Dairy-Free Probiotic Yogurt
By Lisa Lewis, Ph.D.

Avoiding dairy? You can still enjoy the probiotic benefits of yogurt by making your own all-natural yogurt using nuts. For instructions on how to make nondairy yogurt with young green coconuts, visit www.bodyecology.com. Purchase culture starter from a natural food store or online at www.pecanbread.com. Once you’ve made your own yogurt, save a little to use as starter for your next batch.

Dairy-Free Nut Yogurt
If you can tolerate tree nuts, try this non-dairy nut yogurt. It’s often made with raw, organic almonds but you can also use macadamia nuts, brazil nuts or another variety of raw organic nut, available at many grocery and health food stores.

4 cups water
2 cups raw nuts
Yogurt culture starter

1. Boil water in a saucepan and let it cool slightly. While water is still very hot, pour it and nuts into a blender and purée.
2. Strain mixture through a fine sieve* and let it cool to 110 to 115 degrees. Use a candy thermometer (available at most grocery stores) or a very clean finger to test the temperature. Mixture will feel hot but will not burn your skin. Note that if the temperature is too hot, it will kill the live yogurt cultures.
3. Add yogurt starter according to package directions and mix well.
4. Pour mixture into a yogurt maker and process according to manufacturer’s instructions. (Nut yogurt may take longer to process than dairy yogurt.) If you don’t have a yogurt maker, pour mixture into clean glass jars or ceramic containers. Keep yogurt warm, from 107 to 110 degrees, for 12 to 24 hours. An easy way to maintain an even temperature is to place yogurt in an unheated oven that has a pilot light. Or you can use an ordinary insulated cooler. Preheat the cooler by pouring hot water into it first. Drain the water and put the yogurt containers inside. If the cooler is large, fill the empty spaces with bottles of hot water or some towels for insulation. Place cooler in a warm spot and leave it closed and undisturbed. The yogurt may separate somewhat; the liquid is rich in probiotics. Drink it or stir it back into the yogurt. Yogurt becomes a bit firmer when it’s refrigerated.

*TIP: A nut milk bag, available at www.purejoyplanet.com, makes it easy to squeeze out the liquid when making nut yogurt.