Skyr Yogurt: A Recipe to Make at Home the Way You Like It

Sneak Preview: This Skyr recipe will show you how to make Icelandic Yogurt at home. I’ll tell you what Skyr is and show you how to make it to suit your tastes and preferences. Detailed pictures and a video are included.

A bowl of skyr over berry cobblerPin
My homemade Skyr is so thick it almost looks like ice cream.

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Do you like to have something a little sweet to signal the end of your meal? Me, too. If I don’t have a satisfying dessert, I start nibbling on dark chocolate. From there, I spiral down.

We eat skyr for dessert in some form almost every night at our house to help avoid late-night snacks.

This guide to Icelandic yogurt includes instructions for making it yourself at home along with answers to common questions. If you want to know more about this cousin of Greek yogurt, keep reading.  

Three Reasons You Will Want To Make Skyr Often

  1. It’s rich, creamy, high-protein, and so filling.
  2. Tailor the tanginess and thickness to your personal taste.
  3. Save money.

Happy Bakers Speak Up

“Thanks for the great recipe!” —PAUL

What is Skyr?

Skyr, also known as Icelandic Yogurt, is a popular style of yogurt originating from Iceland. According to the Icelandic Provisions (a commercial brand available locally) carton, “it has been enjoyed for centuries in Iceland.” 

They describe it as “a combination of dairy milk and cultures that is rich and creamy…simplicity on a spoon.”

On a side note, low-fat milk is listed as the first ingredient on the Icelandic Provisions container.

Another popular brand, Siggi’s, lists pasteurized skim milk as the first ingredient.

What About Rennet?

Neither brand lists rennet, a thickener. Although some advocate rennet, I have it on good authority (an email from a company that makes this stuff commercially) that rennet is unnecessary if your live cultures are plentiful and active.

Skyr is thicker than Greek yogurt and contains more protein than other yogurts. This makes sense when it takes 4 cups of milk to make one cup of Skyr.

Traditionally, Greek yogurt requires 2 cups of milk to make one cup of yogurt.

Want to Try Making Skyr Yourself?

Since I love to make yogurt, and I like to save money, I decided to try making skyr at home. (I’ve been making Greek yogurt and answering your questions about making it for over 13 years on this website.)

If you want to try making it yourself, check out my method below. Compare it to others online, and I think you’ll find this method easier and less complicated than most.

Maybe you’re not like me, but I find I won’t do something very often if it’s too involved. Of course, the first few attempts may take longer until you get your system figured out. But in my opinion, it’s so worth it.

Four observations about making Skyr

1. Use skim, low-fat, or whole milk to make Icelandic yogurt.

The fat adds creaminess. So does whipping the final product (optional) and/or adding a bit of heavy cream.

-- yogurt in dish with candy sprinklesPin

Take it into ice cream-like territory with some sweetness if you want. A few colorful sprinkles might even convert the kids in your life.

2. Use milk with increased solids

Braums (and probably others I’m not aware of) employs a special evaporative technique to increase the solids in their lower-fat milk. This results in milk with higher protein and a better taste right out of the carton.

Consequently, it will be difficult to strain this yogurt to 1/2 of the original volume because of more solids. No worries.

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Even if you get it down to 1/3 of the original volume, it will be very thick and totally delicious.


3. Choosing a starter

I purchased Siggi’s plain yogurt as a starter for one batch and Icelandic Provisions Skyr for the other. Both batches turned out similar, with only the slightest difference in tartness. The particular strain of cultures used in each brand is listed on their respective cartons. Interestingly, they are different.

Which starter you use is not as important as how fresh it is. That’s why the best starter is often the fresh yogurt you make yourself. Of course, you won’t have that available in the beginning.

Note: You can use either Greek yogurt or regular yogurt as a starter so long as it is fresh and has no additives.


4. How to tailor the tartness of yogurt to your own liking

Some people consider Skyr or Icelandic yogurt tarter than Greek yogurt. My experience is that it is milder than Greek or regular yogurt. Although many people prefer a sour taste, I like a milder yogurt with less tartness.

The “tartness” of any homemade yogurt can be affected by the length of incubation and the type of milk used.

I go for the shortest incubation period possible that still produces a firm product. Mine usually takes about 4-5 hours to set.

I strain it on my kitchen counter for about 3-5 hours using a Kleynhuis yogurt bag, as seen in the picture below. The yogurt is perfectly safe at room temperature for several hours because of the acid content.

If you don’t want to purchase the yogurt bag, see this post about using coffee filters and a cheap colander. It’s so much better than using a double layer of cheesecloth.

using a yogurt pouch to strain yogurtPin

The result?

Icelandic Yogurt sitting next to wheyPin

My yogurt turned out similar to what I have always called yogurt cheese. As you can see in the picture above, 2 quarts of milk strained down to a generous 2 cups of yogurt and lots of whey.

If you’re wondering what to do with all that whey, see this post for 18 ways to use yogurt whey.



How To Make Skyr at Home

pouring milk into microwave-safe container.Pin
Pour milk into a microwave-safe container.

Heat in a microwave until the temperature reaches 180˚ F. For thicker yogurt, even before straining, add 15 minutes in your microwave at 20% power to hold the temperature around 180˚F.

checking temperature on cooling yogurtPin
Allow the milk to cool down to 100-110˚F.
 removing the skin from cooled yogurtPin
Remove any “skin” formed over the top after the milk cools.
adding starter to cooled milkPin
Add approximately one tablespoon of starter culture to your warm milk.
Whisking starter into cooled yogurtPin
Whisk the starter in well to avoid hot spots.
incubating yogurt in oven in Pyrer batter bowlsPin
Incubate at 100-110 degrees F. until set.

Don’t disturb or move the bowls during this period. Cover the yogurt with a towel, paper plate, or nothing if the bowls are in an enclosed compartment.

preparing yogurt to strain using coffee filtersPin
Strain by pouring the yogurt into a paper coffee filter-lined colander.

Check out these posts for different methods for making thick yogurt by straining it: A Yogurt Bag as a Cheesecloth Alternative for Making Greek Yogurt, How To Strain Yogurt with Paper Coffee Filters, or An Easy Way To Strain Yogurt Without Cheesecloth.

straining yogurt with a cheap colander and coffee filtersPin
Allow the yogurt to strain until it reaches your desired thickness. Chill before eating for the best flavor.

FAQ About Skyr

Why is Skyr more satisfying?

Because it’s more concentrated, which means more protein. Most people find that protein makes their food more satisfying.

How do I serve this yogurt?

Serve it the same as Greek or regular yogurt. Here’s an idea: Try some Icelandic yogurt mixed with a small serving of Halo ice cream (our new fave) or ice cream. I think it tastes like soft-serve frozen yogurt.
Other serving ideas involve fresh berries, honey, vanilla extract, chia seeds, toasted almonds, pecans, granola, and my personal favorite, cherry jam.

Is Skyr healthy?

For the record, both brands of commercial yogurt I purchased claim 17 grams of protein, 6 carbs, and approximately 100 calories in a 5.3-ounce serving. I’m assuming the stats on my homemade Icelandic yogurt are similar.

Parting thoughts: Are you new to making yogurt? Start simple with an Instant Pot and the cold start method for making regular yogurt. When you master that, come back and try this Icelandic yogurt.


Help at Your Fingertips: For questions or suggestions, email Paula at saladinajar.com. If you need help, I’m happy to troubleshoot via email (faster than leaving a comment). Attach pictures and as many details as possible for the best advice.

skyr yogurt in martini glassesPin
Yield: 6 servings (1/3 cup)

Skyr Recipe

An easy way to make your own protein-rich skyr or Icelandic yogurt at home

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Video

Prep time: 30 minutes
Cook time: 10 hours
Total time: 10 hours 30 minutes

Ingredients
 

  • 2 quarts (1892 g) skim or low-fat milk or whatever milk you prefer
  • 1-2 tablespoons (15 g) unflavored commercial yogurt (Once you make your own yogurt, you can use it as a starter.)

Instructions

  • Fill a Pyrex batter bowl (my preference) or 2-quart microwave-safe glass container with 2 quarts (1892 g) skim or low-fat milk.
  • Heat on HIGH in a microwave until bubbles begin to appear around the edge. The temperature should reach 175-180˚F (79-82˚C)( after you stir it. (In my microwave, it takes 16 minutes on HIGH, but yours may take a minute or two more or less). You can also heat milk on the stove if you prefer. It will take a lot longer; be careful not to scorch it.
  • Allow the milk to cool until the temperature drops to between 100 and 110˚F (38-43˚C) This is the step (more than any other) where more people ruin their yogurt. At the beginning of your yogurt adventures, get yourself a thermometer and check!! Too hot, and the little yogurt bodies will be murdered!
  • If a skin forms, remove it.
  • Whisk in 1-2 tablespoons (15 g) unflavored commercial yogurt as a starter or use yogurt from a previous batch of your own homemade yogurt. No need to heat or warm it ahead of time.
  • Cover milk and place in a warm environment where the temperature stays around 100-110˚F(38-43˚C)
  • Allow the milk to incubate for 5-12 hours. The longer you incubate, the more tart your yogurt will be.

From Regular Yogurt to Skyr

  • Strain set yogurt. (If your yogurt has not set properly, it will not readily strain.) I use a cheap colander lined with a commercial paper coffee filter or a nylon bag designed for straining yogurt. No cheesecloth is required.
  • Let yogurt sit in the strainer till the yogurt is reduced down to a quarter of the original volume. Time to strain may be as long as 8-10 hours, but this can vary according to the milk you used, the starter, and the temperature of the incubation. Tip the strainer or stir very gently if the whey has pooled on top while straining.
  • Empty whey from the batter bowl and pour the yogurt out of the strainer back into the original bowl. Use a good whisk or portable mixer to beat until smooth, or leave it as is. Chill.
  • I’m told it will stay fresh for 3 weeks. We eat it too fast to know.

Notes

The Nutrition Facts will vary according to how much you strain the yogurt and what kind of milk you use. 

Nutrition

Serving: 6 | Calories: 135kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 16mg | Sodium: 140mg | Potassium: 478mg | Sugar: 17g | Vitamin A: 622IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 398mg | Iron: 1mg

All images and text ©️ Paula Rhodes for Salad in a Jar.com

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44 Comments

  1. Hello, i recently, for the first time, made yogurt. I made Greek by straining and it turned out extremely well. Next i would like to make skyr. From what i gather here, the only thing that distinguishes the making of skyr from greek is the amount of straining and thus the amount of end product. Have i got it right? All the other recipes i’ve looked at insist upon using rennet still which i believe even the commercial producers, like Siggi’s, no longer use

    1. Hi Eve,

      You’ve got it right. Although I’ve never eaten yogurt in Iceland, what I make at home by straining even longer than Greek yogurt tastes just like the Skyr at the grocery store, only fresher.

      If you haven’t already seen it, I put a copy of the communication I had with siggis about rennet back when I first researched and published this post.

      Thanks for writing.

  2. 1 star
    This is a very nice explanation of how to make Greek style yoghurt, but this method does not give you Skyr. Using Skyr as a culture starter will provide some of the required enzymes but the bacteria in Skyr and the enzymes they produce are almost identical to those found in yogurt. What you are missing, and which is the critical difference, is that Skyr is made with not only a starter culture but also rennet, which is a very different thing. Rennet was once produced from the lining of a sheep’s stomach but is now mass produced and purified from carefully selected bacteria or yeast. No sheep are harmed in the production of rennet.
    The enzymes from yogurt-inducing bacteria are called amylase, proteinase, and lipase, and the ones in rennet are chymosin and pepsin. They all act on the milk in quite different ways and are not substitutes for each other.
    It might be a good idea to do a little more research and adjust your comments because they are not correct with regard to the topic and your answers to posted questions are incorrectly informed and mislead your readership, who clearly enjoy your blog and trust what you are telling them.

    1. Thank you for your comment. I have copied an email I received after inquiring about the use of rennet when I was doing my research a few years ago.

      AUG 28, 2017 | 04:05PM EDT
      Jessica Burtzos replied:
      Paula,

      We appreciate you taking the time to reach out to us.

      siggi’s products do not use any rennet. Rennet is optional in skyr and it was often used to help thicken the yogurt when a potent set of cultures was not around. Today, with improved culture availability and improved process, we’re able to achieve that thick and creamy texture without adding any rennet.

      Our skyr is a strained yogurt that, in the old days in Iceland, was always a byproduct of butter making. The cultures were gathered from the air by letting fresh milk sit outside the farm and capture the best coagulants and then kept alive through repeated use. The early word for regular yogurt in Icelandic was actually Búlgarsktskyr which means Bulgarian skyr.

      Please let us know if there is anything else that we can help you with.

      Best,

      Jessica Burtzos

      siggi’s dairy

      1. Tim in NYC says:

        It might be a good idea L. Beer to do more research before he mansplains things that he knows nothing about.

  3. how long can I keep using successive batches of skyr before I have to start over with a commercial starter again? thank you

    1. Hi Kati,
      Here is what I wrote about starters in my Greek yogurt post. The same applies to Skyr. The simple answer to your question is 3-4 times. If you’re lucky you might be able to do it longer, but if you want to be safe, stick to 3-4 times. You can get many more generations from a traditional freeze-dried starter as long as you make yogurt every week to 10 days. (Yogurt bodies die off with time so any starter will become weaker if you wait too long to make more yogurt.)

  4. Judy Vallas says:

    5 stars
    I’m confused as to what the difference is between skyr and yogurt that’s been strained. I strain my “regular” yogurt that I make and call it either Greek yogurt or yogurt cheese. Are you doing something different to make skyr? I feel like I’m missing a step, because they seem exactly the same. Thanks.

    1. Hi Judy,
      Greek yogurt and Skyr are the same strained yogurt the way I make it but the Skyr is strained longer so that it is thicker (but not as thick as yogurt cheese). In our area, Siggi’s and Icelandic Yogurt are available commercially. As quoted from my post: “Neither brand lists rennet, a thickener. Although rennet is advocated by some, I have it on good authority (an email from a company that makes this stuff commercially) that rennet is not necessary if your live cultures are plentiful and active.”

      According to Gianaclis Caldwell in Homemade Yogurt & Kefir, “Using rennet is the more traditional method — but too much can result in a grainy texture.” She recommends using liquid rennet instead of tablets because it’s easier to measure small amounts. I don’t like to add anything to my yogurt to thicken it because I want it to be “pure.” So straining is my preferred method, just like Siggi’s and Icelandic Yogurt do it.

      Thanks for writing.

  5. Can this be done in an Instant Pot like regular yogurt?? I don’t mean the cold method…

    Thank you

    1. Hi Angela,
      Yes. Make it like you always do, but strain it even more than Greek yogurt until it’s really thick. I think you’ll love it.

  6. I’m not new to yogurt making, I’ve made it the traditional way and the cold start method. I’ve seen Icelandic in stores but this is the first I’ve read on making it.

    I read the directions and I’m sorry if I missed it but what is the difference in the way Icelandic is made from that of Greek? You heat it, cool it, culture it, then stain it. Again I’m sorry but what am I missing? I thought maybe the difference was just the Icelandic starter but then I read that Greek or regular yogurt starter could be used as long as it was fresh. Is it just that it’s strained longer?

    I’ve never actually ate Icelandic yogurt but it looks really good in your photo.

    1. Hi Melissa,

      Yes, you are right. Basically, it just gets strained longer. I have never eaten Icelandic yogurt in Iceland. I’m guessing it has a slightly different taste because of differences in climate, cows, ways of serving, etc. But the Icelandic yogurt you buy here is just thicker than Greek yogurt. Different brands can vary just like different brands of Greek yogurt can taste different or be a different consistency.

  7. Thanks for the great recipe! You mentioned something about adding a bit of heavy cream if desired, at what point in the process would you do that? At the beginning in place of some of the milk or after has been separated from the whey?

    1. Hi Paul,

      You could do either way. I add it after the whey has been drained.

  8. Laurie Higgins says:

    You might want to check out the Mediterranean version of yogurt – Labna or Labneh. I might try that next. It’s a slightly salted yogurt with an infusion of herbs.

    1. Yes, I’ve read about this. Sounds fabulous.

  9. Hey, thank you for the post and all the explanations – it’s very detailed!
    I live in a place where we don’t have Icelandic yogurt at all but I really want to try it.
    I’m experienced with yogurt making. Do you think I have to use Icelandic yogurt in order to make the first batch successfully? thanks.

    1. Hi Hila,

      Good question. I made it using store-bought Icelandic yogurt. Honestly, I couldn’t tell much difference in the taste from Greek yogurt. (I’ve never to been to Iceland to try the home-grown product. It has a thicker texture because I strained it longer than Greek yogurt. But your letter spurred me to order the freeze-dried Icelandic yogurt to see if it would taste different. I’ll add my thoughts to this post after I experiment with it. If you can’t get any Icelandic yogurt at the store, I would use any unflavored yogurt without additives as a starter. Let your yogurt strain until you have approximately 2 generous cups of yogurt from 2 quarts of milk. Or stop straining off whey at the point where you like the thickness of the yogurt best. That’s the cool thing about making yogurt at home. Agree? Thanks for writing.
      Happy Yogurt-Eating!

  10. I’m brand new to making yogurt. Pretty much to most fermentation projects. When making curds & whey, kefir, or yogurt completely from scratch- I understand you have to use raw milk as pasteurized milk is dead. My question is do you need raw milk when you are adding this one of this Skyr cultures or can/do you use pasteurized milk from the grocery store?

    1. Hi Cat,
      Nice to hear from you. I’m not sure what you mean by “pasteurized milk is dead.” It’s your yogurt starter that should contain the live bacteria needed to make yogurt, not the milk.

      I have no source for raw milk as it is against the law to sell it in normal stores where I live. So I never use raw milk. You may use pasteurized milk and ultra-pasteurized milk for Skyr but you still need to heat it to 170-180˚F to unravel the proteins (then let it cool down) so your yogurt will be thick like Skyr. Otherwise, it will be “drinkable yogurt.” To get milk as thick as Skyr or Icelandic yogurt, you will need to strain off quite a bit of the whey as explained in this post. Let me know if you have more questions.

  11. I know it says plain and no additives, but all I have is Vanilla Siggis. Can I use it as my starter?

    1. Cintia,
      You can try it. Might work. I much prefer the plain but if that’s all you can get, it’s worth a try. At least it doesn’t have fruit in it. Let me know how it works for you.

    2. Vanilla Siggis is the only one I have ever used. It works every time! I get super thick yogurt ♥

      1. Thanks for your input. It helps all of my readers.

  12. I am new to yogurt making, did some in the past but am back to try it again. I like the thicker yogurts and am gobsmacked at the price! I found your site while looking on the net to find out why my last 2 batches were “slimy”. I don’t think it’s as simple as my culture (Kirkland Greek) is contaminated. The texture feels fine in my mouth and tastes the same but slides off the spoon in a not so appetizing way!
    To make this even more complicated for you, I decided a simpler way of getting more milk protein in my yogurt was to add a 1 quart envelope of nonfat dry milk to my 2 quarts of milk ….. I had never thought about how simple it would be to strain the whey out… But I will try that.
    One more question, before I make a pest of myself, while you strain out the whey, doesn’t the yogurt become more and more tart? The one victory that I feel like I have accomplished with this time around making yogurt is that I learned to take it out after 6 to 8 hours instead of letting it go to the point that it’s too tart to eat without adding lots of sweetener.
    I was so glad to find your site! Thanks for your help.

    1. Hi Marilyn,
      Have you ever tasted whey all by itself? That stuff is sour, man. So if you strain it out, your yogurt will not be quite as tart.

      About the slime–don’t like that texture either. When that happens to me, I make a clean sweep. Start with a brand new starter. Interestingly, it only seems to happen in the summer.

      About the time of incubation: Have you tried reducing from 8 to 5 hours? When you check your yogurt at 5 or 5.5 hours, is it already set?

      Let me know how it goes for you.

  13. Amy Hazelrigg says:

    In my experience, yoghurt tends to be quite tart if allowed to ripen in a clear glass container exposed to light. It will be much “gentler” in taste if ripened in an opaque container—including the lid—and placed in the dark. I use a single two-quart container made of safe, heavy white plastic, and simply leave it overnight in an oven that has been preheated at 170 degrees for one minute. No need for wrapping in towels. When it’s firm, refrigerate until chilled.

    1. Hi Amy,
      I have never heard of this idea about a clear glass container. I’m curious. How long do you incubate your yogurt? In my experience, the length of incubation and how much and what kind of starter has more to do with it. I will experiment and see if I can tell a difference between using glass, plastic, and ceramic. Mine also incubates in the dark, generally speaking. But I’ve also put it outside on a warm summer day and got the same results as usual. Thanks so much for writing.

  14. love this article! how long were you able to freeze/keep home-made greek yoghurt to use as starter for the next batch? i’ve read in few articles that some wld freeze but never more than 1 week, or they start from scratch. my work schedule has me on the go quite often so sometimes i can’t make a fresh batch of yoghurt every week…

    any advice?

    1. Frozen yogurt lasts longer than a week for me. I know I’ve used it successfully after a month. Maybe longer. I need to do and experiment and really pay attention. This weekend I tried to make yogurt with some starter that had been in the freezer for many months. Maybe a year??? It work–a little. Too weak. Had to go buy new starter.

      Your homemade yogurt should last at least two weeks in the fridge. You might try freezing some “starter” yogurt if you make it at least once a month.

  15. Hi, I know this is an old post, but I have a question about making skyr that it seems you might be able to answer. Usually when you use store-bought yogurt as starter, you can only get maybe three or so re-cultures out of it before you have to buy fresh again from the store, because it won’t come out the same. After researching, I understand this is because the companies use very precise mixtures of specific bacteria strains to always get the same result and consistency. But once you start reculturing (or back slopping, as it’s called), the bacteria strains start to change their ratios to one another, based on the specific milk, temperature, time, etc. that you are incubating it at home. But I notice that you say that you do continuous back-slopping/reculturing after starting with Siggi’s or Icelandic Provisions. Have you noticed the culture changing after any number of times, when you had to buy fresh from the store again?
    Thanks for any help!

    1. Hi Ginny,

      You pose an interesting question. In my experience there is no exact answer about how many times you can “reculture.” (a much better term than back-slopping, IMHO) I have gone as long as a year before I had to buy new yogurt from the store. I’m no scientist, but I think it depends on many things. This summer, I think I picked up some wild yeast and I could only use it 4 times before it went weird on me. My sister always starts over after about 3 or 4 times. I’ve heard of people in India who pass down their starter like some people pass down sourdough starter. Some factors that make a difference in my experience: What yogurt did you start with? How fresh was it? How often are you re-culturing? (It can get old if you’re not making yogurt very often–I make yogurt every 5-7 days.) How carefully are the temperatures monitored and held at a constant level when incubating? Is it possible that it has become contaminated by wild yeast or foreign bacteria? There are probably other reasons if I thought about it for awhile. I’m glad you asked that question. It would make a good blog post.

  16. Susan Cunningham says:

    Hi Paula,

    I’m excited to try this. One question however. Is this a frozen treat? Your recipe says “chill”, does that mean freeze?

    Thanks,

    Sue

    1. Hi Susan,
      That’s a good question. No, it is not frozen–just chilled like any other yogurt. The texture would change–in a bad way if you froze it straight up. It breaks down and separates a bit. You could still use it in a cooked recipe, but not good to eat out of hand. Sorry if I mislead you.

  17. Looks like a fun new yogurt experiment to try! I’ve never had Icelandic yogurt before. Have you had the new Yoplait Oui French style yogurt? We really like it and have made our own from what we bought at the store.

    1. Hi Gina,
      Let me know how you like the Icelandic Yogurt if you try it. I have tried the French-style Oui. Love the little glass container it comes in!

  18. This is timely, Paula. I was introduced to skyr by my new DIL, who is Russian. I like it, and she loves it. Cultures for Health supposedly sells a culture that makes a reliable skyr, but I can’t remember if it is mesophilic or thermophilic. I have been thinking of getting into making mesophilic yogurt so that I won’t have to buy anything to use for a culture. Now that I have read your post, I will certainly try to find some plain skyr to use for a culture. All I have been able to find locally is flavored skyr, but I have in the past used flavored yogurt (no fruit!) as a culture when that was all I had available with good results. Skyr reminds me somewhat of a loose cream cheese that has a great flavor. My DIL also likes kefir, and I made it for a while, just for the experience. It is much too tart and sour for me, so I put my grains in the freezer. Thanks for this post!

    1. Hi Becky,
      I’m not a big fan of kefir either. I’m not sure where you live, but Sprouts near us carries the unflavored Skyr. Wish you were my neighbor and I would just give you some fresher than fresh starter from my last batch. Have a great day!

      1. Paula, just wanted to get back to you about my efforts in making this. I was able to find some Icelandic Provisions plain skyr at my local Sprouts. It is very good; first time I had tried it. So I used it for the culture. Success! I let it ferment for about 5 hours as I like a more mild yogurt/skyr. Unlike yogurt, it stayed very liquid for about 4 hours, then suddenly came together. It is incredibly satisfying and a very good foil for whatever you want to put on it. I put a tablespoon of real maple syrup on it this morning for breakfast. Now I just need to be creative and use all that whey! Thanks so much for this guide. It was much easier than I thought.

        1. Hi Becky,
          Glad to hear it came out good for you. Maple syrup sounds fabulous! About that whey: I gave up on using all of mine long ago. Since I have no pets or livestock, most of it goes down the drain, unfortunately.

        2. Paula, I haven’t yet tried making yogurt but I’m very interested. I was reading the comments and noticed that you discard the whey. I knew that there’s a wonderful site with umpteen ways to use whey and suggest you check it out. https://www.theprairiehomestead.com/2011/06/16-ways-to-use-your-whey.html
          The suggestions range from using whey to water plants to using it instead of water when cooking pasta or grains and many many more ideas. Thanks for having such a great site with so much useful information.