Natasha (founder of Natren probiotics) recently shared this video with me, and I had to pass it on to all of you! It’s a video “how-to” in which Natasha shows the process of making homemade yogurt using the Natren probiotic yogurt starter – start to finish! She also shares some delicious, simple, and healthy yogurt recipes.
If you’re more of a visual person, this is a FABULOUS resource to have, from someone who used to supply numerous royal families with their yogurt!:
Note: If you don’t have an oven that can run at 110F, another method I’ve used it to transfer the yogurt to a glass dish or quart jar with the lid on. Then wrap the dish/jar in a tea towel and place it in your oven with the just the oven light on. Place it near the light if you can. This will give a good set to your yogurt by the time you wake up the next morning. Then put it straight into the fridge.
We’ve had many people write in asking about using a non-dairy substitute, so here are instructions straight from the Natren team:
Technically you can use any dairy-free milk but you have to make some adjustments. The higher fat content of the milk tend to make the yogurt thicker because the bacteria have the fat to thrive off of. Bacteria need food. I suggest you use 2 tsp of the yogurt starter to 2 quarts of coconut milk. The pre-culture treatment remains the same. Heating the milk to 180 degrees and maintaining that temperature for 20 to 30 minutes. Then you reduce the temperature to 110 degrees. At that point, you can take a small amount of the cooled milk and add the starter stir until smooth and add back to milk. Continue to culture for 8 to 10 hours either in the oven with a gas pilot light or wrap in a blanket to maintain warmth and leave on the counter.
I hope this helps, and let me know how yours turns out! 🙂
Did I mention that this starter makes a simply beautiful-tasting yogurt? And this potent probiotic strain is a great way to get food-based probiotics. I have lots of posts on my blog for how to culture yogurt using various methods, and then afterwards how to make cheese, mayo, sauces/dips and my own raw nutrient shake from that yogurt.
We carry Natren’s probiotic yogurt starter in the shoppe, and you can find it here if you’re interested in giving this homemade yogurt a try. It’s an easy and delicious way to add probiotics to your diet!
Dear Jini,
What a great tip. Thanks a lot for sharing!
I was wondering whether it would work with goat milk just as well? I’m not really lactose intolerant but it seems to me that I tend to do better when I avoid it (at least in large quantities). Or is the cow milk perhaps somehow more “gut-friendly” once it is made into a yoghurt in that way?
Thanks again for all the great content!
Filip
Hi Filip – you can absolutely try with goat milk as an alternative! You can also substitute with your favorite non-dairy alternative, but the consistency may not be as thick. Please let us know how it turns out if you decide to try with goat! 🙂
Hello Jini,
Thanks for an amazing video and all of your amazing content over the years. Your book really saved me after a colonoscopy revealed “early stage” Crohn’s disease many years ago. I recently went back to your protocols and Natren probiotics to calm a 6-week long flare. I am eternally grateful for your contributions to the field of holistic healing! 🙏
I cannot tolerate dairy and usually eat the cleanest coconut yogurt I can find. There are quite a few great options, although they are often at a jaw dropping prices ($23/16 oz) out here on the central coast of California!
To make coconut yogurt would I just use a can, or two, of organic unsweetened coconut milk?
Thank you!
Suzanne
Hi Suzanne! In this video, Natasha mentions you can sub with soy milk, but I have reached out to her directly to make sure the substitution is straight across, as I want to confirm the substitution is the same measurement as you would use if you were using regular milk. Once I hear from her, I will let you know ASAP! 🙂 However, if you choose to give this a try beforehand (and it works!), I’d love to hear from you as well! Have a wonderful day.
Thank you! ☺️
Hi Suzanne! Here are instructions straight from the Natren team re: subbing with coconut milk:
“Technically you can use any dairy-free milk but you have to make some adjustments. The higher fat content of the milk tend to make the yogurt thicker because the bacteria have the fat to thrive off of. Bacteria need food. I suggest you use 2 tsp of the yogurt starter to 2 quarts of coconut milk. The pre-culture treatment remains the same. Heating the milk to 180 degrees and maintaining that temperature for 20 to 30 minutes. Then you reduce the temperature to 110 degrees. At that point, you can take a small amount of the cooled milk and add the starter stir until smooth and add back to milk. Continue to culture for 8 to 10 hours either in the oven with a gas pilot light or wrap in a blanket to maintain warmth and leave on the counter.”
I hope this helps, and let me know how yours turns out! 🙂
Hello,
do you have a vegan alternative for this wonderful recipe
Thank you
Hi Claudine, thanks for reaching out! 🙂 In this video, Natasha mentions you can sub with soy milk, but I have reached out to her directly to make sure the substitution is straight across, as I want to confirm the substitution is the same measurement as you would use if you were using regular milk. Once I hear from her, I will let you know ASAP! 🙂 However, if you choose to give this a try with your favorite non-dairy alternative beforehand (and it works!), I’d love to hear from you as well! Best to you!
thank you and I will also see if I can do it with my yogourt maker pot, Best to you
Hi Claudine! Here are instructions straight from the Natren team re: subbing with non-dairy milk:
“Technically you can use any dairy-free milk but you have to make some adjustments. The higher fat content of the milk tend to make the yogurt thicker because the bacteria have the fat to thrive off of. Bacteria need food. I suggest you use 2 tsp of the yogurt starter to 2 quarts of coconut milk. The pre-culture treatment remains the same. Heating the milk to 180 degrees and maintaining that temperature for 20 to 30 minutes. Then you reduce the temperature to 110 degrees. At that point, you can take a small amount of the cooled milk and add the starter stir until smooth and add back to milk. Continue to culture for 8 to 10 hours either in the oven with a gas pilot light or wrap in a blanket to maintain warmth and leave on the counter.”
I hope this helps, and let me know how yours turns out! 🙂
I have the same question about using a non-dairy alternative as well. Please let me know the answer too! Thx
Hi Tara – will do! 🙂
Hi Tara! Here are instructions straight from the Natren team re: subbing with a non-dairy alternative:
“Technically you can use any dairy-free milk but you have to make some adjustments. The higher fat content of the milk tend to make the yogurt thicker because the bacteria have the fat to thrive off of. Bacteria need food. I suggest you use 2 tsp of the yogurt starter to 2 quarts of coconut milk. The pre-culture treatment remains the same. Heating the milk to 180 degrees and maintaining that temperature for 20 to 30 minutes. Then you reduce the temperature to 110 degrees. At that point, you can take a small amount of the cooled milk and add the starter stir until smooth and add back to milk. Continue to culture for 8 to 10 hours either in the oven with a gas pilot light or wrap in a blanket to maintain warmth and leave on the counter.”
I hope this helps, and let me know how yours turns out! 🙂
Not exactly yogurt related but… I’ve been mixing the bifido, digestilac, and megadophillus probiotics in milk or cream and then letting them sit for several minutes, but wondering how long is “too long” before they start competing and reduce efficacy. Could they potentially keep “safe” mixed in the fridge overnight?
Hi Karen – I have passed your question on to the Natren team and will come back with an answer ASAP! 🙂
Hi Karen – here is the response I received from Natren’s team:
“The protocol for the powders is sitting no more than 30 minutes in the liquid. You can not mix together and put in the fridge overnight either. Bacteria is very finicky and requires the right environment to have the best results. Also if you are a supplement taker, make sure you have a 2-hour window away from the probiotics. Hope this helps to answer your questions.”
Good to know. Thank you!
You’re very welcome! 🙂
How long does the yogurt stay “fresh” ? I live alone and don’t want to do dairy so I’d try the coconut milk but wondering how long it keeps in the fridge?
If stored properly in an airtight container, homemade yogurt can keep for up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator. However, Natasha at Natren suggests consuming within 5 days for max benefits. Don’t leave yogurt out in room temperature (40-140F) for over 2 hours, though, as it will no longer be safe to eat. I hope this helps!
I used to make 24-hour SCD yogurt year ago with almond or coconut milk but always had to add a bit of honey as a sugar source to make it ferment correctly, is this not needed with the Natren products for non-dairy milks?
Also, what thermometer would you suggest because I need to purchase a new one and what is meant by a gas pilot light? Will my oven light in my electric stove be sufficient?
I do have an old yogurt maker as well but back in the day everyone on the SCD diet had to rig them because they sometimes would not maintain their temperature to ferment the sugar in the milk properly, in fact all these additional finicky steps was in fact why I stopped making the yogurt altogether.
However, I’ve recently gone into several major flare ups from Crohn’s after it being quiet for over a decade on the SCD which is why I thought I was healed until these last three years and the deaths (trauma + stress) of losing several of my family members due to medical establishment errors and my illness is worst it’s ever been.
I’ve also just recently developed extremely painful thrombosed hemorrhoids, and what I thought was a parianal abscess. However, it has now turned into a fistula which I am completely devastated.
So that’s why I need to completely restart my gut and work on releasing these traumas before they completely destroy my intestines and my life. Off topic but any real good suggestions on what to do with closing a fistula naturally or is surgery the only option at this point if it is open to the outside of the rectum?
Thank you for your comment and for sharing your situation with us. In Jini’s Frozen Strawberry yogurt recipe, you will find that it includes ½ to ¾ cup of honey. You can check the link below and click under “Directions” to find the recipe: https://shoppe.listentoyourgut.com/products/natren-probiotic-yogurt-starter-1-75-oz
Here’s a sample of a Pilot Light: https://www.aireserv.ca/about/blog/2019/april/what-is-a-pilot-light-and-why-is-it-important-/
You can use any type of thermometer. For more information, visit https://blog.listentoyourgut.com/homemade-yogurt-recipe-using-probiotic-cultures/.
Additionally, here’s the link to Jini’s Natural Remedy For Anal Fistulas: https://listentoyourgut.com/natural-remedy-anal-fistulas/