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New improved L Reuteri Fermented Dairy (Yogurt) method
Improve the texture with one extra step!
Making fermented dairy with L reuteri probiotic can and will lead to inconsistent results, it is simply the nature of this probiotic when fermenting in dairy. Separated batches is when the whey separates from the curds, it is very common and should not necessarily be seen as a failure. Many will describe a separate batch as smelling and tasting cheesy.
Remember you are not making traditional yogurt, but fermented dairy, it can and will produce inconsistent results. A separated batch is ok to eat and you can use a separated batch as a starter for the next batch.
Here is a video where we discuss this topic.
IT’S ALL IN THE MILK
Dr Davis created his method using half and half milk, which is a full-fat milk commonly available in America (in the UK and Europe, it’s known as ‘half cream’). Half and half is a blend of equal parts whole milk and light cream. If half and half milk is available in your area, we recommend you follow Dr Davis original method. From our feedback, this method produces reliable results. If half-and-half milk is not available in your country, use UHT (long life milk) choose organic milk, that is free of pesticides, hormones, antibiotics, fertilisers and GMOs and follow the next step.
HEATING THE MILK
Traditional yogurt making practises have always heated the milk first. Heating and holding milk at 82° C (180° F) for 20 minutes (or longer) denatures the milk proteins so that they bind and set together. In addition to this, the little bit of evaporation and concentration that occurs during the extended heating helps to improve the texture.
Including this step before adding the probiotic bacteria and prebiotic powder made a profound difference to the structure and texture of our L. reuteri yogurt. Without heating, our first attempts with homemade half and half milk produced fragile and thin yogurt with lots of separated whey.
CONSISTENCY
Despite heating the milk, it’s still not unusual for the first batch to have the consistency of drinking yogurt or turn out separated. Both are perfectly consumable. A separated jar contains the same quantity of beneficial bacteria as a non-separated jar. The L. Reuteri are present in both the solids (curds) and the translucent liquid (whey), and therefore both should be consumed. You can either stir the whey into the curd for a thin yogurt or strain it off. Whey is highly nutritious and can be used in a variety of health-giving ways. Adding it into smoothies is a delicious way to get a probiotic boost. For more creative ideas refer to this post. Subsequent batches will be thicker.
SEEDING THE NEXT BATCH
A portion of your first jar of L. reuteri yogurt – the ‘mother batch’ - can then be used to re-inoculate your next jar of L.reuteri yogurt. This means that when preparing your next batch, you simply replace the 3 (or more) crushed tablets with a third a cup of L. reuteri yogurt. It is also possible to freeze a portion of yogurt or whey and use at a later time.
To ensure the L reuteri strains stay pure and uncontaminated, we recommend re-inoculation not occur indefinitely. To ensure the yogurt stays abundant with the L. reuteri strains, and not a breeding ground for other, unwanted bacteria, we recommend starting a fresh mother batch after 4-5 re-inoculations. If you notice any significant changes to the texture, smell or taste of your yogurt, you should do this sooner.
To keep the strains in abundance, some customers suggest adding 1 crushed probiotic tablet with the third of a cup L. reuteri yogurt or whey.
Quantity: The recipe below makes 1 litre of yogurt. Double the ingredients to fill the capacity of the Luvele yogurt maker jar.
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