Maker · Greece, small dairy farmers · Dairy
Apostels: strained Greek yogurt
Greek yogurt gets its thickness from what drains out. Apostels lets the yogurt ferment slowly first, then strains it. What remains is a full, creamy mass at 10% fat that holds firm on your pass, even when you whip it.
The story
Who's behind it
Apostels makes yogurt the Greek way. In Greece, yogurt has been on the daily table for generations. The company works with small dairy farmers. The milk comes from animals grazing among herbs and grass, from farmers who know their animals. The chain is short and production is small-scale: the fewer links between pasture and bucket, the less there is to correct.
At Jimmy Loves Food there's one version in the cooler: the full Proto at 10% fat, in a 5-litre bucket. Proto means roughly "first" in Greek. The yogurt falls under the milk and yogurt group and goes per bucket.
Why this yogurt
The yogurt ferments slowly first and is then strained. The whey runs off and a thick, full mass remains. All of its thickness comes from that straining.
You notice it in your mise en place. Strained yogurt holds firm, even when you whip it or leave it standing. Your tzatziki stays thick on the plate and your dressing keeps its shape. At 10% fat there's enough body to use it warm, as long as you temper it first. The flavour is fresh and full, with a light acidity. Use it savoury in sauces and marinades and sweet in desserts.
In your kitchen
Put the yogurt under a hot dish as a fresh counterpoint, so temperature and acidity play against each other. In a cold sauce it replaces crème fraîche: same thickness, fresher. Marinate lamb or chicken overnight in the yogurt; the milk acids tenderise the meat and hold moisture on the grill.
On the menu, simply call it strained Greek yogurt from Apostels.
Chef’s tip
If you want to use the yogurt warm in a sauce or add it to the pan, bring it to room temperature first and stir a spoon of the warm base through it before combining everything. That keeps the 10% fat bound. Cold, use it in place of crème fraîche: fresher and less sweet.
How to use it
Ideas for your menu
Tzatziki with bite
Strained yogurt holds grated cucumber, garlic and olive oil together and stays thick. Squeeze out the cucumber first and everything stays firm.
Base for cold sauces and dressings
Mix with lemon, herbs or harissa. The full structure keeps the sauce thick enough to cling to the plate.
Marinade for lamb and chicken
Overnight in the yogurt: the milk acids make the meat tender and hold moisture on the grill.
Dessert with honey and nuts
A scoop of yogurt, thyme honey and toasted walnuts.
For your menu
“Apostels Greek yogurt: slowly fermented and strained, 10% fat, creamy and fresh.”
Products from Apostels
What we carry from this maker
Greek yogurt 10%, 5-litre bucket
Apostels Proto from Greece. The standard kitchen measure for cold and warm work, per bucket.
Prices and availability are in the portal. Become a customer or log in to order.
Taste it in your own kitchen
Book a no-obligation tasting with Niels and taste it for yourself.