Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Greek vs. Regular

Are you a yogurt eater?  Today we were pondering the differences between greek yogurt and regular yogurt...here's some of what I found.

"Greek yogurt is thicker and richer than regular yogurt, and typically contains lower sugar, higher protein and higher amounts of probiotics."


"As far as bacteria are concerned, Greek yogurt can contain up to six strains of probiotics, while regular yogurt usually contains just two. These high levels aid in converting milk lactose into lactic acid, making it easier to digest, especially for those who are lactose intolerant."

" Yogurt is formed when a specific strain of bacteria is introduced in the milk in a controlled environment and is allowed to ferment. After fermentation, yogurt becomes thick and custard like in texture, with a very subtle tangy taste. Greek yogurt is also made in the same way, the only difference being that once the bacteria strain has been added to the milk, the mixture is allowed to rest in a cheesecloth that drains away the liquid whey. This draining of the excess liquid whey, makes the resultant yogurt very rich, creamy and thick, that makes it an excellent toppings for desserts. "


Greek yogurt is strained three times, as opposed to two times for regular yogurt."   Soooo "Greek yogurt has twice the protein content of regular yogurt

Because of this extra straining process, Greek yogurt has less calcium than regular yogurt.


So it seems that if you want to make Greek yogurt you should leave your regular yogurt, made at home or store bought, in some type of a strainer over night and VOILA!    Try yours with applesauce and a drizzle of honey...YUMMY!
 

2 comments:

  1. No, straining your regular yogurt will not make greek yogurt. You will make yogurt cheese. Greek yogurt is made with the heavy cream from the milk. The milk is strained out leaving the cream before it is processed with the yogurt cultures. I suggest you try Greek Goddess plain yogurt - high fat content with very low sugar content. Then try the commercial yogurts sold as 'healthy' and 'low fat'. They are almost so different you wonder how someone could call the low fat stuff real yogurt. Yogurt in Europe is also very different from the commercially prepared stuff here. If you make your own yogurt (very easy to do) you'll see a very large difference in your real yogurt compared to the commercial stuff pretending to be yogurt.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Here's a statement that speaks to my synaptic connections lately Angie...I made yogurt cheese after I read about it on your blog! DUH. Thanks for setting me straight! We just bought a yogurt maker in December and LOVE it! We've just used store bought 1/2 percent so far, but I'm hoping to get to a farmer's market soon for some extra delicious and fresh milk to try.

    ReplyDelete