Greek Style Yogurt by Schoch Dairy
16 Oz tub
Traditional cloth-strained thick and creamy ‘Greek’ yogurt.
Please place your order by Sunday 8:00am for next day/Monday delivery.
FREE HOME DELIVERY IN THE BAY AREA.
Enjoy Free Delivery Throughout the Bay Area:
- Fridays: Milpitas, Santa Clara, and San Jose (Eastern and Southern).
- Saturdays: Milpitas (Northern), Fremont, up through San Ramon, and Dublin.
- Sundays: Sunnyvale, Los Altos, Palo Alto up through San Francisco.
- Mondays: Cupertino, Saratoga, San Jose (Downtown and Western).
Directly from Schoch Dairy:
Our yogurt is made using unhomogenized whole milk and cultures… that’s it! The lower temperature and longer incubation time results in a delicate texture and also aids in a higher population of the added probiotic strains (acidophilus and bifidus species) as compared to the standard yogurt cultures.
About Schoch Dairy
Established in 1944, Schoch Dairy is located on the famed El Camino Real in the fertile Salinas Valley. Brothers Adolph and Ernest emigrated from Switzerland and found their way to California, establishing a family farmstead where they could continue the work they knew best: dairying. At that time, hundreds of small dairies dotted the Salinas Valley, where rich soil and the temperate coastal climate provide ideal conditions for grazing and milk production.
Over the years, not much has changed on Schoch Dairy. The morning milking still starts before the sun rises over the Gabilan Mountains, and the cows still graze on pastures dampened by fog drifting east from Monterey Bay.
FAQ
Is your yogurt Raw?
Technically there is no such thing as raw yogurt. Although it is true that my vat is receiving fresh raw milk, still warm from the cow as it flows gently from the milking parlor next door while my dad is milking – part of the yogurt making process is to additionally heat that milk as a strategy to change the structure of the whey proteins, which later aids in that wonderful yogurt texture. After the initial heat treatment, the milk temperature is reduced, the milk cultured, and incubated overnight until the proper pH and texture is achieved. My ability to start the process with fresh raw milk, still warm from the cow, that has never been cooled, stored, and then re-heated not only contributes to the quality of the yogurt – but also saves energy!
What is Old World Swiss Style Yogurt?
A Swiss style yogurt is a stirred yogurt, originally conceived as a strategy to stir in fruit and/or sweet flavors. I, however, make a very traditional all-natural yogurt. There are no sugars, no stabilizers, no thickeners or whey protein concentrates added. The only ingredients are unhomogenized whole milk and 4 different strains of lactic acid bacteria… that’s it! Most yogurts are cultured and incubated at 110-115 F and take 4-6 hours to “set”. I use a much lower temperature (well below 100 F) and a longer incubation time of 12+ hours. This results in a more stable yogurt that doesn’t require the thickeners and with a texture that is much more delicate and supple. The yogurt is made fresh weekly in the vat, incubated overnight, and when the pH and texture is just right the yogurt is stirred and bottled using a gravity filler and then cooled quickly. The above-mentioned techniques also help to favor the high numbers of probiotic bacterial strains – namely the L. acidophilus and Bifidobacterium lactis species.
What kind of cows do you milk?
Our milking herd is a mix of Holstein, Brown Swiss, and Jersey – some purebreds and some crossbreeds. We select for genetics that favor quality over quantity – richer milk with higher fat and protein.
Are your cows pastured, grass-fed, free-range? It’s all so confusing – what do they eat?
Although our cows spend a lot of time on our seasonal pastures, the bulk of our cows’ diet is a mix of alfalfa hay and locally grown fresh salad greens from the Salinas Valley. Yes, it’s true… fresh salad greens! We are blessed with access to fresh salad greens, considering we are located in the Salad Bowl of America! The milking cows are also fed some non-corn/non-soy grain while they are being individually milked. We are actively renovating our existing irrigation system to improve pasture production throughout the year so that the cows always have a nutritious, palatable, and varied diet, allowing them to produce the most flavorful and nutritious milk possible. Our pastures have never been sprayed with any chemical fertilizers or pesticides/herbicides. We practice rotational grazing, proper pasture recovery, and amend the soils with composted dairy mulch.
Are you certified organic?
No, we are not certified organic; however, it is important to note that we do not use hormones, steroids, or corn- or soy-based feed. Also, our pastures have never been sprayed with any chemical fertilizers, pesticides, or herbicides. Our animals are raised with respect and treated with dignity. An animal on rare occasions can get sick, at which time we feel it is our responsibility to treat them with approved antibiotics, during which time they and their milk are kept separate from the regular milk supply, so that none of our milk contains antibiotics. In order to maintain an organic certification, we would be required to remove that cow, which might otherwise live for another decade on our small family farm, rather than simply treat that animal for a week with approved antibiotics. We, as 3rd generation dairymen, could not with good conscience send off a good animal for the sake of keeping a certification. We are proud of the viability of our milking herd and the health of our animals, which typically live 50% longer than the average CA dairy cow.
Is your milk A1 or A2?
Mostly A2. We have not tested individual cows; however, since 2013 we have only used bulls (for breeding purposes) that have the A2/A2 genotype. The bulls, therefore, only pass their A2 genetics on to their daughters – which at about 2 years of age will be our next freshman class of milking cows. Our milking herd is therefore predominantly A2/A2, if not already producing 100% A2 milk.
Products: Raw Milk, Yogurt, Cheese.
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