Greek Yogurt in Canada

Hi, everyone. 

I keep hearing how wonderful (from a health standpoint) it is, but I can't find it in any grocery store anywhere here in Ontario. 

Does anyone know if it's called by a different name here in Canada?

Thanks.

Dawna

Not sure where you are in Ontario but on Danforth in Toronto - the Greek section you'll be able to find it there.

You can also make your own.

Homemade Greek Yogurt

4 litres of homogenized milk
1/2 cup of plain yogurt (containing active live cultures)


In a large pot, bring your milk to a boil. Reduce the milk to a simmer and place a ramekin into the pot to prevent overboiling. Simmer for 15 minutes and take off the heat (do not cover with a lid).
Allow the milk to cool until you've reached a temperature between 110 - 115F (you may use a candy thermometer for this. Your milk should be warm enough to hold your finger in it for 12 seconds.
Take some warm milk and mix it with your starter yogurt. Now add it to the rest of your milk and mix well.
Set your oven to "warm" or about 200F. Your ideal "incubation" temperature is 110F. Start ladling your milk into plastic containers with lids. You may place the containers of yogurt in the oven (oven turned off) OR place a blanket on the counter and lay your closed tubs of yogurt on it and cover with another good blanket. Your yogurt should set in 8-12 hours.

Refrigerate your yogurt for at least 4 hours. Your yogurt will be good for up to 2 weeks. Enjoy!

Greek yogurt is also called "Balkan style". I know Astro brand makes a Greek yogurt.

Thanks to you both for helping me out with this.  I'm very pleased that I have both store-bought and home-made options.

Thanks a million.

Dawna

A couple comments on yogurt-making at home:

-You've got to be careful not to add your starter to milk that's too hot.  I partially killed my culture recently by adding it when the temperature was over 50C (125F).  The resulting yogurt was runny and sour - edible, but just barely.

-To get the pasty texture of Greek yogurt, you may want to squeeze a little of the liquid out on cheesecloth.  This is certainly the case if you use skim milk; less necessary with homogenized which naturally makes a thicker (but higher calorie) yogurt.

-Having a yogurt-maker greatly simplifies the "warm" stage.  You can find them on eBay for around $20.

I too have noticed our lack of greek yourt, everyone raves about Fage and we can't get it, and I did wonder if the ones that say "Balkan style" are the same thing, so thanks for the clarification cello.

I use the Astro BioBest 1% plain yogurt, drain it in a coffee filter to get a nice thick texture, so I get the benefits of low-fat and thick texture AND probiotic cultures, it rocks. It works wonderfully in both sweet and savory recipes, as it has a really mild flavour. I buy so much BioBest I should own shares.

lol @ victoriagirl.

I find it quite frustrating that there's such a difference in what's available in Canada vs. the U.S.   Crazy really, but then again, we have Swiss Chalet and beaver tails so it can't be all that bad.