Making Vegan Yogurt at Home

Where do I start with yogurt? Yogurt made from milk may seem harmless. In reality, big agriculture exploits animals with an endless cycle of pregnancy and birth in order to maintain constant milk production. Within the industry, the device used to keep the female cow still for impregnation is called a rape rack. Once the babies are born, they are taken from their mothers. Female calves are raised like their mothers, and males are raised as veal or taken to slaughter. The separation between mother and child is devastating. Why would anyone want to contribute to the suffering of others?

Dairy milk is not made for humans. The formula in the breast milk of cows is designed to grow a calf from typical birth weight of 80 pounds to 700 pounds in the first year of life. Is your body in need of such dietary chemistry?

Cow's milk contains calcium, but can humans utilize and absorb it? Humans who have access to dairy typically have much higher incidents of bone fractures associated with osteoporosis. Though the dairy industry has found ways to convince the public, milk that comes from a cow isn't good for you.

Plant-based foods should be scrutinized thoroughly. Just because a food product can be considered "vegan," doesn't mean that it's healthy or that the company that produced it made good choices on the consumers' behalf. Genetically modified soybeans, pesticide use, employee working conditions and wages, packaging, and transportation must be taken into account. This requires effort and time resources on the part of the consumer. What if you just want to grab a yogurt off the shelf and go?

On the shelves of larger grocery chains, one can find vegan suitable yogurt made from soy, almonds, coconut or blends. Very few of these are unsweetened. A six ounce cup of yogurt can have over 30 carbohydrates. WholeSoy & Company has been a reliable producer of unsweetened yogurt, but in 2013 the company found themselves without a manufacturing facility. They decided to build their own. You can read their saga here: http://www.wholesoyco.com/blog With the long absence of the product, some people have tried to make their own vegan yogurt at home. Not a fan of following directions, even I was able to make functional, tasty, probiotic vegan yogurt. Here's how:

Equipment needed:

• medium glass bowl
• small glass bowl
• 1 cup measure
• medium sauce pan
• candy thermometer
• wire whisk
• blender
• large towel
• glass bowl with tight fitting lid (or glass jars with lids)
• a place to incubate the yogurt like an oven with a light

Ingredients needed:

• yogurt starter - this can be one container of store bought vegan yogurt or a non-dairy yogurt starter like Belle + Bella or Cultures for Health.
• 1 cup of raw, unsalted cashews
• 3 to 4 cups of filtered water

If you have a high-powered blender like a Vitamix (made in Ohio), you can put 1 cup of dried cashews directly in the Vitamix with 1 1/2 cups of water and blend until creamy smooth, adding water until preferred consistency is reached. (See the Vitamix recipe for cashew and almond milk here: https://www.vitamix.com/Find-Recipes/A/L/Almond-or-Cashew-Milk)

If your blender's power is NOT measured in horsepower, soak 1 cup of cashews covered in water until soft. In the blender, mix at high power with 1 cup of water, adding water until desired consistency is achieved to 1 liter or 1 quart yield.

Once you have 1 liter or 1 quart of cashew milk, heat the cashew milk in a sauce pan to 180°F, using the candy thermometer and taking care to not allow the thermometer to touch the bottom of the pan. As the temperature begins to rise, keep a careful watch and stir so that the cashew milk doesn't scorch or burn in the bottom of the pan. 

The Vitamix has the ability to heat contents easily to the desired temperature to make yogurt. In all my trials and errors, however, I discovered that thickening is part of the process for a successful batch of yogurt. While Vitamix heated cashew milk may be 180°F, it is not the thick consistency achieved on the stove top. The end product from heating and stirring should be a thick cream.

Once 180°F has been reached, the cashew milk needs time to cool BEFORE adding the yogurt culture. Keep the thermometer in the cashew milk in order to gauge when the cashew milk has cooled to 108°F.

While waiting for the cashew milk to cool, turn your attention to the place where the yogurt will incubate and allow the space to begin to warm to 112°F to 115°F.

When the cashew milk cools to 108°F, remove 1 cup of the liquid and add the non-dairy yogurt starter or store-bought non-dairy yogurt to the 1 cup reserve. In a glass bowl with a tight fitting lid, return the one cup of yogurt starter and cashew milk back into the rest of the warm cashew milk base. Place the lid on the bowl and wrap the bowl in a large towel. Place the towel-wrapped bowl in the oven, food dehydrator, or in glass jars in a yogurt maker. Allow the yogurt to incubate for 5 hours. Some bloggers have allowed their yogurt to incubate for 10 hours.

After 5 or so hours, you should have a batch of creamy cashew yogurt that should be refrigerated.

Once you have created a successful batch of cashew yogurt, experiment with different blends of organic soy, almond, coconut until you achieve your signature yogurt. Reserve 6 to 8 ounces of yogurt as a starter for your next batch.