If you like to make yogurt, have you ever questioned your process? Recently, I received the following question from a reader: “How Much Starter Do You Really Need To Make Yogurt?” What follows are the results of my experiment to determine the optimal amount of starter needed to make good yogurt at home.

Are you a questioner?

One of my favorite pastimes in life is questioning why we do things the way we do. If the reason doesn’t make sense to me, I look for a faster, cheaper, better, or more efficient way to do it.

Before I get too far into this, here is a look at the way I make basic Greek yogurt just so we have a starting point.

A Reader’s Question

The following question from a reader caused me to wonder if the amount of starter was a tradition or perhaps a cook’s insecurity (if needed, add more for good measure). Could this be the reason there is so much discrepancy across the web regarding the amount of starter required to make yogurt?

“I have a question about the quantity of “starter” in my homemade Greek yogurt. I use 8-9 cups of milk and was told to bring it all to the proper temperature on the stove, then cool down to the proper temperature then…..and, this is my confusion – you suggest 2-3 teaspoons of yogurt (starter) – when my initial recipe says to add 8 ounces – 1 cup of unflavored Greek yogurt – as my “starter”. Which is the proper amount of starter to add? Is it the 2-3 teaspoons or 8 ounces? Have I been adding far too much?”

I was inspired to experiment.

I staged an experiment to see how much yogurt I really needed to make yogurt.

Comparing Different Amounts of Starter

In the first trial (seen above), I added different amounts of starter ranging from 1/4 teaspoon to 1/2 cup for a pint and a half of milk (3 cups). As you can see from the picture above, they all made yogurt–even the 1/4 teaspoon.

Notice all the whey sitting on top of the yogurt in the green plate row where I added larger amounts compared to the bottom row.

Left: a large amount of starter from the top-left sample

Right: a small amount of starter from the bottom middle sample

When I dumped the contents of each sample onto a flat plate, the contrast was dramatic! Look how much smoother and creamier the yogurt looks on the right where only a small amount of starter was added to the milk.

I combined the top row of yogurt samples containing a lot of starter and the bottom row containing much less to make Greek yogurt, my favorite. After straining and whipping, you can see the result below.

WOW! Which one looks more appetizing to you? Surprisingly, the yogurt on the left is still entirely edible and tasted fine even if the texture was not so smooth and creamy.

Left: Strained and whipped yogurt using a large amount of starter

Right: Strained and whipped yogurt using less than a tablespoon of starter

Does it matter how long you incubate yogurt?

Then it occurred to me that the time of incubation could also make a difference, so I tried again. This time I used 1 quart of non-fat milk for each sample and my own yogurt as a starter with amounts ranging from 1/4 teaspoon to 1/4 cup.

I didn’t even try the reader’s suggestion of 1 cup to 8-9 cups as I could already see that was overkill after my first experiment.

After 4 hours (This yogurt sat here for a few minutes so you can see the whey beginning to separate.)

At four hours, they all made yogurt except for the 1/4 teaspoon. It is obviously a little too thin, especially if you want to strain it for Greek yogurt. It’s not apparent in the picture, but the 4 tablespoon sample is already not as creamy. I put them all back in the oven to incubate longer.

After 6 hours

At 6 hours, there is not much change except for the 1/4 teaspoon sample, which is now nearly as thick as the others.

After 8 hours

After 8 hours of incubation, the 1/4 teaspoon sample is just as thick as the 1 teaspoon sample and the creamiest. I tasted them all for tanginess and really couldn’t tell much difference.

Many yogurt instructions will tell you the longer you incubate, the thicker your yogurt. I’m not so sure.

Except for the 1/4-teaspoon sample, they were all thick at 4 hours and didn’t get any thicker, even when incubated an additional 4 hours.

How much starter do you really need?

For 1 quart of milk, 1 teaspoon of healthy starter is plenty. You’ll need about the same for a litre of milk. I use a scant tablespoon of yogurt for a half gallon of milk. You can make wonderful yogurt with only a couple tablespoons of starter in a gallon of milk.

In case you’re wondering, I always use fresh milk from Braums. It makes the best yogurt EVER. I used a previous batch of my own homemade yogurt as the starter (1 week old).

Disclaimer

Using a different kind of milk, starter, or additives such as powdered milk or gelatin will most likely yield different results. Making yogurt is simple, but the results from using various techniques and ingredients can be complicated to predict. Have fun experimenting!

What Readers are Saying

“After reading your article, I tried adding the amount of starter that you suggested. I must say, I have never had better yogurt!. It was creamy and delicious. Thank you.”

–Sharon

What would you like to read next about making yogurt?

If you have a question or problem you need help with, please write it in the comment section below so I can respond back. You can also email me privately: paula at saladinajar.com.



Thank you for visiting!

Paula