Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

Euro Strainer is the perfect finishing tool for homemade yogurt. I only drain mine for 30 minutes - 2 hours even though it indicates 3-12 hours. This gives me about .5 cups (30 minutes) to 1.5 cups of whey which is perfect for whey bread that I talk about later. The Euro Strainer will hold 2 quarts of yogurt. So, after I make my yogurt either in the pressure cooker (more later) or the microwave/stovetop & oven method, I put the bowl or pressure cooker inner pot into the refrigerator to cool and thicken. Wipe the condensation from the lid. I put the cooled yogurt in the Euro Strainer and put back in the fridge for about 2 hours. When finished & with the lid on, I give it one big flip then drop it about 2" from the counter. A majority of the yogurt will then be removed from the strainer onto the lip. If you did a full 2 quarts of milk, you need to work quickly especially if you didn't strain 3+ hours. I move it to individual containers or two quart mason / ball jars for storage. You will want to get a flat knife or spatula and gently remove any remaining yogurt from the strainer. Be very careful, as it's a fine mesh and you don't want to detach. I then flip it over and use my faucet sprayer working from the outside with it tilted down to drain flushed yogurt into the sink. Spray around the mesh completely removing the yogurt. DO NOT LET THE YOGURT SET UP OR IT WILL BE HARD TO REMOVE. I put it somewhere safe to dry. I flavor my yogurt with stevia & vanilla about 1/8 tsp per cup. Two quarts of milk will yield about 7 cups of yogurt. I add berries as we eat it. The Euro Strainer is a perfect "END" to a great batch of homemade yogurt. YOGURT STARTER: If you are making yogurt starter for your next batch which I what I do every 6th batch, fill your ice cube trays with the plain yogurt before straining or flavoring. When yogurt cubes are set, move to a ziplock for freezer storage. I use two cubes that I lay out to thaw when I start my next yogurt batch. Once slightly thawed, use a fork or knife to break into half to thaw a little quicker. YOGURT TIPS - When I first started making yogurt I brought it to 185 on the stove. I quickly moved to the microwave method and found 16 minutes of 2 quarts of milk in a 2 quart pyrex glass measuring cup (pour pitcher) gives me 185 degree. Stir every 3-4 minutes to get rid of cold spots. You then need to cool to below 120 or you will kill your yogurt bacteria. You can either leave it on the counter for a slow cool or put in a sink of ice cold water. Stirring every so often to cool quicker. By now, your yogurt cubes should be melted and be in your pyrex / bowl or inner pot. As soon as your milk hits 120, pour about a cup of milk back into the pyrex dish or bowl if you are doing the oven method or into the inner pot if doing a pressure cooker method. Stir it around good, then add the remaining milk and stir again. To incubate the yogurt, I put in my Instant Pot which has a yogurt mode setting it for 10 hours and normal pressure. Note, that pressure isn't used, but there is a low setting (Jiu Niang) and a high to scald (I find it's easier in the MW). You aren't under pressure, so you can use a glass Instant Pot lid or with the regular IP lid you can vent or close. When its finished, I wipe the condensation off the top and move to the fridge. You can do the oven method too instead of the Instant Pot. I turn my electric oven on the lowest it will go which is 170. I turn the light on. To incubate, move the yogurt in a bowl/pyrex covered with saran wrap to the oven. Turn off the oven. Do not open the door. Leave for 10 hours with the light on to keep it about 100 degrees. For those without a pressure cooker with yogurt mode or electric oven, I've heard of the hot water method with mason jars in a cooler. People wrap their pressure cookers with a towel. I've not used any of these, but google for more info. WHEY - This old gal has a great whey bread recipe on her site. I use half white and half whole wheat, plus the 1.5 cups of whey, salt and yeast. It's a no knead bread. DO NOT THROW THE WHEY away. It's very nutritious and can be used different ways if you google it. I've even drank it. Think of it as a shot of healthiness. I hope this review helps and although I went into additional details, anyone using a Euro Strainer wants to know how you make the yogurt to strain and also what to do with the whey !!! The price of a gallon of milk is so cheap. A half gallon of milk will yield 7 cups of great yogurt. It's worth the time to make healthy yogurt. If you liked this review, please be sure to mark it was helpful. Thanks.