I'm personally really excited about this recipe video, as I've gotten into all things fermenting and culturing during quarantine. It all started with Sourdough bread, and has shifted to other things such as cultured cheese, sauerkraut, and making my very own yogurt! Since going vegan, I kind of stopped eating yogurt. The store-bought ones are really expensive and I rarely had it as an occasional treat. As I've become more comfortable with fermented foods, I realized that making yogurt is not that hard, although I didn't have any of the equipment that was often listed in recipes; yogurt maker, instant pot, thermometer, etc. I decided to give it a try without any fancy equipment, and just using some of my basic understanding of cultures and fermenting that I have gained in the last 9 months. It totally worked, and I wanted to share this so others can know just how easy it is.
I also never buy almond milk from the store anymore, and prefer to make it at home, so it doesn't have any of the added preservatives and fillers used in store-bought almond milk. I thought I'd share that recipe as well, since I use it in making the yogurt!
Fermented foods are so good for us and full of healthy bacteria for our gut. The bacteria also fundamentally change the food that is fermented into something completely different and beautiful. Most bacteria are our friend, and help us digest our food and make the nutrients available to us. We really couldn't survive without them. If you're looking for a good book about gut health, check out Fiber Fueled by Will Bulsiewicz, a gastroenterologist that really knows his way around plants...and poop!
Almond Milk Ingredients
- 1 Cup of Almonds
- 4 or 5 Cups of Water (The less water, the creamier your milk will be)
- Maple Syrup or Dates to taste (Optional for sweetness)
- Vanilla to taste (Optional for flavoring)
Oat Milk Ingredients
-1 Cup of Rolled Oats
-4 Cups of Water (Make sure it is lukewarm at warmest to prevent slimy milk)
- Maple Syrup or Dates to taste (Optional for sweetness)
- Vanilla to taste (Optional for flavoring
Instructions:
1) Place your almond milk or oat milk ingredients into a high-speed blender. For almond milk, blend for 1 minute and 30 seconds, to ensure your nuts are really broken down. For oat milk blend for about 30-35 seconds; not too long or your milk will be slimy.
2) Pour the mixture into a nut milk bag or a doubled-up cheesecloth inside of a strainer over a bowl. Squeeze the milk out into a container, and refrigerate for 4-5 days. Keep your pulp for making cookies, granola bars, or add it to smoothies. You can freeze it if you're not ready to use it right away.
Almond Milk Yogurt Ingredients
-4 Cups of Almond Milk (I do a 6-cup batch in the video)
-1/3 Cup of Raw Cashews
-2 Tablespoons of Tapioca Starch (Or Arrowroot or Cornstarch work as well)
-1/4 Teaspoon of Agar Powder
-2-3 Tablespoons of a Yogurt Starter (Either a previous batch of yogurt, or a plain, active cultured, store-bought vegan yogurt works. I think I used a plain Greek Almond Milk Yogurt as my starter initially.)
Instructions:
1) Blend all of your yogurt ingredients, except the yogurt starter, together until smooth.
2) Pour into a large pot and heat over medium heat while stirring constantly to thicken up the mixture. See the video for the proper consistency. *Here is a good time to turn on your oven light
3) Let it cool until you can stick your pinky finger in and it doesn't burn or seem very hot. If it is too hot, it will kill the live bacteria in the culture. It's okay to still be warm though.
4) Once it has cooled enough, add in your yogurt culture and stir thoroughly.
5) Add this to a clean glass jar, cover, and put into the oven with the light on for 6-8 hours. The longer it ferments, the tangier it will become. Make sure to put some kind of dishtowel or rag in front of the oven window to block out any sunlight, which could also kill the bacteria in your yogurt and prevent it from fermenting. *You can ferment yogurt at room temperature as well, but it will just take longer. You can always taste it as it ferments to see if it's ready.
6) Refrigerate to stop the fermentation once it is at your desired tartness. Save a few tablespoons of this batch as a starter for your next one and enjoy!
Music:
Fig Leaf Rag - distressed by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. creativecommons.org/licenses/...
Source: incompetech.com/music/royalty-...
Artist: incompetech.com/