Vegan Almond Yoghurt

Make Vegan Almond Yoghurt Vegan Non-Dairy Culture.

Please Note: We have never had any success with store-bought almond milk.

The Non-Dairy Yoghurt Culture is a specially formulated culture that is not grown on a dairy base. This culture also contains gut-healthy probiotic bacteria and is vegan friendly. Use of a thickening agent like Smooth Gel is required.

You Will Need The Following Items

• A yoghurt maker large enough to hold one litre of milk.
• Blender
• Tight weave cheesecloth
• A stainless steel pot for heat-treating your homemade almond milk.
• A dairy thermometer
• A sealed whisk
• Measuring spoons

Your Ingredients

• 1.5 cups of whole almonds
• 1 tablespoon of sugar, (to act as food for the culture)
• 2 tablespoons of Smooth Gel
• 1 dose of Yoghurt Starter Culture

Note: The amount of culture used for one litre is VERY SMALL.

Directions

• Soak your almond nuts overnight in non-chlorinated water.
• Drain and rinse the almonds.
• Blend the almonds with three and a half cups of non-chlorinated water, on high speed for about three minutes.
• Use a jelly strainer or tight weave cheese-making cloth to strain out the pulp. Squeezing the last of the milk out is OK.
• Mix 1 tablespoon of sugar with 1 to 2 tablespoons of Smooth Gel and sprinkle in slowly while whisking vigorously
• Heat treat your milk to 90° C for 10 to 30 minutes, stirring constantly.
• Allow to cool to between 37° and 43° C. and place into a yoghurt maker.
• Add your starter culture and mix well to ensure the culture is evenly distributed.
• Maintain the milk mixture between 37° and 43° C for 24 hours.

Comments:

If using an EasiYo yoghurt maker, do not fill the external container so high with boiling water as to have it come into direct contact with the internal container, as this will cause the temperature to rise too high, scalding and killing the culture.  Just fill it to the level of the baffle (red shelf). This will give you the benefit of a heat reservoir without risking killing the culture. Monitor the temperature if concerned and replace the hot water when needed. 

The yoghurt culture grows by eating the available sugars or carbohydrates and turning them into an acid. If you like a more acidic yoghurt feel free to add a small amount of sugar. If you don't put enough sugar in the culture will not thrive.

Every batch of your almond milk will be different, so expect some variations and some experimentation to get the result you are looking for.

Feedback

If you are getting particularly good results with a variation on the above recipe and directions please share it with us.