Greek Yogurt

52 ou ultra pasteurized milk (I use Fairlife)

About 1/3 can sweetened condensed milk

Large dollop or two of Greek yogurt

In the Instant Pot, whisk together a small amount of milk and the remaining ingredients until well blended. Pour in the rest of the milk and whisk together. Cover the Instant Pot with a plate. Press the Yogurt button on the pot and set the timer for 10 hours. Strain yogurt overnight in the fridge.

It took a lot of trial and error to get this recipe to where I liked it. Too tart. Too runny. Too sweet. Finally, just right! I usually pour the remaining condensed milk into jelly jars and freeze them to use for the next batch. I also freeze one or two jars of the yogurt to use as starters for the next batches as well. I have used the Fage and the Chobani yogurts and they both turn out fine, but for some reason, I like to stick with the Fage. The first batch I made was way too runny. Then I learned the longer you let it sit in the pot, the stiffer it becomes, but it also becomes more tart. So I added a whole can of condensed milk and 1 teaspoon of vanilla. Now, if you are looking for yogurt that tastes like cheesecake, there is your recipe. Tasty. But not very versatile if you want to use the yogurt in recipes. So just the third of a can adds just the right balance. Also, before every batch of yogurt, you want to make sure the pot is really clean. I usually add some water to the bottom of the pot and a couple of squirts of lemon juice. Then, I hit the steam button and set the timer for 5 minutes. This usually gets the pot squeaky clean. You can also put the lid on without closing the seal instead of a plate, but I found the ring of the lid sometimes retains the scent of a previous meal and can alter the flavor of the yogurt a bit. You don't need pressure, so whatever works to cover the pot! You don't have to strain the yogurt if you don't want to. Not straining it will give you the runnier, creamier yogurt. But I like the yogurt stiff, so I bought a yogurt strainer off of Amazon and usually strain it for 8-10 hours. Occasionally, I have a batch that comes out a little lumpy. No problem, either mix with a wooden spoon or use an immersion blender to smooth it out.

I was pretty intimidated at the thought of making my own yogurt. But once I jumped in and started, I found it was way easier and way tastier than I imagined. Give it a try- you won't be sorry!