Make your own vegan yogurt

[cufflink]

I've heard that commercial vegan yogurts are available, although I haven't found any. But it's a snap to make your own.

First you need vegan yogurt starter. I use the one from Cultures for Health, which you can order online:

http://www.culturesforhealth.com/vegan- ... arter.html

Next you need plant milk. So far I've used only soy milk (I want the high protein content) but I've read that other milks (almond, coconut, rice) work as well. I like Westsoy Organic Unsweetened soy milk, the original, full-fat kind. I don't know how well the low- and non-fat versions would work.

Contrary to the directions that come with the starter, I've found you do not need a thickening agent to help the yogurt firm up. And it's really easy:

Take a 32-ounce carton of plant milk, empty the contents into a microwave-safe bowl, heat just until slightly warm. Stir in the starter and mix well. Pour into 4 short glasses. Cover with a towel and set in a warm place, like inside your oven with the oven light on. (I turn on the oven, and as soon as it gets to about 110 degrees F, I turn it off. Seems to achieve the right temperature.) Wait 8 hours, and voilà, yogurt! Refrigerate for a minimum of 6 hours, and enjoy.

The yogurt you get is a bit more delicate than the dairy-based variety, but very tasty. I love it.

[brimstoneSalad]

Great post, thanks!

Alternatively, even if vegan yogurt is available in your area, you can save some money by buying just one vegan yogurt from the store with live cultures in it (they're ridiculously expensive, but you just need one)- this can be used as a starter (just save a bit from each prior batch to add to the next one to keep your starter going indefinitely).

Probiotics (vegan capsules) also contain a lot of the right microbes (just open a capsule and dump them in), and can serve as a starter in a pinch.

You need a high protein content to get a good thick result- so soy milk is the best bet.
Hemp milk might also work.
Otherwise, without high protein content, you would need a thickener.

Coconut milk would need a thickener- also a warning: The saturated fatty acids and general balance of nutrients in coconut milk can promote dangerous micro-organisms (other plant milks don't as much), be cautious with fermenting coconut or coconut milk, and always use a fresh starter (don't reserve old coconut milk yogurt for the next batch, because your microbe colony could drift into bad territory with mold contamination). Other milks are safer than coconut milk, and it's not a big issue with those.

I agree, Westsoy is a good brand.

If you make a lot of yogurt (or otherwise use a lot of soy milk), I can't recommend enough getting a soy milk maker. It'll save you hundreds of dollars a year.

[TheVeganAtheist]

great thanks for that. Will definitely try. Ive never had a problem finding vegan yoghurt. Have you tried a local health food store?

[cufflink]

Great post, thanks!

And thank you. I had a feeling I'd be learning a lot here, and I already am.

Alternatively, even if vegan yogurt is available in your area, you can save some money by buying just one vegan yogurt from the store with live cultures in it (they're ridiculously expensive, but you just need one)- this can be used as a starter (just save a bit from each prior batch to add to the next one to keep your starter going indefinitely).

The company I got my starter from specifically said not to try to use a bit of a prior batch to start a new one, but I wonder if their motivation was more financial than scientific. A business model where they sell one package of starter that can generate yogurt in perpetuity probably wouldn't fly.

If you make a lot of yogurt (or otherwise use a lot of soy milk), I can't recommend enough getting a soy milk maker. It'll save you hundreds of dollars a year.

There's such a thing as a soy milk maker??? Wow! I'll have to research that. Sounds like it would be very useful. We seem to go through a gallon or two of soy milk a week.

[cufflink]

Ive never had a problem finding vegan yoghurt. Have you tried a local health food store?

Thanks. I should try again just to see what's available. For right now, though, I'm pretty happy with the results I'm getting at home. For dessert, with just a little pure maple syrup over the cold plain soy yogurt . . . oh yeah.

[brimstoneSalad]

The company I got my starter from specifically said not to try to use a bit of a prior batch to start a new one, but I wonder if their motivation was more financial than scientific. A business model where they sell one package of starter that can generate yogurt in perpetuity probably wouldn't fly.

It takes longer if you use a bit from a previous batch.

Also, it's not always safe. The microbe colony can "drift" in a sense. The population of one taking over. Or even mold can take root. Note what I said about coconut milk (in which case, it may not be safe at all).

So, it may not be entirely profit motivated. The ratio of the microbes will change, and you might even get some wild ones mixed in over time- slightly different flavor.
But, with the right substrate, the growth of the good ones will be encouraged, and they will crowd out the bad ones- so it's pretty safe.
If you want to make it even safer, you can add some more carbohydrates for the microbes to eat, so they'll acidify the yogurt a little more.

There's such a thing as a soy milk maker??? Wow! I'll have to research that. Sounds like it would be very useful. We seem to go through a gallon or two of soy milk a week.

Yes, they're wonderful. You should buy one right away if you make that much. Let me look a couple up for you here...

Here's a how to on youtube:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X3jWwmaK28k

You buy whatever beans you want (usually in bulk, online).
You can add them without soaking, but soaking before hand is better.

This one seems to be the top rated:

http://www.amazon.com/Soyajoy-G4-Milk-M ... 00ALM5ZFM/

I'm pretty sure I've seen them cheaper, but maybe that was the prior model.
I don't know, I haven't shopped for one for a long time.

But seriously, if you go through that much, it will pay for itself in under a year. Beans cost next to nothing- even really good beans- for the small amount needed.
I've never had a soymilk maker of any brand break on me- if you're shopping around, I'd just look for a stainless steel container instead of a plastic one... but aside from that, honestly I haven't seen much of a difference between brands.

[cufflink]

You're a great resource, brim. Continued thanks for all the very useful information.

The soy milk maker looks efficient, but I'm wondering if it's necessary for us. It's not so much the cost that's making me hesitate but rather the fact that we're running out of space. My other half seems to think we should have every kitchen appliance and gadget that exists. What with our super-duper Vitamix, and our Cuisinart, and our Kitchenaid, and our electric kettle, not to mention the coffee maker . . . and the iced tea maker . . . we're running out of counter space.

It strikes me, though, that we could easily use the Vitamix along with hot water to blend the soaked beans and then strain the mixture through a colander, as in the video. Ya think?

And how do you like to make use of the okara?

BTW, I'm curious how long it took you to acquire your expertise. How long have you been a vegan?

[brimstoneSalad]

Thanks Cufflink,

It strikes me, though, that we could easily use the Vitamix along with hot water to blend the soaked beans and then strain the mixture through a colander, as in the video. Ya think?

You can do it with a blender, but you have to cook the soybeans too (you can't just use hot water).

You can do:

1. Blend them
2. Transfer to pot (make sure the heat is very even, or the bottom will burn)
3. Stir it for 15 minutes while simmering (or the bottom will burn and it will get ruined)
4. Strain it through a very fine mesh, enjoy

1. Cook the soybeans on low heat (this can take up to a few hours)- less stirring is necessary, but beans cook more slowly than blended soup
2. Transfer to blender
3. Blend with water (hot or cold, doesn't matter much)
4. Strain it through a very fine mesh, enjoy.

The soy milk maker does the blending and the cooking, and removes the necessity of transferring and stirring while cooking. It saves you at least 20 minutes of work in the best case.
Soy milk makers have both very even heating, and they blend and mix while cooking periodically, which reduces the time to 15 minutes, and avoids any human intervention to prevent burning.

And how do you like to make use of the okara?

If you bake, you can put a little in with baked goods without noticing it much. Too much of it and things will start acquiring the texture of cardboard, though, so you have to be careful not to overdo it.
It can also be eaten, but contrary to the claim of the video, it doesn't taste particularly good. However, it's good fiber. I you spice it, it's not too bad. Texture is bleh though; you have to pair it with something like bread or chips.
You could make something like an okara hummus if you wanted; that would probably be edible.

BTW, I'm curious how long it took you to acquire your expertise. How long have you been a vegan?

A little over ten years. But I can't say I was learning very fast during that time. There have just been a few points where I learned a whole bunch at once along the line, and then didn't learn anything relevant for years. Mostly by interacting with other vegans, or reading things online. I could have learned it all in a year, easily, had I been more studious and experimental.

[Volenta]

How do you ever get enough calcium when making your own soy milk and yogurt? In a glass of soy milk bought in the supermarket, I get about 180mg of calcium. Homemade, you would only get about 15mg. Do you add something to it, or take a supplement?

[brimstoneSalad]

How do you ever get enough calcium when making your own soy milk and yogurt? In a glass of soy milk bought in the supermarket, I get about 180mg of calcium. Homemade, you would only get about 15mg. Do you add something to it, or take a supplement?

Most leafy green vegetables are pretty rich in calcium. As long as you're eating enough whole food (including plenty of said green leafy veggies), it's rarely an issue.

If you don't eat a lot of vegetables, you might need to supplement. Grains aren't particularly good sources of calcium.

However, cost-wise, commercial soy milk and yogurt isn't a very efficient source.
Calcium, after all, is a rock- and it's dirt cheap.

First link I found: Bulk Calcium Carbonate

That's 5 lb for $16.50, that's $7.28 per kg, or about a cent for a gram.

Calcium Carbonate ( CaCO3 ) is about 40% calcium, so you'd need 2.5 grams a day, max (which is about a cubic cm in volume), to reach RDI (almost two cents worth)

Here's somebody playing with some cubic centimeter blocks for size reference.

For a year, that would cost $6.64
Probably about what you spend on one carton of commercial soy milk, bought for the calcium

Calcium carbonate is alkaline, though, so you need to eat it with something acidic (so it forms neutral calcium citrate) and doesn't neutralize your stomach acid (which helps it absorb better). It doesn't take much, a little bit of tomato, or a fruit would probably do it.

It's slightly more expensive, but Tricalcium Phosphate is also an option (and one that doesn't neutralize stomach acid).