I want to make unsweetened soy yogurt. Can I do this with this vegan starter or must I add sweetener for the bacteria? Does it need a thickener?
1504113
I used unsweetened soy milk and i've found I need to add at least 1 tablespoon (I use 2 tablespoons mostly though) of maple surup to feed the bacteria. Since my yogurt maker takes 42 fluid ounces, I've found using more than 1/8th teaspoon of the starter is required too. The yogurt is not sweet at all.
703135
I have used Soy Drink with success. The full-fat Soy works better then low-fat. Although not truly "non-dairy," adding about 1/2 cup of powdered milk to the Soy Drink does produce a smoother yogurt. If you can find a "Greek-style" non-dairy yogurt for the starter, that will also help make the non-dairy yogurt smoother and thicker.
918244
I've never bought starter; just use some yogurt with live active cultures and it's nearly always worked well for me. Then, I use as a starter some of the yogurt I have made, but only do this once myself as I eat it all up before I can do it again. I buy the sweetened, fruit yogurt for my husband as he doesn't like the homemade, but that's ok; that way, I always have a starter on hand.
2068390
Yes, but it is very thin that way and doesn't seem to keep me satiated. If I use water, I add plain low fat yogurt to thicken it up a bit and sweet leaf stevia to help sweeten the plain yogurt. I'll switch it up a bit sometimes adding different berry blends. My preferential method is to mix with unsweetened almond milk and sometimes adding different berry blends.
1305063
i used a combination of half coconut milk with half cashew milk and it worked. note: whisked in one package of gelatin to the heated milk & 1-2T honey/coconut sugar to feed the yogurt cultures.
1639409
Tanya, I get a little package of plain yogurt to start mine. It works great. I make the greek yogurt. You will have to strain it to make Greek yogurt. Mine tastes better than the Fage brand. I use2 tablespoons of Fage to start mine, so I can eat the rest. But you can start it with regular yogurt. I am thinking about doing a Youtube about how to do it. I have some great tips that will make it easy to do
1067317
It doesn't work when you use soymilk. The yogurt needs the enzymes from cow's milk. I guess that you could try using coconut or goat's milk.
1305067
I only make soy yoghurt and it works well but I have friends that use coconut milk. I incubate for at least 12 hours to develop enough tartness. Sometimes I leave it for as much as 24 hours and it's fine. I don't bother to boil the soy milk and I never add sweeteners or thickeners. Full fat soy milk makes the best.
1620458
Warning: if you are following the SCD, Paleo, or other specialized diet, don't use yogurt from previous batches to start your next batch. You should ALWAYS start fresh to ensure a pure culture each time.
1241696
I did, but I used dairy yogurt as the starter. (About 1 tbsp per pint jar) I used a carton of west soy organic unsweetened plain. The only ingredients are soybeans and water. I did not scald it, just poured into jars, stirred in yogurt and set for 9 hours. It was super thick and tasted great! I would like it a little tart-er next time, so I will go to 10 or 11 hours.
938111
A very small amount since it's not in the ingredients list except at the end in a special note. I think there must have been soy in the nutrient broth that was used to culture some of the probiotic bacteria (which is why it says it's fermented). I would guess that most of that is removed/broken down. It is hard to find out from their website but it does say "soy free" on their site: http://www.gardenoflife.com/Products-for-Life/Foundational-Nutrition/RAW-Meal.aspx There is no FAQ, though. My guess is that if you are worried about hormonal effects, you shouldn't be, but if you have allergies, you're best staying away.
2138408
I like the taste of my own yogurt much better and I put fresh fruit in it after making it. Not to mention that I KNOW there are no artificial ingredients such as thickeners in it and it is indeed cheaper to make my own. I have made at least 10 batches now. Only once was one jar runny. I use one jar as a starter for the next batch. I love my machine.
1964505
No this is not for yogurt starter. It is more like powdered milk or powdered buttermilk, to use in recipes to add the tart flavor of yogurt. It will not culture your milk and make yogurt.
975024
YES, I just started using my own starter from my previous batch of yogurt. The previous batch was made with a starter packets, two (2) packets of 5g of yogurt starter, making two (2) quarts. My new batch I used 3-4 Tablespoons of previous batch, which is probably way too much. It did come out wonderful, a little thick, just add some milk if it is too thick. I have read and you only really need "...2-3 teaspoons of commercial or homemade yogurt..." I just get carried away. I make at least two (2) batches a week, so yummy--add raspberries for a topping. I use 2 bags of frozen raspberries place in a pot, adding some water, maybe a 1/2 cup and add about 1/2 cup of sugar.
2178638
I tried to make almond milk yogurt with this starter in an Instant Pot with the yogurt making function with no success. I have also unsuccessfully tried cashew and coconut milk. I am actually an testing it right now to make sure it is actually alive. If I find it to be a dud, I will follow up here. I did end up purchasing GI Pro Start (also vegan) that I have found a bit more successful.
1364758
You can use homemade yogurt as starter for another batch. I save the whey to use for breadmaking, and have found that I can use about 1/4 cup whey as starter for a new yogurt batch, so I don't have to worry about saving some yogurt to use as a starter. The whey alone works great!
1386665
I am on a hunt to discover the best way to make yogurt from nuts and seeds, as I am allergic to milk and soy :o(. I discovered an answer to your question: (from the owner of Pomona Pectin) I don't have any experience making yogurt from nut milk. When people are making yogurt from cow or goat milk and it isn't coming out thick enough, I tell them how to add pectin to help thicken it . I tell them to use 1 teaspoon of pectin per quart of milk. You might need to use a little more than that. Like 1 1/2 teaspoons or perhaps 2 teaspoons. I tell them they don't need calcium water because their milk has calcium in it naturally. If you have calcium fortified nut milk then you don't need to add calcium water either but if you don't, then you would add 4 teaspoons of calcium water per quart of milk. When you have heated the milk to its hottest point, take 1 cup of the hot milk and put it in a blender or food processor. Add the pectin, vent the lid, and run the machine for a good solid minute until the pectin powder is totally dissolved. No lumps at all just perfectly smooth. Then add the pectinized milk in with the rest of the milk and stir well. Then proceed with your yogurt recipe. Sincerely, Connie Sumberg, Owner Workstead Industries P.O. Box 1083 Greenfield, MA 01302 413-772-6816 www.pomonapectin.com