20 Jul Make Your Own Yoghurt

Calling all do-it-yourself dynamos! Here’s a simple way to make your own homemade yoghurt brimming with tons of tummy-loving probiotics. Homemade yoghurt gives you the option to go for either a Dairy or Vegan pot of cultured health bliss, so don’t be shy to turn your hand at this simple domestic alchemy. Perfect as a healthy breakfast, dessert or between-meal snack. It’s easier than you think.

Yoghurt needs a starter, which consists of microbes that grow in your milk to transform it into yoghurt by helping it coagulate and creating lactic acid that curdles the milk. That’s where the sour, tart taste comes from. An easy trick is to use a good probiotic capsule as a starter.

Raw Nut & Chia Yoghurt

Here is a Vegan dairy-free option that is full of the creamy goodness of raw nuts and some super-nutritious chia seeds:

You will need:

Severin Yoghurt Maker

Blender
Cheesecloth (or nut milk bag)
A glass bowl
One probiotic capsule
Wooden or plastic spoon
Clean towel
Note: don’t use any metal tools, probiotics don’t like metal very much

For the Yoghurt:

1 1/2 cups raw almonds
1/2 cup raw cashews (or macadamias)
3 cups pure water
1 tablespoon raw honey 1/4 cup Chia seeds

How to:

Organic Almonds

• Soak almonds and cashews in pure water for 8-12 hours
• Rinse well
• Put in the blender and add 3 cups of pure water and blend until super smooth
• Strain through a cheesecloth (or milk nut bag) into a glass or ceramic bowl—make sure you really squish all the liquid out the pulp
• Open the probiotic capsule and sprinkle into your milk
• Stir with a sterilised wood or plastic spoon
• Cover with towel and put in a cosy warm spot in the kitchen but not in direct sunlight
• Leave it for 24 hours so it can chat to itself and culture
• Then give is a good stir and taste it (remember no metal spoon). It should taste sour like yogurt. If it still tastes too sweetish, give it more time to culture
• When it tastes about right, stir in chia seeds
• Leave them to plumpen (about 20 minutes)
• You can either eat at room temperature or put in the fridge to chill a bit first.

Add some delectable toppings such as berries, cacao nibs, cinnamon and maybe a dash of raw honey or healthy sweetener.

Adapted from http://yumuniverse.com/easy-probiotic-almond-chia-yogurt/

If you are allergic to nuts, or love your dairy, you can make some quick convenient pots of delish dairy or soya yoghurt using the same method. Just add a probiotic capsule to 3 cups dairy or soya milk instead of the nut milk. Or you could try a yoghurt maker that will take care of all the practical details such as the perfect temperature and timing for you.