My family eats a lot of yogurt. Most mornings I will have yogurt with fruit in it, and my husband and my daughter often make smoothies using yogurt. Our preference is non-fat plain yogurt, and we buy it in large containers to minimize plastic, and because it costs less per ounce. But it is frustrating how much plastic we end up with because we love yogurt so much. Could we make our own yogurt to eliminate the plastic? Maybe…. But I have memories of my mother making yogurt in the ’70’s. My recollection is that it was a somewhat complicated process and the end result was a thin, sour yogurt-like substance than my sister and I refused to eat. I don’t want to go there.
The good news is that I recently stumbled on Nounos yogurt that is sold in glass and clay jars. What a great solution!
Glass and Clay Jars
What first caught my attention was Nounos multi-serve clay crock. Because our family goes through so much yogurt, we almost always buy large, multi-serve (usually 24-32 ounces) containers. Nounos large crock is only 16 ounces, but it is still big enough to last a few days. The crock comes with a paper-board top, which appeared to have a plastic coating on the inside so I did end up throwing the top away instead of recycling it.
The crock is thick and sturdy, and could be reused for several purposes. It would be good for keeping kitchen utensil on the counter or as a vase. I would definitely keep one or two of these around my house after eating the yogurt. But after that, I am not quite sure what I would do with them. I think I would end up with crock build-up in my house. They are so substantial I would feel badly throwing them away. And while their website says they are biodegradable, I don’t think the clay jars are recyclable. If I chucked these near my compost pile, they seem unlikely to break down, and after a few weeks I would just end up with a pile of crocks. I wonder if this size could be made out of glass so that it could be recycled.
Nounos is also available in 5 ounce single-serve glass jars. This smaller size is available in various flavors, including plain and vanilla, as well as specialty seasonal flavors. These small glass jars can be recycled. The company also suggests re-using the jars for saving knick-knacks or small plants. If we didn’t go through so much yogurt, these glass jars would be my yogurt of choice.
Delicious yogurt, but…
As a greek yogurt lover, I found the thick, creamy yogurt to have an excellent texture and I loved the smooth flavor of the plain variety. It was disappointing, however, that there is no non-fat version of this yogurt, and the multi-serve package comes only in a 5% milkfat, whole milk version. This is a deal breaker for our family since we eat non-fat yogurt.
As you might guess, this thick, creamy yogurt in plastic-free packaging sells at a premium. In stores near me that meant a 10-20% higher price vs. other greek yogurts.
Things I Love:
- Plastic-free! The glass jars and the clay crock are biodegradable
- The glass jars are recyclable
- The labels peel right off, making it easy to reuse the jars and crocks.
- The greek yogurt is delicious, thick and creamy
Things I Don’t Love:
- No non-fat version. Large crock is only available in whole-milk, full fat yogurt.
- Large size clay crock is unique and reusable, but it is not recyclable.
- Premium priced even compared to other premium greek yogurts.
Product Info:
- Available in specialty stores and local markets
- 5 ounce jar low fat flavors
- 16 ounce clay crock in whole milk plain and vanilla
- https://www.nounoscreamery.com
Nounos Yogurt Rating
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