"Never trust a skinny chef." Chef Adrian Barber, Culinary Instructor, Johnson & Wales University, Providence, Rhode Island


Pamela Rice Hahn

Making Homemade Yogurt

L'EQUIP® Model 528 Food Dehydrator

Whether you use a yogurt maker or a dehydrator, making homemade yogurt is easy -- and lower in lactose than the kind you buy at the store!
Homemade yogurt is advocated by the Specific Carb Diet™ (SCD™) and other diets beneficial for those with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS), Fibromyalgia (FM), and Celiac Disease, Crohn's Disease, Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Ulcerative Colitis, and other digestive and intestinal conditions.

According to the Knowledge Base for the Specific Carb Diet™  "the flavor and texture of the yoghurt depends on the kind of milk you use. The richer the milk, i.e. the more butterfat or milk fat it contains, the less tart and the thicker the yoghurt will be." The SCD™ site further cautions that "[n]o matter what kind of milk or cream you use, make sure that it has no additives such as carrageenan, xanthum gum, dextrose, or other emulsifiers or sweeteners. It should contain nothing but milk, and sometimes cream. If you cannot find regular commercial dairy products that are additive free, you may need to use organic products."

With that in mind, to prepare homemade yogurt that complies with The Carb Specific Diet™, you'll need these ingredients:

1 quart (4 cups) cow's or goat's milk
1/4 cup yogurt -or- 1 tablespoon yogurt starter*

*Note: Ideally you should make your first batch of homemade yogurt using a "starter"; however, if you do use store-bought yogurt as your starter, it can contain active Lactobacillus Acidophilus, Streptococcus Thermophilus, and Lactobacillus Bulgaricus. It must not contain Bifidus/Bifidum bacteria. As mentioned earlier, it also should not contain gums, sugars, or additives, or flavors of any kind.

As shown in the recipe ingredients list, if you are using yogurt as your starter, use 1/4 cup per quart (4 cups) of milk.

Important note: Many recipes recommend also adding dried milk. Do not add dry milk if you are making the yogurt to comply with the Specific Carbohydrate Diet™ or if you are concerned about the amount of lactose in the resulting yogurt.

Instructions:
Put the milk into a clean pot (or over a double boiler) and heat slowly over medium heat until the temperature of the milk reaches 180°F.

Be sure to stir the milk occasionally to keep the bottom from scorching, and again before you take a final temperature reading to ensure that the entire contents
has reached 180°F.

The purpose in heating the milk to at least 180°F is to kill any bacteria that might be present and interfere with the yoghurt making culture.

Note: Both cow's milk and goat's milk must be heated to just past 180°F, in order to sterilize them. Cow's milk can tolerate temperatures up to about 212°F, but goat's milk is more delicate and should not be heated above 185°F

Continuing the instructions:
Turn the heat off and allow to cool to between 108 and 112°F**. Again, be sure to stir well before determining the final temperature. (It's a good idea to cover the pot with a clean tea towel while it cools.)

Once the milk has cooled, remove any "skin" that may have formed on the top of the milk. This isn't necessary, but the yogurt will be creamier if you remove the skin.

If you are using plain commercial or homemade yogurt as your culture, add it to cooled scalded milk and mix well.

If you are using a yogurt starter, dissolve the starter in about 1/3 cup of the scalded milk, then add this mixture to the rest of the milk and mix well.

Bring the temperature of your dehydrator to 108°F.

Pour the cooled scalded milk-yogurt mixture into sterilized flat containers and cover. Place the containers in the dehydrator for  a minimum of 2 to 4 hours at 108°F. (Note: Julie Hauptmann, who has been SCD since April 2004, advises that for SCD yogurt, you will need to incubate the yogurt for 24 to 30 hours; 2 to 4 hours is not long enough to remove enough of the lactose to make the yogurt safe enough for someone who should not consume lactose. Carol Frilegh, SCD for 7 years, confirms that information, **adding that instructions in Elaine Gottschall's book says to cool the milk to 77°F or room temperature before adding the starter.)

Carefully place the containers of yogurt in the refrigerator and allow to cool and thicken for 8 hours.
 

Dehydrator Recommendations:

L'EQUIP® Model 528 Food Dehydrator
L'EQUIP® Model 528 Food Dehydrator

(Reliable temperature adjustments between 93° and 158° F)

American Harvest Gardenmaster Model FD1018P Food Dehydrator
American Harvest Gardenmaster Model FD1018P Food Dehydrator

(Temperatures adjustable between 90° and 150° F)


 

Article, recipe, and some photos:
Copyright © 2004-2007 Pamela Rice Hahn
All Rights Reserved
For reprint permission or for other writing assignments, contact the author.

The book that describes and has other recipes for the Specific Carb Diet™:

Breaking the Vicious Cycle: Intestinal Health Through Diet
by Elaine Gloria Gottschall

CookingWithPam NOTE: An important part of the Specific Carb Diet (SCD) is to improve the bacteria in the gut by eating more healthful homemade yogurt (which is lower in lactose).

Salton YM9 1-Quart Yogurt Maker
Salton YM9 1-Quart Yogurt Maker

Euro Cuisine YM80 Yogurt Maker
Euro Cuisine YM80 Yogurt Maker

(Lets you make yogurt in self-storing glass containers)

Yogourmet Yogurt Maker
Yogourmet Yogurt Maker


Sample Recipes Index

diabetes everything diabetic cookbook
(No artificial sweeteners used in the recipes -- anywhere, anytime!)
Sample Recipes Index


Nourishing Traditions: The Cookbook that Challenges Politically Correct Nutrition and the Diet Dictocrats

by
Sally Fallon, Mary G. Enig

 

Wild Fermentation: The Flavor, Nutrition, and Craft of Live-Culture Foods
Wild Fermentation: The Flavor, Nutrition, and Craft of Live-Culture Foods

by
Sandor Ellix Katz,
Sally Fallon
(A cookbook that covers how to use natural fermentation methods to  make cheese, yogurt, sauerkraut, breads, and other foods.)

 

The book that describes and has other recipes for the Specific Carb Diet™:

Breaking the Vicious Cycle: Intestinal Health Through Diet
by Elaine Gloria Gottschall

Article describing the Specific Carb Diet™

     

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