coconut yogurt (scd & ibd friendly)

How To Make coconut yogurt (scd & ibd friendly)

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  1

  Empty coconut cream or coconut milk into a saucepan & warm over low heat. You will want to heat until very warm to the touch, but NOT hot. If it is hot, it will kill the yogurt starter. It is better to under heat than over heat.
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  2

  The gelatin is optional, but will give you a thicker yogurt. If using, slowly add while whisking vigorously, until all dissolved. Note: Coconut milk has more water than coconut cream. You may want to add slightly more gelatin if using coconut milk & you prefer a thicker consistency. Feel free to increase or decrease gelatin slightly to get the consistency you like. If you want a cream cheese like consistency, drain & discard the liquid from the coconut cream, adding only the solids, and use a full teaspoon of gelatin.
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  3

  The honey is also optional, but recommended. Coconut cream/milk does not have much food for the yogurt cultures to use, so adding honey gives them extra food to consume, resulting in more tart yogurt with a higher probiotic count. However, it will still work without the honey. If using, whisk the honey in, until well combined.
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  For adding the yogurt starter, I like to add the G.I. ProHealth ProStart powder, to a bowl with about a 1/2 cup of the liquid from the pot, and then whisk this vigorously until most of the lumps are gone. Then add it all back into the rest of the pot, and mix it all well. For subsequent batches of yogurt, it does work to use 1 tsp. of the previous batch of yogurt as your starter instead. A couple caveats to this: It helps if the previous batch is very fresh still. Also, if you are strictly following the SCD suggestion to stay away from bifidus/bifido strains early on in healing, you should be aware that this method has more of a risk of a wild bifidus/bifido strain from the environment getting introduced & taking over your yogurt at some point. BTVC book recommends using fresh SCD legal, factory tested yogurt starter for each and every batch, instead of using some from your previous batch as starter. The G.I. ProHealth ProStart yogurt starter keeps well if you place the bottle in a sealed zip lock (additional protection against moisture), then place in the freezer when not using.
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  5

  Next you will be incubating the yogurt. Here are some options: A) Pour into a 2 cup canning jar, and place the lid on loosely. Place on the dry bottom of the insert of an Instant Pot with yogurt function, and set to incubate on normal anywhere from 8-24 hours. I prefer at least 18 hours, especially if I added any honey. B) Use another yogurt maker, or anything that will keep the yogurt at a temperature between 108-116°F (42.2-46.6°C) while incubating. Some people use a heating pad set on low to keep the container warm. C) Some people report success with pouring into an insulated thermos/mug, sealing well, and relying on the residual heat to allow it to incubate for 8 hours. I would probably not add much or any honey if using this method, since your incubation time is limited to how long the thermos retains the heat.
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  6

  Once done incubating, there will be a more clear colored liquid that has settled at the bottom. Stir this back in well, then place in the fridge. The yogurt will thicken up once cooled. Edit: I normally use coconut cream from Trader Joe’s, and this works well when using that. However, when using coconut milk from Trader Joe’s a bit ago, I found it separated again before cooling and firming up. It might work to stir/shake it a bit every once in a while as it is cooling, to keep it from firming up separated.
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  7

  Enjoy! I particularly love this with a bowl of frozen blueberries & a banana (one that has ripened to have brown spots on the peel, if you are on the SCD.) [Edit: I have since found it’s even better when the blueberries are heated to be warm, like a cobbler, and the banana is frozen, which kinda mimics ice-cream. It’s a lovely combination with the different temperatures, textures & it brings out the flavor of the blueberries more.] When I make it the cream-cheese consistency, I like to add herbs & use it like a soft cheese spread/dip.
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