Video/Recipe: Homemade Yogurt (SCD/GAPS)

Video/Recipe: Homemade Yogurt (SCD/GAPS) post image

Yogurt is so easy to make at home that it is crazy to spend money on store bought yogurt. At home, you can control exactly what goes into it — and what stays out of it — like additives such as carregeenan, guar gum, sugars, etc. Why would you want to spend good money on junk? You can use the very best milk available and make a nutrient dense food that can be used in many versatile ways. Making yogurt at home is dirt cheap and much easier than you think. I’ll tell you how.

The most important aspect in making yogurt is deciding on which milk to use. The very best choice would be fresh, unpasteurized milk from grassfed cows. If that is not available, the second best choice would be whole fat, organic milk from grassfed cows, that is unhomogenized. I was able to find this milk at a healthfood supermaket like Whole Foods. The milk from grassfed cows has a much better nutrient profile because the cows are eating the food they are supposed to eat. Cows have four stomachs and are able to turn grass and forage into excellent protein, fat, vitamins and minerals which then goes into the milk. Organic is best.

Homogenization was invented to fool consumers and benefit the milk companies back in the 1950’s. At this time, milk was being delivered to the doorstep in glass jars and the cream would float to the top. Consumers could judge the quality of the milk by how much cream was there. Manufacturers saw that if they could spread the cream throughout the milk, no one could see the layer of cream so they wouldn’t know that less cream was being kept in the milk. The manufacturers then skimmed the cream off the top and sold it separately, reaping a nice profit!

Homogenization breaks up the fat into tiny miceles which mixes into the water component of milk more easily. This is thought to be detrimental because the unnaturally tiny particles of fat can get into the blood vessels and collect there. As far as I am concerned, the less processing done to the milk the better.

People on the SCD or GAPS diet may have yogurt, however it needs to be cultured for 24 hours as this length of time will ferment out the lactose in the milk. Those friendly bacteria love milk sugar and given enough time, they will eat it all up. I love the 24 hour yogurt as it has no sugars and it is still very creamy and delicious. If it is too tart, you can always add some fruit or a little honey.

Homemade Yogurt (SCD/GAPS)

 

Ingredients

1/2 gallon milk

culture starter or 1/4 cup plain full fat commercial yogurt (where to buy culture starter)

Equipment

Yogurt maker or cooler and towel

2 glass quart jars

candy thermometer

Instructions

  • Decide which milk you are going to use
  • Raw milk is best but if you cannot get it or are uncomfortable with it, try to get organic, grassfed, full fat unhomogenized milk
  • Pour this milk into a clean pot and bring to 180 degrees F (this step is to kill any bacteria in the milk that may interfere with the yogurt cultures)
  • Quickly remove it from the heat when it reaches 180
  • Cool in a sink with 2″ cold water or let cool naturally
  • Cool to between 95 degrees and 105 degrees (you must cool the milk before adding the culture starter — too hot and the bacteria will die)
  • Pour one cup cooled milk into a separate glass cup and the rest into the large glass jar from the yogurt maker
  • Add the starter to this milk and mix well
  • Add the cup of milk to the larger jar and mix well
  • Cover and put into the yogurt maker (with water in the bottom)
  • If you are brewing for 24 hours use the dimmer switch on the yogurt maker as this will moderate the temperature so that it does not get too hot (see video)
  • If you are brewing for 8 hours you do not need the dimmer
  • Take note when the yogurt will be done and remove it from the yogurt maker at that time
  • Put into two glass one quart jars and refrigerate

 

Where to buy the Yogourmet Yogurt Maker

Where to buy Culture Starter

 

This post is shared at: Sunday School, Sugar-Free Sunday, My Meatless Monday, Monday Mania, Melt in Mouth Monday, Homestead Barnhop, Real Food 101, Mouthwatering Monday, Meatless Monday. Slightly Indulgent Tuesday, Tuesday Tasty Tidbits, Tempt My Tummy Tuesday, Made From Scratch Tuesday, Tasty Tuesday Naptime, Hearth & Soul Hop, Traditional Tuesday, What’s Cooking Wednesday, Sustainable Ways, Gluten Free Wednesday, Whole Food Wednesday, Cast Party Wednesday, Healthy 2Day, These Chicks Cooked, Real Food Wednesday, Creative Juice Thursday, Tastetastic, Full Plate Thursday, Simple Lives Thursday, Pennywise Platter, Fresh Bites Friday, Freaky Friday, Foodie Friday, Fight Back Friday, Friday Potluck, Friday Food

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Leave a Comment

  • Karin January 14, 2012, 9:44 am

    EuroCuisine yogurt makers do not get over 105 degrees. Mine registers at 100 degrees (using an oven thermometer) so this might be a good options. The jars are small but very convenient. You can purchase extra jars too.

    Reply
  • Vicki January 14, 2012, 1:02 pm

    You don’t need to buy an expensive “yogurt maker.” It’s really easy to make yogurt by just putting the containers in a cooler and adding hot tap water. I make it in half gallon jars.

    Reply
  • Lauren Hairston Collado January 14, 2012, 1:45 pm

    I know the yogurt maker isn’t an absolute necessity, but I’m so glad I bought mine! I love the little individual jars so much. πŸ™‚ I’ve never “brewed” my yogurt for 24 hours before. I’ll have to try it.

    Reply
  • Alice Billman January 16, 2012, 11:37 am

    I bought my yogurt maker on E Bay for about $10 and have been using it for years. I really like the individual serving glass jars that came with it. Just screw on the top, and its ready to go to work with me.

    Reply
  • Liberty January 16, 2012, 11:59 am

    Just made a gallon in my picnic cooler last night!
    So rich and delicious and user-friendly! WE love it with sugar free cranberry sauce!
    or on top of this latest creation:
    http://bit.ly/wyGIcY
    Blessings

    Reply
  • April @ The 21st Century Housewife January 18, 2012, 12:43 pm

    We don’t eat a lot of yogurt in our house, but it’s so interesting to know that you can make your own! Thank you for sharing this excellent post with the Hearth and Soul hop.

    Reply
  • Abby J. (formerly C.) January 19, 2012, 4:31 pm

    I’ve also heard you can use your oven as a “yogurt maker.” Apparently if you put the yogurt in the oven and leave the oven light on (with the door closed) for as long as the yogurt is fermenting, then the oven light is just enough heat to keep the oven warm enough for the yogurt.

    Reply
    • Jill January 19, 2012, 6:53 pm

      Hi Abbey,
      Yes that is true if your stove has a 60 watt bulb.

      Reply
  • Tracey January 20, 2012, 2:18 pm

    I just bought the Yogourmet and I’m enjoying it. However, I’m curious about how to use the glass jar inside. Is it because it is easier to remove the glass jars from the incubator? Or because of BPA?

    I’ve had a couple of problems removing the plastic insert so if a glass jar would be easier than I’m all for it. πŸ™‚

    Also, any ideas on transitioning my family from store bought to homemade? I’m not the yogurt eater so apparently it is either too tart or the wrong texture…sigh

    I’m determined to get it right so they’ll eat it but don’t know what things I can add before culturing and what things I should add afterwards. I do have a library copy of The Yogurt Bible by Pat Crocker that has helped somewhat…

    THANKS!!

    Reply
  • Jill January 20, 2012, 3:14 pm

    HI Tracey,
    Congratulations! I would use only the glass jar for fermenting due to the BPA issue with plastic.

    Homemade yogurt can be flavored after it is ready — with fresh fruit, cooked fruit, honey, maple syrup, jam, etc.

    Also dripping will make it thicker. Let me know how it goes!

    Reply
  • Miz Helen January 20, 2012, 4:17 pm

    Hi Jill,
    I just love homemade yogurt and you have some wonderful tips, yum it is so good! Hope you have a great week end and thank you so much for sharing with Full Plate Thursday.
    Come Back Soon!
    Miz Helen

    Reply
  • Shannon January 20, 2012, 5:37 pm

    Love it! We go through a ton of yogurt with two kids, I haven’t though of making my own before.

    Thanks for linking up to Friday Food on Momtrends.com!

    Reply
  • Perry E February 11, 2012, 11:47 am

    Thanks for the tip about the dimmer chord for 24 hr yogurt. I have a Yolife YL-210 and with the dimmer at about 2/3 I’m able to maintain between 95 and 105 degrees. Most delicious full fat yoghurt I ever had. Very firm and not tart tasting at all, even after 24 hrs. I used Siggi’s icelandic Skyr yogurt as my starter. Yummy stuff πŸ™‚

    Reply
  • Kate June 8, 2013, 11:09 am

    When you are experimenting to work out what dimmer switch setting is needed for your yogurt making (SCD 24-hour version), how do you check the temperature? Do you have to open the jar and insert the thermometer directly into the yogurt itself, or can you take the temperature of the water surrounding the yogurt jar? I just got my yogurt maker last night and am excited to try my first batch. Thanks for the video!

    Reply
    • Jill June 8, 2013, 10:25 pm

      Hi Kate,
      I usually put the thermometer right into the yogurt and let it sit there for a while.

      Reply
  • Chris July 1, 2013, 4:32 pm

    Hi Jill-
    Thanks for posting. I’ve used a eurocuisine in the past and it will get up to around 120f after about 14hrs. I bought a yogourmet after seeing your video last week. However, I’ve blown two batches. First never made it above 98 and the second was 118 after 26hrs. So, my question is are you adjusting the dimmer during fermentation? Or setting it at about half from the get go? I don’t see how having the dimmer set it half from the beginning will ever get a temp above 100 until very late in the fermentation process. That’s why my first batch was too cold. My second batch I set the dimmer at 3/4 and was at 108 until the next day when it rocketed to 118. I’m thinking of putting a probe thermometer in the water in order to keep better track of temps.
    Best Wishes,
    Chris

    Reply
    • Jill July 1, 2013, 7:36 pm

      Hi Chris,
      I usually set it right from the start halfway. I’ve taken the temp after a few hours and it is always around 100 – 105. At the end I take the temp and it has stayed a steady 105 for 24 – 26 hours. The yogurt is made.

      It didn’t make yogurt at 98? Usually yogurt is made even at that low temp. Sorry for the bad batches. If I were you, I would set it higher at the beginning and then check after a few hours and then lower it to halfway. The first few times I would take the temp every few hours if you can to be sure how it is going.

      Reply
      • Chris July 2, 2013, 12:12 pm

        Hi Jill-
        Thanks a lot for the feedback. It did make yogurt at 98 but I’ve always thought SCD/Elaine was specific about the range for proper fermentation being 100-110. I actually sampled the 98 batch and found it quite sweet relative to my old batches that were fermented at 110. I did another trial with water and cut the dimmer from about 3/4 to 1/2 after about 8hrs and the temp was about 112. So I think going cutting back after about 5 or 6hrs to 1/2 should solve it! I’ll let you know if I decide to try and make a yogurt maker that’s literally “set and forget.” thanks again!

        Reply
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  • celia brown April 17, 2014, 11:15 pm

    I found a great way to enjoy the large amounts of whey that was going to waste from the yogurt I strain. I make an SCD Orange Julius! I stir the whey when ready to enjoy, pour over a glass of crushed ice, squeeze a half an orange or more gently atop, then add the pulp. I push the pulpy part against the inside of the glass with a spoon, and wah lah! The contrast of the sour whey and the sweet orange is to die for! Energizes my whole system.

    Reply
    • Jill April 18, 2014, 4:28 pm

      Hi Celia,
      That is a great idea!

      Reply
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