|
|
|
NEW, REVISED, EASIER! HOW TO MAKE HOMEMADE SOY YOGURT
INCLUDING HOW TO MAKE SOY YOGURT CHEESE AND FRUIT-FLAVORED FROZEN SOY YOGURT DESSERT
This page was revised May 2008.
© Bryanna Clark Grogan 2007
No reproduction of the following material without permission from the author. If you would like to share any of my recipes with others, or on a forum, or another site, let me know, and please credit me, my website and the book the recipe appeared in, if I note that in the recipe. You are welcome to link to this page from your site. Thanks!
Some feedback on the new recipe (a comment posted on my blog): "Hi Bryanna, my husband and I haven't eaten any soy yogurt since becoming vegan. We used to eat a lot of yogurt as non-vegans though. So your post (and Susan's over at FFVegan) inspired me to give it a whirl....I made my first batch following your recipe for commercial soy milk and it turned out PERFECT! PERFECT!!!! We loved it. I incubated mine for 12 hours because we like ours tart also...
Thank you so much for such a wonderful recipe. I think you've hit it right on this one!"
Go right to the detailed recipe! (Using 1 batch homemade soymilk + 1 box commercial soymilk for added creaminess; 10 cup yield)
Go to the Shortcut recipe (no details or extra notes; same ingredients and yield as above)
Go to the small batch shortcut recipe (5 cups yield; no details or extra notes; same ingredients as above)
Recipe using only homemade soymilk (5 1/2- 6 cup yield; no details or extra notes; Small Batch Shortcut recipe)
recipe using ONLY commercial soymilk (no extra details or notes; Small Batch (5 cup) Shortcut recipe)
Four ways to incubate your yogurt!
Making yogurt cheese
Making Fruit-Flavored Frozen Soy Yogurt
STABILIZERS/THICKENERS FOR SOY YOGURT: Why do we need these? Because soy protein does not behave in the same way as milk protein, so soy yogurt just does not set as firmly as dairy yogurt. Some people don't mind that, but I like it thicker.
THE SAGA OF MY SEARCH FOR A THICKENER/STABILIZER:
MY GOAL: a spoonable yogurt that will hold its shape, but, at the same time, have a soft texture and creamy mouthfeel; not separate; not "weep" more than normal yogurt; and have a pleasant, tart flavor. I also wanted to streamline the process a bit.
I ORIGINALLY USED KOSHER JEL to thicken my soy yogurt, but, because of the difficulty of getting truly vegetarian kosher jel in my area, and because the truly vegan brands, such as Kojel and Carmel, are not sold in bulk and are herefore quite expensive (considering how much you must use per batch of yogurt-- a whole box!), I experimented with other stabilizers, including tapioca starch (by itself), carageenan or Irish moss powder, cornstarch, agar (by itself), and low-methoxyl fruit pectin (the kind that uses calcium rather than sugar to jell).
When I tried carageenan or Irish moss powder I had to throw out the yogurt-- it tasted like seaweed! Agar alone produces a firm product (too firm, actually, unless you blend it after setting, and then it tends to be too runny, in my opinion), but it does not taste creamy, no matter what I do to it or what I use. Tapioca starch and cornstarch on their own made a yogurt that was runny and separated after a couple of days. I tried a mainstream brand of no-sugar pectin, (Bernardin), but it was $2.00 per package and you had to use the whole package! It did not work well in any case.
I finally had some success using Pomona's Universal Pectin, (a low-methoxyl pectin made from citrus, which is great for making jams, jellies and preserves with either no sugar, or less sugar, or alternative sweeteners, because it doesn't need sugar to make it jell, like regular pectin-- it uses a calcium solution to jell!). It set nicely and did not change the flavor at all. I thought it was an excellent, more easily accessible alternative to kosher jel. BUT, I found over time that the results were inconsistent, and it was kind of "fiddly", and alot of people had trouble finding Pomona's. It would separate after culturing, and you'd have to blend it with a hand immersion blender before refrigerating it. Also, there was the problem of people who used calcium-enriched soymilk. If the calcium balance isn't right when you use low-methoxyl pectin, you can end up with a rubbery and unpleasant product!
I wanted to make a product that did not have to be blended with a blender or immersion blender, because I found that the blending made the yogurt unpleasantly frothy in texture. So, I kept experimenting.
NEW EXPERIMENTS, BETTER RESULTS!
I decided to try agar again, on another writer's recommendation. It was extremely firm, so I blended it after it had set, as instructed. That was better, but we found it too runny, and, even with Soy Dream added, it lacked creaminess.
I also tried xanthan gum, which was praised by one reader. But I found the mouthfeel unpleasant and there was also a certain bitterness. It was also still pretty runny, but you certainly wouldn't want to add more xanthan gum, since it's not cheap and I didn't want more of the mouthfeel or bitterness.
So, I thought about how I make vegan fruit jells, and my vegan low-fat mayo-- with a mixture of starch and agar. The starch softens the effect of the agar, and the agar provides stability. I thought that might be the answer. I read up on starches and learned that tuber starches do not react to acidity negatively, as grain starches do. So, I opted for inexpensive tapioca starch (also known as tapioca flour) and agar powder, which is easier to use than agar flakes. I also wanted the procedure to be easy and not too messy.
For the primary recipe, I also decided to use a combination of 1 batch (6 cups) of homemade soymilk with 1 box (1L or 1 quart) of a creamy commercial soymilk (Soy Dream is the one I like best) for enhanced creaminess.
The results were great! My husband, who is always leery about soy yogurt, said it was the best I'd made, and he goes and serves himself some voluntarily now! (He likes it with a little maple syrup on top). It did not have to be blended after setting, it didn't separate, and it "weeps" only a tiny bit after some is spooned out, like many dairy yogurts. The texture and mouthfeel are good, the taste is pleasant and tart, and it was easy to make.
So, I am posting the revised recipe below.
THE COST OF HOMEMADE SOY YOGURT (this is in Canadian dollars-- it will be less in US dollars): Even when made with all commercial soymilk, it save you at least $1 a quart, compared to storebought soy yogurt. If you use 2/3 homemade soymillk and 1/3 commercial soymilk (like Soy Dream Original, which is really nice and creamy and rich, with no chalky aftertaste), you will save at least $3.15 a quart. I think it's worth it to add 1 quart or L of commercial soy milk to homemade for a creamier texture.
NON-DAIRY YOGURT CULTURE OR STARTER:
Because we now have access to totally-vegan, live-culture, non-dairy soy yogurts, AND dairy-free dried yogurt cultures, we can use them for starters instead of dairy-based yogurts, or dairy-based yogurt cultures.
(This is the recipe with detailed instructions and notes; there is a "shortcut" recipe below without all the details and notes.)
BRYANNA'S CREAMY VEGAN SOY YOGURT (MADE WITH TAPIOCA STARCH AND AGAR POWDER) (recipe uses about 2/3 homemade soymilk and 1/3 commercial soymilk)
(This is a large recipe-- you may need two yogurt makers, or you can halve the recipe; or do what I do, and incubate it in jars or a large container inside of a Styrofoam cooler. There is a halved recipe here.)
This recipe and method makes consistently creamy, white, non-beany-tasting, tart, thick soy yogurt, without all kinds of additives. Because it already has stabilizers in it, it is great for making frozen non-dairy yogurt mixtures!
INGREDIENTS: NOTE-- USE ONLY ALL-SOY HOMEMADE SOYMILK, NOT THE SOY-RICE VERSION! (WHEN YOU USE HOMEMADE SOYMILK, you need to add some type of sugar and a bit of salt to it, as most people do for drinking, because the starter needs some sugar to feed on. Dairy milk naturally contains sugars and sodium-- soy milk does not, so you have to add some. As soon as you strain the soymilk, add your sweetener and salt (I use 1 1/2 Tbs. organic sugar or maple syrup and 3/8 tsp. salt to each batch [6 cups] of soymilk).)
1.) 6 cups HOT homemade soymilk (fresh from the soymilk maker) (see Cooking Tip #1 below for notes on using homemade soymilk-- this is important even if you already know how to make soymilk for drinking! Make sure you use a little sweetener and salt in your homemade soymilk, just as if it would be used for drinking (I use 3/8 tsp. salt and 1 1/2 Tbs. vegan sugar in one batch of soymilk)! This is important for taste and because the culture needs a little sugar to feed on, but not enough to make the yogurt taste sweet.)
2.) 4 cups (1 box) COLD creamy commercial soymilk (I prefer Soy Dream Enriched Original over all the others-- very creamy, no chalky aftertaste, low in fat.) It should be from an unopened box that you have chilled for several hours in the refrigerator. Do not use vanilla-flavored unless you really like the taste in yogurt-- I don't!
3.) 1 sachet of Natur Vital-Ferment culture (dairy-free) (see here for ordering)
OR 1 cup plain, unflavored soy yogurt with live culture in it (homemade OR unflavored commercial soy yogurt with live culture), at room temperature
4.) 1/2 cup tapioca starch (also known as tapioca flour) (WHERE TO GET TAPIOCA STARCH: many supermarkets carry it, maybe in the allergy baking section or Asian food section; Asian groceries carry it; health food stores often carry it, in bulk or with the other starches or allergy foods. Online, amazon carries it, or here, here, or here, just for a start!
See Note on stabilizers in text above.
EQUIPMENT:
Sterilize all containers, lids and everything that comes into contact with the soymilk and yogurt by scalding with boiling water. This protects the yogurt from stray bacteria.
Have ready your yogurt-incubating paraphernalia. You will need an inexpensive glass candy thermometer, which you can buy wherever kitchen utensils are sold. (You can also use a dairy thermometer, but they are more expensive.)
FOUR WAYS TO INCUBATE YOUR YOGURT: You don't have to buy a yogurt maker!
#1.) Styrofoam Cooler Method: This is the method I use. You can use 5 widemouthed pint jars or 3 widemouthed quart jars with screw-on lids (plastic lids, preferably), or even one large, wide-mouthed container, if you like. Place the container(s) inside of an inexpensive Styrofoam cooler along with 2 quart jars of boiling water (with lids-- and the jar should not touch the yogurt jars). (Warm up the cooler with the jars of hot water while you get the yogurt ready.) Place the cover on the cooler and cover with an old blanket. You may have to add more hot water to the jars halfway through the incubation time. It works perfectly!
#2.) Use a non-electric yogurt incubator, the type which has a 2-quart plastic container or 1 quart glass jar nestled in a Styrofoam liner inside of a canister. The Yogotherm is this type. (Here's a Canadian vendor.) There's usually some head-room in this, so you you should be able to fit the whole batch inside.
In Canada, try a store that specializes in natural foods equipment such as juicers. Online in Canada, there is the Big Carrot, which carries the 2 quart electric Yogourmet, and citychef.com, which carries the Euro Cuisine Yogurt Maker. There is also the Donvier. (You can do an internet search for only Canadian pages, too.)
This US site carries all of the above and more, and ships to Canada,too.
#3.) Use the directions that go with your electric yogurt incubator (you made need two incubators for this whole recipe). Plug the yogurt maker (s) in to warm it up while you get the yogurt ready. There are many different makes of this type of machine-- just do an internet search and you will come up with lots in the USA. This site carries the 2 qt. electric Yogourmet.
#4) Use thermoses: Almost fill 2-3 large widemouth thermos bottles, the more expensive kind with a metal casing, heated for 10 minutes with boiling water inside. Pour out the water and add your inoculated soymilk at the right temperature. Put the lid on and wrap the thermoses each in two or three terrycloth towels, or together in a small quilt. Set it in a warm, draft-free place.
MAKING THE YOGURT:
SCALD EVERYTHING THAT TOUCHES THE YOGURT WITH BOILING WATER!
1.) Whisk together in a large microwave-proof bowl or a heavy large saucepan (depending on the method of cooking you are using; see below): the 1 cup of cold Soy Dream, or whatever commercial soymilk you are using, with the tapioca starch and agar powder. Whisk well until it is all dissolved.
2.) Whisk in 3 cups of the hot, fresh homemade soymilk, until it is smooth, with no lumps.
3.) Now microwave on High for 1 minute; whisk well; microwave 2 minutes; whisk again; microwave 2 minutes and whisk again.
(OR cook in a heavy large saucepan, stirring constantly but not vigorously, until it is thickened and glossy.)
4.) Now whisk in the remaining 3 cups of hot, fresh soymilk and 3 cups of cold commercial soymilk. Don't make it too frothy. If your commercial milk is cold, the lower temperature will bring down the temperature of the heated milk-- if you're lucky, to the right temperature! If it doesn't, cool it in the refrigerator to about 115 degrees F. Use an inexpensive candy thermometer to determine the temperature.
5.) Once the temperature is about 115 degrees F, whisk in the the dried yogurt culture, which has been whisked to a smooth paste with about 1/2 cup of the warm soymilk (important!) OR the room-temperature soy yogurt. Whisk well to distribute the culture or soy yogurt well throughout (if you do not mix it well, you may have a grainy yogurt). Pour the inoculated soymilk into your scalded jars or containers, cover and incubate for 10-12 hours. (See above for 4 different ways to incubate .)
Soy yogurt tends to be mild, so it needs about 8-10 hours, I find (some people prefer 12) to develop the characteristic tartness that we are used to. (THIS VARIES, HOWEVER-- one reader told me it only took her 6 hours to get tart.) Taste it after 6 hours or so to see if it needs more time (it will be a little more tart when cooled). Don't stir.
6.) Refrigerate immediately for about 12 hours before eating-- this is part of the incubation process and helps develop flavor. The yogurt will keep for about a week.
7.) To start the next batch, keep back 1 cup of it. Let it come to room temperature before using as a starter. You can do this about 12-14 times before needing a fresh starter (maybe "borrow" 1 cup of commercial soy yogurt from a friend who buys it, or buy a small container of commercial soy yogurt). MAKE THE YOGURT THE SAME WAY AS ABOVE IN SUBSEQUENT BATCHES.
Servings: 20
Yield: 10 cups
Nutrition Facts (calculated using my homemade soymilk recipe and Soy Dream Enriched Original)
Nutrition (per 1/2 cup serving): 58.6 calories; 30% calories from fat; 1.9g total fat; 0.0mg cholesterol; 66.4mg sodium; 54.7mg potassium; 6.9g carbohydrates; 0.4g fiber; 0.8g sugar; 6.4g net carbs; 3.1g protein.
WORRIED ABOUT A LITTLE SUGAR IN THE SOYMILK IN THIS RECIPE? Here is my answer to that: "The sugar is such a minute quantity that I can't imagine anyone having a problem with it! It is basically replacing the sugar that is naturally present in dairy milk! You can see that it actually contains FAR LESS sugar (and less sodium) than PLAIN dairy yogurt.
Compare the following with the nutrition facts above:
1/2 cup of plain dairy low-fat yogurt (nutritional info from the USDA): Nutrition (per 1/2 cup): 77 calories; 22% calories from fat; 1.9g total fat; 7.35 mg cholesterol; 85.75mg sodium; 286.65mg potassium; 8.62g carbohydrates; 0.0g fiber; 8.65g sugar; 8.62g net carbs; 6.83g protein
The plain low-fat dairy yogurt contains 10 times as much sugar!
(Without all the detailed notes, etc....)
BRYANNA'S SHORTCUT CREAMY VEGAN SOY YOGURT RECIPE (MADE WITH TAPIOCA STARCH AND AGAR POWDER) (recipe uses about 2/3 homemade soymilk and 1/3 commercial soymilk)
(See above for more detailed instructions and notes)
(This is a large recipe-- you may need two yogurt makers, or you can halve the recipe; or do what I do, and incubate it in jars or a large container inside of a Styrofoam cooler. There is a halved recipe here.)
6 cups HOT homemade soymilk (fresh from soymilk maker) (with 1 1/2 T. sugar and 3/8 tsp. salt added)
4 cups COLD Soy Dream Enriched Original soymilk (or your favorite creamy commercial soymilk, from unopened tetrapack)
1/2 cup tapioca starch
1/2 Tbs agar powder (that's 1 1/2 tsp.)
1 sachet of Natur Vital-Ferment culture (dairy-free) (see below for ordering)
OR
1 cup plain, unflavored soy yogurt with live culture in it
SCALD EVERYTHING THAT TOUCHES THE YOGURT WITH BOILING WATER!
1.) Whisk together in a large microwave-proof bowl or a heavy large saucepan (depending on the method of cooking you are using; see below): the 1 cup of the cold Soy Dream, or whatever commercial soymilk you are using, with the tapioca starch and agar powder. Whisk well until it is all dissolved.
2.) Whisk in 3 cups of the hot, fresh homemade soymilk, until it is smooth, with no lumps.
3.) Now microwave on High for 1 minute; whisk well; microwave 2 minutes; whisk again; microwave 2 minutes and whisk again.
(OR cook in a heavy large saucepan, stirring constantly but not vigorously, until it is thickened and glossy.)
4.) Now whisk in the remaining 3 cups of hot, fresh soymilk and 3 cups of cold commercial soymilk. Don't make it too frothy. If your commercial milk is cold, the lower temperature will bring down the temperature of the heated milk-- if you're lucky, to the right temperature! If it doesn't, cool it in the refrigerator to about 115 degrees F. Use an inexpensive candy thermometer to determine the temperature. 5.) Once the temperature is about 115 degrees F, whisk in the the dried yogurt culture, which has been whisked to a smooth paste with about 1/2 cup of the warm soymilk (important!) OR the room-temperature soy yogurt. Whisk well to distribute the culture or soy yogurt well throughout (if you do not mix it well, you may have a grainy yogurt). Pour the inoculated soymilk into your scalded jars or containers, cover and incubate for 10-12 hours. (See above for 4 different ways to incubate .)
Soy yogurt tends to be mild, so it needs about 8-10 hours, I find (some people prefer 12) to develop the characteristic tartness that we are used to. (THIS VARIES, HOWEVER-- one reader told me it only took her 6 hours to get tart.) Taste it after 6 hours or so to see if it needs more time (it will be a little more tart when cooled). Don't stir.
6.) Refrigerate immediately for about 12 hours before eating-- this is part of the incubation process and helps develop flavor. The yogurt will keep for about a week.
7.) To start the next batch, keep back 1 cup of it. Let it come to room temperature before using as a starter. You can do this about 12-14 times before needing a fresh starter (maybe "borrow" 1 cup of commercial soy yogurt from a friend who buys it, or buy a small container of commercial soy yogurt). MAKE THE YOGURT THE SAME WAY AS ABOVE IN SUBSEQUENT BATCHES.
Servings: 20
Yield: 10 cups
Nutrition Facts (calculated using my homemade soymilk recipe and Soy Dream Enriched Original)
Nutrition (per 1/2 cup serving): 58.6 calories; 30% calories from fat; 1.9g total fat; 0.0mg cholesterol; 66.4mg sodium; 54.7mg potassium; 6.9g carbohydrates; 0.4g fiber; 0.8g sugar; 6.4g net carbs; 3.1g protein; 1.2 points.
TO MAKE SOY YOGURT CHEESE: simply pour the yogurt into two layers of fine muslin lining a colander, tie up the ends to form a bag, and suspend from the sink tap or on a long wooden spoon resting across a tall pot to catch the liquid that drips from it. (You can also use a jelly-bag set-up or a special yogurt-cheese maker that you can buy in some outlets that sell yogurt making machines.) when the mixture has stopped dripping and is spreadable, season to taste with salt (and herbs, garlic, whatever you like), spoon into a container and refrigerate.
TO MAKE FRUIT-FLAVORED FROZEN SOY YOGURT: in a blender mix 2 1/2 cups soy yogurt made with 3/4 cup organic sugar, 1/2 tsp. vanilla, lemon, almond or orange extract. Optional is 2 Tbs. vodka or appropriately-fruit-flavored liqueur (alcohol keeps frozen desserts from freezing rock-solid). Blend well. Add 1 1/2 cups berries or chopped fruit (fresh or frozen). Blend until mixed. Freeze according to directions for your ice cream-making machine.
NOTE: TO MAKE FRUIT-FLAVORED YOGURT, simply add your favorite low-sugar jam to any of the soy yogurt versions just before eating.
COOKING TIPS:
#1) USING HOMEMADE SOYMILK: See my method for making soymilk here. (Look for "Making Homemade Soymilk" in the menu on your left.) This is a page instructing you how to make soymilk in a soymilk maker. At the top of the page is a link to instructions on making soymilk without a soymilk maker.
#2.) CAUTION: make your soymilk using soybeans that are freshly-soaked-- if they have been in the soaking water too long (especially unrefrigerated), the yogurt may curdle due to the heat and the acid.
#3.) Use Option 2 for ingredients-- in other words, USE ONLY THE ALL-SOY VERSION!
DAIRY-FREE DRIED YOGURT CULTURE AND SOY YOGURTS TO USE AS STARTER:
There is one starter that I have not been able to find in Canada that is purported to be absolutely dairy-free- ProGurt. (The link is to an American site.) I believe that it is an Australian product. It is expensive, but evidently works and is safe for those with dairy alleregies. One review states: "You can make up to 120 quarts of yogurt from one 24 gm bottle of ProGurt™, which is just under fifty cents a quart for yogurt starter. "
Here's another called CulturAid Yogurt Starter
Other than that one, Canadians and Americans can order dairy-free dried yogurt culture from this page. Scroll down to "Bionic-Ferment", which is "non-dairy-based". This works fine with soymilk! The prices are in US dollars, but it is Canadian company. You can order in bulk, if you wish.
The product info for Bionic-Ferment states:
"First time used in Soya and Rice milk Vital ferment yogurt has "trace of milk". Not non-dairy.
After transfer vital-ferment yogurt and L+ should be non-dairy. Depending on allergy sensitivity second transfer might be needed before consumed."
My comment: It seems difficult to find a yogurt starter (as a retail customer, anyway) that is not grown on dairy. (But the pure cultures are not mixed with powdered milk, as some products are-- Yogourmet, Donvier, and Yogo-Cuisine dried cultures, for instance.) However, when it is used with soymilk, and then used again, in my opinion, the traces would be so microscopic that they would not be enough to exacerbate an allergy.
ALTERNATIVE TO POWDERED YOGURT STARTER OR CULTURE:
Nancy's Cultured Soy website states that the culture is vegan. (Available in Canada.)
Whole Soy also states that it uses live vegan cultures. You can use these (plain) yogurts for starters. When your own yogurt used for starter gets a bit weak, buy some more of one of these to use as a starter.
|
Powered by CityMax.com
|
|
