| 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.
|