instructions I’ll try it my way and see

Yogurt came out nicely. Just follow the instructions and thick Greek yogurt is ready. Much better than store bought one tastier too.

Amazing taste…cant believe it worked