The chances are that if you have inflammatory bowel disease, you are lactose intolerant so I know what you are thinking, how could eating yoghurt make me feel better? I know that for years before starting the SCD, me and dairy didn’t get along so well. I could tolerate small amounts but if I had cereal with milk for more than a few days in a row, I would begin to feel absolutely lousy. In fact, about 8 years ago I fully attribute my hospitalization after a huge Crohn’s flare to a creamy cake! When I first read the chapter in Elaine Gottschall’s book Breaking the Vicious Cycle I could never see myself actually eating yoghurt and feeling better and believe me my first few attempts were pretty disastrous. When Elaine advises to start eating the yoghurt slowly, as in 1/8th of a teaspoon to begin with, she means it. That’s because even if you are not lactose intolerant SCD yoghurt is a powerful probiotic and you need to allow your system to get used to it slowly. I tried making the yoghurt with cow’s milk a few times but eventually switched to goat’s milk which I seem to tolerate better. I still use a cow’s milk starter-which I give you the link for below, so I am not hugely sensitive to cow’s casein but I just feel better using goat’s milk. You can experiment until you find with best suits you.
Don’t be intimidated by the thought of making your own yoghurt. It may seem like a mammoth task initially but you’ll be surprised how quickly you get used to it. It does require some work and patience but trust me: the creamy, delicious and healthy results far outweigh the effort.
What you will need:
SCD starter– http://www.lucyskitchenshop.com/yogourmet.html#starter
I use this one from Lucy’s Kitchen shop. It comes freeze-dried so there is no problem ordering if you are outside of the states. This contains all three necessary bacteria to make Elaine’s probiotic yoghurt and importantly it does not contain bifidus. It does contain sucrose but this is digested with the lactose during the 24 hour fermentation period.
Two litres Goat’s milk
Spirit thermometer–https://www.thehomebrewcompany.ie/thermometer-12-spirit-p-96.html
You will need a spirit thermometer or similar as it is very accurate for low liquid temperatures.
Large saucepan
Heating pad- http://www.pecoservices.co.uk/te25bm-25-p.asp
I bought mine here and I would highly recommend it. I had some issues with achieving the 40°C temperature at the start and Adrian Cottrell was very helpful to me on email.
| Prep Time | 1 hour |
| Cook Time | 24 hours + 8 hours refridgeration |
| Servings |
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- 2 Litres Goat's Milk
- 2 sachets Yogourmet Yoghurt starter
Ingredients
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- Heat the goat's milk to 95 degrees for 60 seconds (this is advised due to new research to avoid the MAP virus). Try not to let the milk boil over. It is important to constantly stir the milk while heating to avoid scorching. I hold the thermometer in the milk with one hand and stir the milk with the other.
- Place the lid on the pot and cool the milk by filling your sink with ice cold water. You can place ice cubes in the sink if you have them. This will take some time. After 30-60 mins check the temperature with the thermometer. Keep refilling the sink with cold water until the water measures 21.1°C (70°F) or below.
- Empty two sachets of starter into a small bowl and add roughly a cup of cooled milk. Stir very well until combined. Then pour the starter and milk mixture back into the remaining milk and mix well again. Replace the lid of the pot to avoid contamination.
- My heating pad temperature range goes from 20°C to 60°C. I set mine to 3 o clock on the dial to achieve a 40°C temperature, as some heat is lost through the pot. The temperature you need the heating pad to be at to achieve a 40°C temperature will depend on the vessel you use and its dimensions and also the quantity of yoghurt you are making.
- Once you are happy with the temperature which must be between 38°C-43°C (100°F -105°F) replace the lid on the pot and leave to ferment for 24 hours. It is not necessary to keep checking the temperature as the heating pad is usually reliable for keeping the temperature constant. You must not move the yoghurt during the fermentation process.
- If you forget the yoghurt for an hour or two beyond the 24 hours it is still fine. In fact, it is fine to ferment for anything up to 29 hours. It should then be removed and refrigerated for 8 hours. Do not stir it or shake it before refrigerating. Remember the bacteria is ALIVE.
