L REUTERI WHOLE MILK YOGURT
As you probably have guessed from the topics I cover here, gut health is extremely important to me. That's why I was so intrigued when I first heard about the probiotic strain L Reuteri. You can find many podcasts and video interviews on this topic if you do a quick internet search but if you want to dive deeper, I highly suggest reading about it in the book Super Gut by Dr. William Davis. If you are already familiar with all of the amazing and documented health benefits of this one microbe, then jump to the recipe and description of the process that works for me below. If not, read on and I will provide a brief summary of the health benefits touted by Dr. Davis- and by many people who make and eat it regularly. To learn about the benefits of Living Foods in general, start here: Living Foods.
A SHORT SUMMARY OF THE AMAZING BENEFITS
According to an article by Dr. Berg (who has several interviews with Dr. Davis on his YouTube channel), L. Reuteri has shows a lot of potential for improved: digestive health, mental health, skin health and also boosts the immune system and contains anti-cancer properties. If you are a skeptic like me, you probably think this all sounds too good to be true. And there are one of two people who claim they've tried this and it's a hoax. However, there are a LOT more who say it really works. Read the comment section of nearly every interview video as well as the book reviews and you will find and overwhelming number of people who claim this yogurt changed their health and their lives. So in my opinion, it's a small investment (the cost of the yogurt machine or Instant Pot, if you don't already have one) and a little bit of time a couple of times a week. At the very least you will end up with tasty homemade yogurt made with organic milk that is much more economical and healthy than the grocery store options packed in single use plastic containers.
L REUTERI RECIPE TWEAKS
The L reuteri (Lactobacillus reuteri) yogurt recipe recommended by Dr. Davis uses Half & Half and my recipe uses whole milk. That, and the ratio of inulin I add (as a pre-biotic to feed the microbes) are the main differences. Dr. Davis does mention that whole milk is acceptable- and I find whole milk to be a lot easier and more economical.
IF YOU ARE STRUGGLING TO GET THIS RIGHT, YOU ARE NOT ALONE
One thing I should mention is that I live in a high altitude area (6000+ feet above sea level) so it's possible this can have an effect on my results. That said, I have done a LOT of online research (meaning, I have taken a deep dive into the comment sections on multiple podcasts and interviews on this subject to see what the real people a have experienced). The only people who spoke about doing this in a high altitude environment believed it was causing their yogurt to ferment too fast resulting in curds and whey separation long before the optimal 36 hour time was reached. However, this issue wasn't only being experienced by those at high altitudes; many, many people were complaining about this same issue. Someone suggested stopping the process early (moving it into the refrigerator as soon as it firms up) but according to Dr. Davis, the last 12 hours are critical to getting the high counts needed for optimal results. Don't get nervous if the yogurt firms up quickly (like in the first 8-12 hours). It does that for me and is still fine after the full 36 hours).
A few important tips:
- Choose the right start time! I recommend starting early morning (5- 9 AM) or late evening (5-9 PM), depending on your sleep schedule. Remember, a 36 hour cycle means it will be ready to move to the refrigerator at the exact time you started, except at the opposite time of day (AM/PM). So if you start at 10 PM, expect to be awake at 10 pm the following night to transfer the containers to the refrigerator. Or if you start at 5 PM, expect to make the transfer two mornings later at 5 AM)
- Your first batch will likely use an L. Reuteri capsule to "inoculate" your culture. Don't expect this first batch to turn out creamy or palatable- expect it to be cheesy with grainy separation. For this reason I suggest starting with just 1 cup of milk for your first batch. The only purpose of this batch will be used to seed your next batch.
- In Dr Davis' book and in several of the interviews I watched, he recommends 2 Tablespoons of Inulin per quart of Half & Half and I found this is way too high when using whole milk. (I haven't tried making this with Half & Half myself but, based on issues others have been reporting, I suspect the Inulin should be reduced for that recipe too).
- If your milk is labeled "Pasteurized" and not "Ultra Pasteurized" (or if it's raw milk), it's recommended to heat the entire batch of milk in a double boiler to 180 degrees for 10 minutes to ensure there aren't any competing microbes. If it's "Ultra-Pasteurized" you only need to heat a small amount of milk (a tablespoon or 2) with the Inulin to 180 degrees for 10 minutes to kill any bacteria that might be in the Inulin (heating all the milk will just add a little extra time to the process to allow for heating and cooling).
- Be sure not to add the L.Reuteri (in the form of capsule or from the previous batch) until the milk has cooled down to 100 degrees or less and is ready to go in the yogurt machine. High temperatures will kill this probiotic.
WHAT YOU NEED :
Ingredients (FIRST STARTER BATCH ONLY):
- 1 cup whole milk (Ultra Pasteurized is best)
- 1/4 capsule L. Reuteri
- 1/4 tsp Inulin
Ingredients (ALL SUBSEQUENT BATCHES):
- 4 cups whole milk (Ultra Pasteurized is best)
- 2 Tablespoons L. Reuteri yogurt reserved from previous batch
- 2 teaspoons Inulin
Tools (Everything must be cleaned well with very hot soapy water):
- Yogurt Maker or Instant Pot with yogurt-making option (I use the Ultimate Probiotic Yogurt Maker)
- Glass Containers and lids (to fit your device)
- Mixing bowl
- small pan for heating milk with Inulin (double boiler preferred)
- measuring spoons
- measuring cup
- digital thermometer
CREAMY, WHOLE MILK L REUTERI YOGURT, STEP-BY-STEP
1. Measure and heat your milk.
Measure out milk according to recipe. Transfer to a saucepan and heat to 180 degrees F. As soon as temperature is reached, move saucepan to a double boiler and maintain temperature for 10 minutes.
Note: If Ultra Pasteurized milk is used, you do not need to heat all of the milk. I usually only heat a tablespoon or two of the milk in the next step.
2. Take a small amount of the measured milk (~ 2 Tbs) and add it and the inulin to a small saucepan. Mix well to combine. Heat and maintain this mixture to 180 degrees F in a double boiler for 10 minutes, then add this back to the rest of the measured milk.
The heating here is a precaution. Since there's no way to know if the inulin is free of any unwanted microbes, this step effectively "sterilizes" it.
3. Add the L reuteri (either in the form of yogurt reserved from a previous batch or capsule) to the milk mixture. Stir well until combined.
**IMPORTANT** If the milk was heated, it must be cooled to 100 degrees F or cooler before adding the L reuteri source.
4. Pour mixture into glass containers and seal lids. I used a mix of (4) small 180 ml jars and one 4-cup glass container because that's what I had available, but you can use any combination (two large containers or 8 small containers).
5. Transfer the containers into the yogurt machine. Create a water bath by pouring warm water (no hotter than 100 degrees F) into the pan until it is just level with the milk in the containers.
Here I am using the Ultimate Probiotic Yogurt Maker machine I purchased on Amazon. An Instant Pot with a yogurt setting would also work.
6. Set machine to a temperature of 99 degrees F and a time of 36 hours and hit start.
IMPORTANT: I recommend starting this in early morning or later in the evening, depending on your daily schedule. See my notes at the top of this page for more about this.
7. Transfer glass containers to the refrigerator- it'll be ready to eat as soon as it's cool. Be sure to reserve at least 2 tablespoons for your next batch. (Freeze it if you plan to wait more than a couple of days before brewing a new batch).
Top with your favorite fruits and nuts and enjoy!
PHOTOS AND NOTES ON CURDS AND WHEY SEPARATION
In full disclosure, I had quite a few "fails" with my first few batches. But I learned a couple of very important lessons that helped me to figure out a process that has been quite consistently successful since then.
- Your very first batch inoculated with an L. Reuteri capsule or pill will likely turn out inedible. It will probably have separated into curds and whey and it may smell very cheesy. That's why I recommend using a smaller amount when making your first batch. The first batch will work well as the starter for your next batch.
- Use 2 tablespoons of reserved yogurt from your previous batch that has been freshly cultured (3 days or fresher). Or you can freeze 2 tablespoon portions of yogurt from a previous batch (an ice cube tray works for this) for longer term storage.
- Even if the batch separates, as long as it still smells good, you can always blend it with an immersion blender for a better texture. You can also pour off the whey and blend the solids for a thicker texture. You can reserve the liquid and mix a little in your dog or cat's food (it's supposed to be great for them, but start with a little at a time to make sure they tolerate it well).
This is how a "good batch" will look. I just transferred this from the "brewing" container so it's been stirred a bit. Fresh out of the container it'll be firm and look just like plain Greek yogurt from the grocery store.
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