Instant Pot Yogurt

Greek Yogurt layered with rhubarb compote and toasted pecans.

1/2 gallon cow milk
1 Tbsp. yogurt

Choose your milk: it must be animal milk (someone else will have to figure out vegan yogurt) and it must NOT be Ultra-pasteurized (so no Organic Valley.) I used Clover Organic Whole Milk.

Choose your yogurt: it needs to say “live active cultures” because that’s what will magic your milk into yogurt. It should, naturally, be plain yogurt. I used Greek Gods full fat traditional plain yogurt. This has pectin in it, which didn’t seem to cause any problems despite dire warnings on the internet that you should use yogurt that contains only milk and cultures. That’s the internet for you.

Choose your weapons: I used the non-stick inner pot. There was, ultimately, still a little sticking but no scorching. I also used the glass lid from my fry pan, which happens to fit my Instant Pot. That’s because Laura Doyle said her yogurt picked up the smell from the rubber seal of the metal lid. As we know, that’s always smelly. If you want to use the metal lid, you could replace the seal or simply remove it after the steam cycle and before the yogurt cycle. You also need a whisk and a thermometer.

Kill the bacteria which are not yogurt: Put 3 cups of water (probably 2 or 4 would work as well, whatever) in the Instant Pot. Seal the lid for pressure. Hit the “steam” button (which I had never used before, hey!) and adjust to 5 minutes. When it’s done, release steam, turn IP off and remove lid. Use a very clean towel or hot pad or tongs to empty inner pot, trying not to touch the clean inside of the pot. You’re not creating a fully sterile environment here, and your lid, whisk and thermometer are not sterile either. You’re just giving the bacteria you want the edge, so they can multiply faster than all the other bacteria and you get yogurt instead of primordial ooze. 

Let the inner pot sit on the counter to cool for a minute or two, then pour in the cold milk. Give it a good whisk. Place inner pot in IP. Hit the Yogurt button (another first!) and hit adjust until it says boil. Put on whatever lid you’re using. Go on about your business, returning every 10 minutes or so to give it a whisk to avoid hot spots. When you start to see bubbles & steam, temp your milk: you want it to be between 180 & 185 F. You may have to use the sauté function if the boil cycle isn’t long enough.

When the milk reaches temp, remove inner pot to a bowl, dishpan or sink of cold water. Let cool, whisking often, to 95 -110F. Put your yogurt in a bowl and add a little hot milk. Mix well to form a smooth liquid (you may want to use a fork – you don’t want lumps.) Stir yogurt back into pot and whisk well. Hit that yogurt button again, and use adjust until it says a time between 6:00 and 10:00. 6:00 will get you very mild yogurt, 10:00 will get you tart yogurt. Put the lid on and walk away. Don’t touch it. Seriously. Leave it alone.

When the cycle is done, remove yogurt and lid to the fridge. Continue leaving it alone for 6-8 hours.

Ok, NOW you can touch it. You now have regular yogurt, which you can eat right this minute. If you’d rather have Greek yogurt, put a strainer in a bowl and line it with 2-3 layers of cheesecloth. Put the yogurt in the strainer, cover it, and put it back in the fridge for a couple-three hours. You will end up with a strainer full of Greek yogurt and a bowl full of clear whey. Eat the yogurt, use the whey for baking or in smoothies.

You should save some yogurt to be the starter for the next batch. I plop a tablespoon into a little container, label it (oh-so-important) and toss it in the freezer drawer.

Yields 2 quarts yogurt, or 1 quart Greek yogurt & 1 quart whey