History of Fermenting

Transcription

1 History of Fermenting Throughout known history, virtually every society ate, drank and enjoyed fermented foods. Regional flavors and techniques gradually developed into a large array of enjoyable, low-tech delicacies. In this course, we are going to explore a cornucopia of easy to preserve delights that you can make in your own kitchen. When you go out to ethnic restaurants, have you ever noticed that many cuisines serve fermented foods with their meals? In Asian cuisine, you find small dishes of pickled vegetables or spicy Kimchi.In Indian cuisine, you can enjoy fabulous chutney or lentil dosa or from the Mediterranean, an aromatic herbal beverage after the meal. Fermented foods and beverages are delectable players in the overall dance of flavors, textures, and tastes of a meal. But it doesn t stop there. Fermented food plays a valuable role in the digestion of a meal and subsequent health of our digestive system. Fermentation makes those foods more digestible and therefore more nutritious. It is just a great bonus that fermented foods also taste fabulous. Best of all, it is pretty difficult to get food poisoning from wrongly fermented foods. If the food goes bad, it smells that way and you won t want to eat it. Another experiment feeds the compost pile! The origin of fermentation is lost in antiquity, but most likely these first fermentations were happy accidents that made some foods taste better and keep longer. It didn t take long for our ancestors to learn how to seduce these various microorganisms into playing a recurring and very positive role in their cuisine. Yes, fermentation employs microorganisms (bacteria, fungi, and molds) primarily acting on the carbohydrate (sugar) content of food. This process breaks down food, giving off gases and producing 2017 Wild Rose College of Natural Healing and Light Cellar 1

2 Table 1. Ancient Milestones in fermentation beneficial acids and/or alcohol. It provides yogurts, kefirs, cheeses, breads, sausages, ales, wines, beers, pickles, olives, sauerkrauts and many other delicacies amongst the world s epicurean delights. Think of these microorganisms as super industrious workers that do most of our cooking for us, while we do other projects. They are kind of like the elves in the shoemaker s workshop that make all the shoes while the shoemaker is sleeping. They are not that different than the bees pollinating many of our crops, contributing an immeasurable amount to human food production. Ferment comes from the Latin root fervere, which means: to boil. Fermentation is definitely one of the world s oldest food preservation methods. We see the art of fermenting in pre-vedic India, over 5,000 years ago, in the Indus Valley during the Harappan spread. By this time agriculture and animal husbandry was already highly developed. The Veda (sacred Hindu writings) mention curded and fermented food in many locations. In ancient Egypt and the Middle East, we see many artifacts related to fermenting. We even see evidence of ancient use of fermentation in the Americas. There are many significant milestones in the history of fermentation. We have listed some of these in table 1 and table 2. ca. 10,000 BCE Middle ages Evolution of fermentation by taking surplus and preserving it for future uses. Most likely started pre-aryan. ca BCE Cheese and bread making ca BCE Nutritional and health benefits of fermented milks and beverage described. ca BCE Bread making in Egypt ca BCE Meat sausages prepared in Babylonia 2000 BCE 1200 CE Different types of fermented milks showed up in different regions of the world ca. 300 BCE Vegetable fermentation in China CE Cereal and legume based fermentation 2017 Wild Rose College of Natural Healing and Light Cellar 2

3 Table 2. Modern Milestones in fermentation 1881 Literature on koji (rice mold) and sake brewing 1907 Publication of Prolongation of Life by Eli Metchnikoff, describing the therapeutic benefits of fermented milks Application of microbiology to fermentation; use of defined cultures 1970 present Development of products containing probiotics cultures or friendly intestinal bacteria 2000 present Renaissance of employing fermented foods for nutritional value, easy preservation and as part of individual food sovereignty in the Western world. We will see many crossovers between cultures and regions of the world in the realm of fermentation. Where a fermented food started from is not always straightforward. A good example is sauerkraut, or fermented cabbage. The name comes from the German words sauer (meaning sour) and kraut (meaning herb), giving most of us the impression that its origin is German. But in fact cabbage was fermented more than 2000 years ago in China. It was a staple food for workers contributing to the Great Wall of China. A thousand years later, Genghis Khan employed it as a good transportable food, bringing it to Eastern Europe during his invasions. The European peasants co-opted it, finding it an enjoyable way to preserve their crops for the winter. Sailors often took barrels of sauerkraut on long sea voyages, as it was known to prevent scurvy, a Vitamin C deficiency. Eventually sauerkraut came to the Americas and became a traditional part of farm life, as homesteaders turned their cabbage crops into sauerkraut, effectively preserving them for winter. We still carry out that tradition on our farm, enjoying an abundance of freshly fermented cabbage through the year. We can see similar stories for yogurt, kefir and cheeses. In the Middle East, nomads would fill canteens (usually made from animal stomachs) with milk. The canteen stomachs contained an enzyme called rennin, which coagulated, or curdled, the milk. When they opened their canteens they 2017 Wild Rose College of Natural Healing and Light Cellar 3

4 found cheese, as the rennin, plus the bumpy journey had turned the contents into primitive cheese. Of course they learned to repeat this process, as it too was a tasty way to preserve milk for future use. In Northern Europe we find locals incorporating grains, fruits and honey into their own styles of beers, ales, ciders, and meads. In South America we see chicha, localized varieties of various fermented corn beverages. The Maya created pozol, a fermented corn dough. In Russia you can find kvass, a commonly consumed drink that is prepared in a few days from stale bread or beets. Background on Fermenting In modern culture, why did we lose this common practice of fermenting? Plain and simple, fermentation isn t suitable for an industrial food system. Under the guise of making food safe (in the sense that it creates a longer shelf life and makes it easier to transport over long distances) marketers showed American households why their industrialized products were better. Vinegar pickling, high-heat or pressure processing (canning), pasteurization and increasing levels of salt is how industrialized food was presented to us. The downside is that this food is less nutritious, giving us less complex favors, while killing most of the friendly bacteria. Just compare a freshly fermented dill pickle with a vinegarpickled cucumber and you will know the difference within a second. The natural one not only tastes better, but it produces its own acids that aid preservation and produces a variety of probiotics that are beneficial to our health. Fermented foods also: Help minerals in certain foods absorb more easily Provide vitamins and enzymes, increasing the amounts above and beyond what the food contained originally Creates beneficial acids, such as lactic acid in yogurt Pre-digest the food and neutralize harmful food components Examples of this can be found in many areas, like the calcium in milk becoming more absorbable in yogurt and kefirs. We find vitamin K 2 in fermented soy products, synthesized by the bacteria, that are not found in the original soy. Many people don t have allergies to yogurt or kefir, but do to many other milk 2017 Wild Rose College of Natural Healing and Light Cellar 4

5 products. We see that sourdough changes gluten in many grains, so some who have intolerance to gluten can eat real sourdough. Many people, who find beans give them a gassy and bloated feeling, do no have this problem with fermented beans. Phytic acid found in many grains can bind up with minerals in our digestive tract, making them non-absorbable. Sourdough foods help people avoid this problem. The low-tech process of fermenting foods is incredibly simple, almost hands-off. While we are part of the process, but we are not the major actors. The microorganisms are! We just need to set up the proper environment for them to work away on our behalf. After we have created the right conditions, we can sit back as idle observers, checking in once in a while, as any good manager should, just to see if everything is going OK. Maybe we have to skim the surface of the fermenting product here and there, or add some fluids to the airlock, but basically we have it pretty easy Wild Rose College of Natural Healing and Light Cellar 5

6 Fermented Dairy Part 1 As we saw in the section on history of fermentation, the first fermented dairies were probably happy mistakes, made by carrying dairy in canteens made of animal stomachs. The enzymes (especially renin) found in these stomach canteens helped the dairy to ferment and curdle. Throughout history many cultures have learned to coax the fermentation process along to create delicious drinks and foods. We will see how different regions created their own particular blends of cultures to enhance the process of fermentation. We realized a long time ago that when milk is fermented, not only is it transformed into something delicious like cheese, yogurt, butter, and crème fraîche but it also keeps longer and is easier to transport. As a bonus, it s more nutritious and digestible, too. One of the first fermented foods that most Westerners come into contact with is yogurt. Yogurt is a very old food. The word yogurt comes from a Turkish word meaning to curdle or to thicken. You can find this substance around the world spelled in many ways such as yogourt and yohurt. We know that yogurt was being made in Mesopotamia by at least 5000 BCE, when milkproducing animals were domesticated there. We have suitable evidence that curded dairy was used in the Indus valley in pre- Vedic times, at least 5000BCE. It has been suggested that Abraham, a central figure in Judaism, owed his fecundity and longevity to regular ingestion of yogurt. We know that Genghis Khan carried yogurt and other fermented dairy products into the Balkan region during the 7 th century. In the early 1500 s King Francis I of France repeatedly cured debilitating illnesses by using goat yogurt. By the early 1900 s Élie Metchnikoff showed that the lactic acid microbes of fermentation were beneficial for many health condition of the gut and body Wild Rose College of Natural Healing and Light Cellar 6

7 Different Types of Fermented Dairy Yogurt: the most commonly known fermented dairy product in the West is cultured by beneficial bacteria. As we will see there can be one, or a combination, of bacteria used in this process. Different regions of the world have specialized in their own strains of bacteria, giving them a distinct taste. We will examine some of these variations in later sections. Many of these bacteria are beneficial to our gut, as they are very similar to the bacteria that our intestines prefer. Kefir: is thickened fermented milk made from little clumps of yeast, bacteria and milk proteins. There are dozens of different bacteria strains in kefir grains. Kefir has a sour flavor and sometimes a slight effervescence. Kousmiss is a very similar drink, but made from mare s milk. Buttermilk: is made from the whey that is left over when butter is made. It can also refer to a milk drink made from adding bacteria to milk, giving it a thickened consistency, with a tangy taste. Most buttermilk found in the market place has only a vague resemblance to original buttermilk. Milk Kefir Grains Sour Cream: is made from cream, or high fat milk, that has been cultured and thickened. It has a slight sour taste and is usually quite thick. Raw creams will naturally thicken into sour cream, but since the introduction of pasteurization during milk processing there are usually no bacteria present, so bacteria must be added to help it ferment. Crème fraîche: is European-style sour cream, slightly sweeter than what we have in North America. It can be made by adding buttermilk to cultured cream, or it will thicken naturally if raw. Crème fraîche can be heated without curdling, unlike sour cream. Soft and Hard Cheeses: are made by culturing milk over longer periods of time. We will dedicate another lesson to these. Some cheeses are easy to make and some involve complex, guarded secrets of the manufacturers, passed down through generations Wild Rose College of Natural Healing and Light Cellar 7

8 Differences between Yogurt and Kefir Many people just assume that yogurt and kefir are quite similar, one thicker than the other. This is not true. You will discover that there are many basic differences between yogurt and kefir. Some people have a distinct preference for one over the other. The two products have different types of bacteria and other cultures present, and differ in their health benefits. To understand this better we should first look at incubation types. Incubation Types There are two different incubation types when it comes to yogurt and kefirs and they are: mesophilic and thermophilic. Mesophilic: is fermented at room temperature Thermophilic: is a culture that requires a specific temperature range to successfully incubate. Kefir is a mesophilic culture, meaning it can be cultured at room temperature. Many of the yogurt strains, however, are thermophilic and require some form of warming. Propagation Many strains of yogurts can be propagated from previous batches into fresh milk. You just need a few ounces of the previous active batch to be a starter for a new batch. This can be repeated over and over. A dry starter can also be used to propagate yogurt. Dry starter or grains that are recovered from previous batches can also be used to make kefir. These grains will multiply over time, so you can easily create a community of kefir grain recipients over time. You just retrieve the grains from one batch and add them to fresh milk to start a new batch. Microorganisms in Yogurt and Kefir Yogurt and kefir contain differing bacteria, each of which perform different tasks. The ones found in yogurt are beneficial to the digestive tract, help to keep it clean and feed the friendly bacteria in the intestinal tract. Some will introduce themselves 2017 Wild Rose College of Natural Healing and Light Cellar 8

9 into flora of the intestinal ecosystem, but most will pass right through and are called transient bacteria. The bacteria in kefir, on the other hand, will often colonize the intestinal tract. There is a large range of bacteria in kefir, not just one or two strains. We will also find yeast in the kefir strains. This yeast will also produce a bit of alcohol. The bacteria in both yogurt and kefir produce lactic acid. Taste and Texture Yogurt has a familiar taste to many, being tart, smooth and creamy. Kefir is also tart, but has a touch of yeast and alcohol taste to it. Most varieties of yogurt are thicker than kefir, but there are exceptions to this rule. Usually people will eat yogurt with a spoon, but kefir is drunk, sometimes through a straw. They both have great health benefits to the body, but many feel that the health benefits of kefir outweigh those of yogurt. Most find kefir easier to make and maintain also... the mesophilic advantage. Yogurt Basics There are many different types of yogurts from around the world, all having their own particular taste and texture., Most share the same basic procedures. There are a few ingredients you will need for all. Milk: you can use almost any type of milk. It can be raw or pasteurized, homogenized or not. It can be whole milk, fatreduced milk, skim or even powdered milk. Many people like dairy alternatives such as rice milk, nut milks, soymilk or coconut milk. Most people find the coconut milk as the best dairy alternative, so we will include this as part of our demonstration. Culture or Starter: you can start from a previous batch of yogurt or a dried culture. There is a large variety of yogurt culture, all have their own characteristic flavor and texture. We will review several of these, but most people start with a plain simple yogurt familiar to the North American palate. Clean containers: glass is usually best, but food grade plastic (BPA-free) can also be used. The container needs to be incubated at warm temperature, so keep this in mind. You can do it in one large container, or in smaller serving-sized containers. Remember cleanliness is essential; any food or soap residue can 2017 Wild Rose College of Natural Healing and Light Cellar 9

10 contaminate the culture and give less than expected results. You don t really need a cover, but it comes in handy and you will need one sooner or later. At least cover the container with a clean towel, paper towel or lid to keep dust and, of course, the cat out of it. Heating pot: not all yogurts need the milk to be heated as we will see, but most do. The best type of pot is stainless steel or glass. Some suggest a double boiler so the milk will not stick or get too hot. Cooking Thermometer: needs to be within the temperature range for the yogurt strain you are making. It is best to check this out in advance. Insulator: this can be a towel, blanket and a hot water bottle, a crock pot, an insulated cooler, or a fancy yogurt making machine, even a food drier with thermostat. You will need to keep the yogurt at a certain temperature while it incubates. Timer: anything from your phone to a kitchen timer will work here. Measuring Cups and Spoons: will be determined by the size of the batches you make Wild Rose College of Natural Healing and Light Cellar 10

11 Basic Procedures Begin with a good clean environment with all of the supplies and equipment closely at hand. Preparing the Culture: if you are starting from a previous batch, all you have to do is measure it. If you are starting from a dried culture, you will have to read the instructions for that specific strain and either just measure it or activate it in milk. Preparing the Milk: if the yogurt is thermophilic (needs heat), heat up the milk to the desired temperature as list in the instructions, then let it cool down to the incubating temperature. If the yogurt is mesophilic (incubates at room temperature) just set out the milk in your container. You would add thickener to the milk at this time if you desire that. Add Culture: make sure the right amount is added to the milk and thoroughly mixed in. Incubate: this is the trickiest stage that can vary a lot between strains of yogurt. You will need to keep the container at a constant temperature for the right amount of time for the milk proteins to coagulate, but not so long for it to separate into curds and whey. Refrigerate: as soon as the yogurt has reached its perfect consistency, you should refrigerate it so the culture will stop growing and to add some extra firmness. Customization: At this stage you can add fruits, flavors and even a bit of thickener Wild Rose College of Natural Healing and Light Cellar 11

12 Type of Milk Each type of milk, whether it is cow, goat, sheep, etc. will affect the taste and the texture of the final yogurt. Most people are only familiar with cow milk yogurt, but others prefer goat yogurt. The following two tables compare the composition of different types of animal milk and a comparison of cow milk with grain and nut milks Wild Rose College of Natural Healing and Light Cellar 12

13 The fat content, ranging from full milk to skim milk, will affect the thickness of the yogurt. You cannot compare the results with commercial low fat yogurts, as they have added thickeners. You can make yogurt from raw milk, pasteurized, skim, homogenized or milk alternatives like nut milks or coconut milk. It is hard to make yogurt from ultra-pasteurization (UP) or ultrahigh temperature treatment (UHT), or Microfiltration, also called extended shelf life pasteurization (ESL) milks. Making Your Own Alternative Milks It is fairly easy to make your own alternative milk. Rice milk can be made with brown or white rice. Milk made from brown rice will be a little thicker. Put 1/2 cup of rice in a pot with 4 cups of water. Bring to a boil, then turn down to low heat and simmer for about an hour. The rice will be quite soft at this point. Cool the rice a little, then put it in a food processor and puree. Strain the puree through a cloth bag to get the rice milk. The remaining pulp can be discarded, or added to recipes for thickening. Soymilk is made from white soy beans (not green ones). Soak 1/2 cup of soybeans for 8 to 24 hours in water with a little sea salt added, changing out the water a few times during the soaking. Drain off the soaking water, and put the soaked beans in a food processor with water just barely covering them, and process for 2 or 3 minutes until the beans are very finely ground. Heat a quart of water in a large pot. Note: The water should fill the pot about halfway. Add the ground beans to the pot of water, and cook over medium heat, for about 20 minutes, stirring frequently. The mixture will foam up as it heats. If it gets close to the top of the pot, sprinkle a little cold water over it to make it subside. At the end of the cooking, you ll have a mixture that looks like watery oatmeal, as the fibrous part of the soybean separates from the milk. Cool the mixture, then strain it through a cloth bag. (The leftover fiber is called okara, or unohana, and can be dried or frozen for use in cooking, or as fertilizer.) Soy yogurt made at home has a slightly grassy flavor compared to soy yogurt bought commercially Wild Rose College of Natural Healing and Light Cellar 13

14 Nut milk can be made by first soaking a cup of nuts overnight in water with a little sea salt added. Drain off the soaking water, then put the nuts in a blender with a quart of clean water. Puree this mixture thoroughly, then strain through cheesecloth to get the nut milk. (The ground nuts can be used as a flour substitute in baking, or in a large variety of recipes.) Using Alternative Milks for Yogurt Most yogurt starters are grown in dairy milk, so for individuals with extreme sensitivity to dairy, the small amount of exposure could be problematic. For those people, or for people who want to avoid dairy for other reasons, there are Vegan Yogurt Starters, which are entirely plant-based. If you do choose to use a reculturing (not all strains of bacteria can reculture) type of yogurt, you will need to maintain a separate quantity of dairy-based yogurt that can be used as a starter culture. Because most alternative milks have less sugar than dairy milk, it can help to add some sugar to the culture to promote fermentation (it provides more food for the bacteria). For soy, nut, or coconut milk, approximately 6 to 8 grams (1.5 to 2 teaspoons) per cup would give the milk the same sugar profile as dairy milk. Rice milk is already high in sugar, so it wouldn t necessarily help fermentation to add more. The yogurt from alternative milks can be made thicker with the addition of thickeners such as cornstarch, arrowroot, gelatin, or agar before or after culturing Wild Rose College of Natural Healing and Light Cellar 14

15 Bifidobacterium lactis Lactobacillus acidophilus Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus Streptococcus thermophilus Bifidobacterium lactis Lacto- bacillus acidophilus Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. lactis Streptococcus thermophilus Lactococcus lactis subsp. cremoris L. lactis subsp. lactis biovar. diacetylactis Leuconostoc mesenteroides subsp. cremoris Lactococcus lactis Leuconostoc mesenteroides Lactobacillus lactis subsp. cremoris Acetobacter orientalis Bacteria Types 2017 Wild Rose College of Natural Healing and Light Cellar 15

16 Streptococcus lactis var. bollandicus Streptococcus taette Lactobacillus bulgaricus Streptococcus thermophilus Lactobacillus bulgaricus Streptococcus thermophilus Bifidobacterium bifidum Lactobacillus acidophilus Lactobacillus casei Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus Lactobacillus rhamnosus Streptococcus thermophilus Bifidobacterium lactis Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus Lactobacillus acidophilus Streptococcus thermophilus Bifidobacterium lactis Lacto- bacillus acidophilus Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. lactis Streptococcus thermophilus 2017 Wild Rose College of Natural Healing and Light Cellar 16

17 Bacteria Strains Regulatory politics are a little bit involved in what types of yogurts are sold commercially. For a product to be sold as yogurt in North America, a culture must include Lactobacillus bulgaricus or Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus, and Streptococcus thermophilus or Streptococcus salivarius subsp. thermophilus. By this definition, cultured milk products (often from other cultures) that do not contain this combination are not yogurt, but do have many of the same properties as yogurt, including taste and consistency, and can be used like yogurt in recipes. Acetobacter orientalis is a bacteria strain native to Indonesia. It lowers the ph of the milk, and also produces gases during fermentation. It was first identified in Japan in what is known as Caspian Sea yogurt (also known as matsoni). Lactobacillus acidophilus breaks down lactose and produces lactic acid as its sole product. L. acidophilus occurs naturally in the human digestive system and other parts of the body. Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus breaks down lactose to produce lactic acid, which lowers the ph of milk and causes the protein to coagulate. It cannot ferment any sugar other than lactose. Lactococcus lactis subsp. cremoris is a variety of lactococci that has a pronounced ability to develop flavor in the foods it ferments. It digests lactose and produces lactic acid, lowering the ph of milk and allowing the milk protein to coagulate. It produces a characteristic gel-like polysaccharide that is typical of viili yogurt. Lactococcus lactis digests lactose and produces lactic acid, lowering the ph of milk and allowing the milk protein to coagulate. It can also be used to ferment vegetables and grains as well as non-dairy milks. Lactococcus lactis subsp. Lactis Biovar. diacetylactis digests lactose and produces lactic acid, lowering the ph of milk and allowing the milk protein to coagulate. It has a tendency to 2017 Wild Rose College of Natural Healing and Light Cellar 17

18 dominate over other lactococci. This bacteria produces a characteristic buttery flavor and aroma in the milk products it ferments. Leuconostoc mesenteroides is a mesophilic bacteria strain known for producing a sour taste and a gel-like texture. It s generally found on crop plants, and can also be used to ferment vegetables. It also speeds up the process of acidification in milk and promotes an anaerobic (no oxygen) environment, which inhibits pathogenic bacteria. Leuconostoc mesenteroides subsp. cremoris is a mesophilic bacteria strain that is often used to produce aroma during the culturing process. Streptococcus thermophilus breaks down lactose, producing lactic acid, lowering the ph of the milk and causing the protein to coagulate. By law, in order to be sold as yogurt a product must include this bacteria strain. S. lactis var. bollandicus, along with S. taette, is used to make piimä, a cultured milk that is often considered to be a type of yogurt. It produces a sour flavor. S. taette, along with S. lactis var. bollandicus, is used to make piimä, a cultured milk that is often considered to be a type of yogurt. S. taette produces a sour flavor and a viscous texture Wild Rose College of Natural Healing and Light Cellar 18

19 Yogurt Starter Cultures There are many different cultures of yogurt to start with. Here are some of their attributes: Viili: Not the "ropey" variety of Viili, this variety has a more jellylike consistency and is a good choice for children Matsoni: a stronger flavor that holds up quite well for freezing, thus a good choice for frozen yogurt Piimä: is a great base for smoothies or creamy salad dressings, great for adding bacteria to pasteurized milk (Indian Lassis ), while keeping the beveragelike consistency. Traditional Greek: basically thickened yogurt, leaving out the whey. Bulgarian: one of the most popular varieties and a good choice for classic yogurt taste and texture. Vegan: Used for soy, rice, or nut milk alternatives. Which Type of Yogurt Starter Do I Have? 2017 Wild Rose College of Natural Healing and Light Cellar 19

20 Thermophilic or Mesophilic? Do the instructions indicate the yogurt should be cultured between 100 and115 F? If so, you have a thermophilic culture. Do the instructions indicate the yogurt should be cultured at room temperature? If so, you have a mesophilic culture. Direct-set or Reusable? Do the instructions indicate using a specified amount of powdered starter each time you make yogurt? If so, you have a direct-set culture. Do the instructions indicate using some yogurt from a previous batch? If so, you have a reusable culture. Direct-Set Starter with Raw Milk (low-temperature method) Step 1: Prepare the Milk Measure out 1 to 2 liters of fresh raw milk. Heat the milk to between 110 and 112 F. Put the milk into a clean glass container, or a plastic insert for a yogurt maker. Optional: Add cream or powdered milk. Thickeners such as agar, tapioca starch, guar gum, etc. can also be added at this point. Make sure the thickener is thoroughly incorporated into the milk. Step 2: Inoculate the Milk with Culture Add 1/8 teaspoon of starter to 1 to 2 liters of milk. You can make larger quantities of yogurt by adding 1/4 teaspoon to 1 to 4 liters of milk. Stir thoroughly to mix the culture into the milk. Put a lid on the jar. If you are using a yogurt maker, you can leave the lid off or put it on. Step 3: Culture the Milk Put the inoculated milk in a yogurt maker, or wrap it and put it in a place that will remain at 110 to 112 F. Let it sit without being disturbed for 5 to 7 hours. Begin to check the yogurt at 5 hours, and again every half hour or so, until it is set. When the yogurt is set, let it cool for 2 hours to room temperature. Put it in the refrigerator for 6 hours Wild Rose College of Natural Healing and Light Cellar 20

21 Direct-Set Starter with Raw or Pasteurized Milk (high-temperature method) Step 1: Prepare the Milk Measure out 1 to 2 liters of fresh raw or pasteurized milk. Heat the milk to between 160 and 180 F then cool it down to 110 to 112 F. Put the milk into a clean glass container, or a plastic insert for a yogurt maker. Optional: Add cream or powdered milk. Thickeners such as agar, tapioca starch, guar gum, etc. can also be added at this point. Make sure the thickener is thoroughly incorporated into the milk. Step 2: Inoculate the Milk with the Culture Add 1/8 teaspoon of starter to one or two liters of milk. You can make larger quantities of yogurt by adding 1/4 teaspoon to 1 to 4 liters of milk. Stir thoroughly to mix the culture into the milk. Put a lid on the jar. If you are using a yogurt maker, you can leave the lid off or put it on. Step 3: Culture the Milk Put the inoculated milk in a yogurt maker, or wrap it and put it in a place that will remain at 110 to 112 F. Let it sit without being disturbed for 5 to 7 hours. Begin to check the yogurt at 5 hours, and again every half hour or so, until it is set. When the yogurt is set, let it cool for 2 hours to room temperature. Put it in the refrigerator for 6 hours Wild Rose College of Natural Healing and Light Cellar 21

22 Direct-Set Starter with Alternative Milk Step 1: Prepare the Milk Use 1 to 2 liters of coconut milk, nut milk, or soymilk and add 1-1/2 to 2 teaspoons sugar per cup. Or, use 1 to 2 liters of rice milk. Heat the milk to between 108 and 110 F. You can heat it more and cool it down if you like. Put the milk into a clean glass container, or a plastic insert for a yogurt maker. Optional: Add thickeners such as agar, tapioca starch, guar gum, etc. Make sure the thickener is thoroughly incorporated into the milk. Step 2: Inoculate the Milk with the Culture Add 1/8 teaspoon of starter to 1 to 2 liters of milk. You can make larger quantities of yogurt by adding1/4 teaspoon to 1 to 4 liters of milk. Stir thoroughly to mix the culture into the milk. Put a lid on the jar. If you are using a yogurt maker, you can leave the lid off or put it on. Step 3: Culture the Milk Put the inoculated milk in a yogurt maker, or wrap it and put it in a place that will remain at 108 to 110 F. Let it sit without being disturbed for 5 to 7 hours. Begin to check the yogurt at 5 hours, and again every half hour or so, until it is set. Put it in the refrigerator for 6 hours. Note: Dairy milk yogurts will set up in 5 to 7 hours, and alternative milk in 6 to 8 hours. You can begin looking at the yogurt at the earliest end of the range, and check it again every half hour or so. If your kitchen is particularly cool you may need to establish a spot for it that is warm enough, but not too warm to kill the bacteria Wild Rose College of Natural Healing and Light Cellar 22

23 Making Yogurt with Reusable Cultures The procedure for this is basically the same, regardless of what milk you use or what starter you use. You are going to add bacteria to milk and let it work. However there are two types of culture you can add to the milk: a reusable culture, where you save some yogurt from each batch to culture the next batch; and direct-set, where you add some dried yogurt culture to milk each time you want to make a new batch. When you work with a reusable culture, you will take slightly different steps depending on the kind of culture you use and the kind of milk you use. Enhancing Yogurt: Thickening & Flavoring Some people like to improve their yogurt by thickening or flavoring. Thickening Depending on the type of milk and the culture you use, yogurt can be as thin and runny as cream, or as thick and solid as sour cream. Raw milk will usually produce a thinner yogurt than pasteurized milk. Here are some ways to produce a thicker yogurt. Use milk with a higher fat content. The fat in yogurt is part of what makes it thick, so obviously whole milk will result in a thicker yogurt than skim milk. You can even use cream to make yogurt, or add cream to the milk to make a rich, thick, yummy yogurt. Add milk solids. The coagulation of milk proteins is what produces the typical gelatinous texture of yogurt, so by increasing the proportion of milk solids, you will get a thicker yogurt. Powdered milk solids usually come in cow, goat, and soy varieties. You can add powdered (instant or non-instant) milk to the yogurt before adding the culture. For easy mixing, use a small amount of milk or water to reconstitute the powdered milk before adding it to the fresh milk. Using powdered milk alone, without fresh milk, may give you poor results because the powdered milk is highly processed. As a general rule of thumb, for every 3 to 4 cups fresh cow milk, use 1/2 to 1 cup powdered milk solids. If using fresh goat milk or soymilk, add 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup powdered milk solids Wild Rose College of Natural Healing and Light Cellar 23

24 Please note: when adding milk solids to yogurt, it is important not to mix protein sources as doing so can lead to unpredictable and often undesirable results. For example, when using fresh cow milk, use cow-based milk solids; when using fresh goat milk, use goat-based milk solids. Add thickeners. These can be added to the milk just before you add the culture. This is a process that s most successful with direct-set cultures, or yogurt where you are maintaining a separate mother culture, since the thickeners may interfere with the yogurt s ability to reproduce over successive generations. If you are using a re-culturing yogurt, another way to add thickeners is to wait until just after the yogurt has set up. Take out some of the finished yogurt to use for inoculating the next batch, then add the thickener to the larger batch before you refrigerate it. Tapioca starch: For 3 to 4 cups of milk, dissolve 2 tablespoons tapioca starch into a small amount of heated milk. Add the small amount of milk to the larger portion of milk and mix well. Ultra Gel (modified corn starch): For 3 to 4 cups heated milk, add 3/8 cups Ultra Gel and mix well to combine. While regular cornstarch can be used, it's not particularly stable and can yield an odd consistency. Gelatin: For every 3 to 4 cups milk, sprinkle 1 teaspoon of gelatin into the milk as it is getting close to 110 F. Mix well to combine. Please note: the effects of the gelatin will not be noticeable until after the yogurt has set and chilled in the refrigerator. Agar: For every 3 to 4 cups milk, dissolve ½ teaspoon agar into 1/2 cup of water. Bring the agar and water mixture to a boil. Allow the mixture to cool sufficiently prior to adding it to the heated milk. Guar gum: For every 3 to 4 cups of milk, add 1 teaspoon of guar gum to a small amount of heated milk, mix well, then combine the small amount of milk with the larger portion of milk. Pectin: For 1 quart of yogurt, pour 2 cups of heated milk into a blender. Add 1 teaspoon of pectin to the blender, and mix for a couple of minutes to incorporate the pectin. Now add the rest of the heated milk, then the starter. Blend at low speed just a little more (or mix by hand), then pour the blended mixture into your yogurt maker. You may find that you need to adjust the amount of pectin depending on your milk. Irish Moss - carrageenan rich seaweed you can purchase dried. Simply rinse well to remove salt, soak 24 hrs in cool-to-roomtemp water then rinse again, and use a few of the rehydrated strands a couple of inches in length, equal to 1/4 cup per liter of Yogurt you would like to thicken. Blend very well until 2017 Wild Rose College of Natural Healing and Light Cellar 24

25 homogenous with milk, at this time you will notice your mixture will have already begun to thicken, but after a couple hours chilled in the fridge it can become quick thick. Slippery Elm - can be used as a thickening agent because of its mucilaginous properties. Yogurt thickened with Slippery Elm will have a beneficial demulcent quality to it, great for the digestive tract. Hold the milk at high temperature. When you are preparing the milk, heat it to 160 F or more (no higher than 180 F), and hold it at that temperature for 20 to 30 minutes before letting it cool to culturing temperature. The additional heating time denatures the milk (i.e., breaks down the milk proteins more so they will coagulate better). Strain the yogurt. Make the yogurt as usual, including refrigeration to stop the culturing. Then strain it through a cheese bag or coffee filter, which will let a good deal of the whey drip out, leaving you with a thicker yogurt. Note: This is how traditional Greek yogurt is made. Straining should be done in a cool place so the yogurt doesn t spoil as it strains (It can take a while!). Save the whey for culturing vegetables or adding to baked goods. You can also freeze the whey in ice cube trays and add it to smoothies for extra flavor and protein! 2017 Wild Rose College of Natural Healing and Light Cellar 25

26 How to Make Greek-style Yogurt Thick, creamy, and decadent Greek-style yogurt is easy to make at home for a fraction of the cost of commercial varieties. Beyond the superior consistency, Greek-style yogurt contains more protein per ounce (due to the removal of a large portion of the whey) and can be used in place of sour cream in most recipes. Step 1: Make Yogurt Although Greek yogurt is traditionally made with a thermophilic yogurt culture such as a Traditional Greek Yogurt Starter, Greek-style yogurt can be made with virtually any variety of yogurt. Follow the instructions for the yogurt culture you are working with. Once the yogurt is fully set and chilled for at least 6 hours to halt the fermentation process, proceed to step 2. Step 2: Strain the Yogurt What makes Greek-style yogurt unique is the thick and creamy texture that is achieved through straining off a significant portion of the whey. 1. Place a colander in a bowl. Place a tight-weave towel, multi-layered cheesecloth, or large paper coffee filter in the colander. A cloth will generally strain more efficiently than a coffee filter. 2. Pour the yogurt into the cloth or filter. If using a cloth, gather the corners of the cloth together. Knot the corners together hanging the cloth over the handle of a kitchen cabinet so it hangs over the bowl allowing the whey (clear or slightly cloudy liquid) to drip off. 3. Allow the yogurt to drip for 2 or more hours until the desired consistency has been achieved. 4. Once the process is complete, store the yogurt in the refrigerator. 5. The resulting whey can be used to ferment vegetables like cabbage. The purpose of the whey is to get the lactofermentation to start up a little faster. For instance, most recipes for sauerkraut recommend about 4 tablespoons of whey to a quart of cabbage. You can also add whey to your soaking grains or to smoothies for extra protein, either as liquid, or frozen in ice cubes. Refrigerated, your whey should stay good for up to 6 months. How to Make Coconut Milk Yogurt 2017 Wild Rose College of Natural Healing and Light Cellar 26

27 Step 1: Choose the Coconut Milk Coconut milk yogurt can be made with canned, boxed, or homemade coconut milk. We recommend choosing an unflavored variety with the least number of additives possible. Step 2: Choose the Thickening Agent Coconut milk is not particularly thick when made without a thickening agent such as tapioca starch or gelatin. Since it has a different chemical structure than dairy milk, it behaves differently when cultured. Without the added thickening agent, coconut milk yogurt will generally be rather runny and more similar to the consistency of kefir. If using a thickening agent isn't an option but you still prefer thick yogurt, it is also possible to strain some of the liquid from the coconut milk yogurt by placing the finished yogurt in a tea towel or similar tight-weave fabric and allowing the mixture to hang over a bowl to drain some of the liquid, resulting in thicker yogurt. Step 3: Choose the Yogurt Starter Some varieties of thermophilic yogurt starter culture should be heated to 110 F using a yogurt maker or similar device. Examples of thermophilic cultures include direct-set (a.k.a. onetime use) variety yogurt starters, some heirloom-variety cultures such as Greek and Bulgarian, and commercial yogurt with live active cultures from the grocery store used as a starter culture. Other varieties can be cultured at room temperature on the counter without a yogurt maker. Viili, filmjölk, matsoni, and piimä are all examples of mesophilic yogurt cultures. Please note: if using an heirloom-variety (perpetuating) yogurt as the starter culture (Greek, Bulgarian, viili, matsoni, filmjölk, piimä), be sure the yogurt used as the starter culture for making the coconut yogurt was made with cow or goat milk. Yogurt made with coconut milk using an heirloom-variety starter cannot be used as a starter culture for future batches of coconut milk yogurt. The structure of coconut milk is too different from animal-based milk and the bacteria will not be strong enough to perpetuate effectively Wild Rose College of Natural Healing and Light Cellar 27

28 Step 4: Make Yogurt There are several ways to make coconut milk yogurt at home. Which method you choose will depend on the type of yogurt starter you are working with. Coconut Yogurt 2 2 cups dried Coconut Flakes (or Almonds or Cashews or combination of coconut and or any nut and seed) 4 cups pure water Blend well Leave as is and do not strain, for a naturally thick yogurt with the fiber from your coconuts and/or nuts left in. Add 1Tbsp of sweetener like Maple Syrup as well as a probiotic starter culture and let sit out at room temp for 24 hrs to ferment. Alternate version: After blending water and coconut/almonds, strain to create a nut milk and use one of the thickeners mentioned in the section above to reach desired consistency then add 1Tbsp of sweetener like Maple Syrup as well as a probiotic starter culture and let sit out at room temp for 24hrs to ferment. Cashew Hemp Yogurt 1 cup cashews 1 2 cup hemp seed 1 cup spring water (or Rejuvelac probiotic sprout juice) 2 oranges, juiced 1 Tbsp. honey 3-10 probiotic capsules opened and added in Blend together in a high-speed blender, cashews, hemp seeds and enough water for desired consistency. Stir in mandarin orange juice, honey and contents of the probiotic capsules. Consume right away, or let sit in a warm spot for 1-24 hrs to let probiotics proliferate Wild Rose College of Natural Healing and Light Cellar 28

29 Whey & Yogurt Cheese Pour plain yogurt into a dishtowel or layered cheesecloth. Tie towel together with an elastic band and attach to a cabinet knob and let liquid drain out into a bowl. The liquid will take at least two hours, or you can leave it overnight. The liquid is the whey that you can use in fermented vegetables The "cheese" left over is called labneh in the Middle East and can be used in different recipes. Labneh Dip 1 cup of yogurt cheese "labneh" 1 garlic clove - crushed 1 Tbsp. green onion - minced sea salt to taste a generous amount of crushed pepper corn. Mix all the the ingredients together and enjoy with crackers, veggies, olives or leaves! 2017 Wild Rose College of Natural Healing and Light Cellar 29