Take 1 gallon of milk and put it in an appropriately sized pot (skim, 1%, 2%, whole, it doesn’t matter which kind of milk). Heat over medium heat while stirring CONSTANTLY, so that the milk does not stick to the bottom and make a gross film. You will continue this until the milk reaches between 190-195 degrees Fahrenheit, then remove from heat. Make sure you have a reliable thermometer when you are doing this.

Let the milk cool down on its own until it reaches 110 degrees. Why heat it up and cool it down? We heat the milk to kill any unwanted bacteria, essentially creating a sterile environment. Then we let it cool to 110 degrees, which is the optimal environment for growth for the type of bacteria we want to grow (the Skyr starter). This allows the Skyr forming bacteria to grow without any competition from unwanted bacteria.

Now take the 4 tablespoons of your Skyr you bought from the store and mix it with 1/2 cup of the hot milk. Pour the mixture into the pot of milk while stirring so that it is distributed evenly throughout. One word of caution: try not to scrape the bottom of the pot too much at this point, if there is a film of milk on the bottom and you dislodge it, it could affect how smooth and chunk-free your final texture is.

Rennet is an enzyme that causes milk to separates the curds from the whey. It is derived from cows, but there are vegetarian rennets out there which work just as well. Add 8 drops of liquid rennet or 1/2 a rennet tablet dissolved in a tablespoon of cold water. Gently stir it together.

Put a lid on the pot and wrap it up in a towel. This keeps the milk at the ideal temperature so that the Skyr-forming bacteria can grow at exponential rates, growing from 4 tablespoons to a gallon in 12 hours. So wrap it in a towel and leave it on the counter for about 12 hours. I usually make Skyr at night so that it is ready when I wake up.

Here comes the fun part. At this point, the contents of the pot should be a solid, gelatin mass. Use a knife or thin spatula to cut a grid pattern in the curd.

I think these look so cool.

Set a strainer inside a large stock pot and line it with cheese cloth. Put the curds into the strainer and let most of the whey drain off.

Put a spoon across the strainer and tie the cheesecloth around it. This makes enough Skyr that you’ll probably have to use two cheese cloths and do this in two batches.

Then set the spoons on the top of the large stockpot to catch the whey as it drains.

Set the stock pot in the fridge and let it drain for 2-3 hours, until the Skyr is as thick as a greek yogurt. I have left it in the fridge for as long as 6 hours to get a very thick, almost cheese like consistency, it just depends on your texture preference. You’ll likely have to drain the extra whey throughout the draining process as it will begin to fill up the pot and touch the skyr.

Put in a mixing bowl and stir it until it reaches your desired consistency. If it is thicker than you want, you can use an electric mixer to make it softer and smoother. How you eat it is up to you. I have tried many things over the years: vanilla extract, agave syrup, coconut, topping it with fruits, etc. My all time favorite way to eat Skyr is the way it is traditionally eaten in Iceland: topped with cream and white sugar.