Those following the SCD should not eat commercial yogurts because they contain lactose sugar, illegal ingredients or not recommended probiotic bacteria. Commercial yogurts can only be used as yogurt starter.
What is the amount of commercial yogurt to use as a starter?
The basic measurement is a 1/4 cup or 59 ml of liquid yogurt starter for a quart or 1 liter of milk. 1/2 a cup or 118 ml of liquid yogurt starter for 2 quarts or 2 liters of milk.
What happens if I leave it fermenting for too long?
Up to 29 hours is fine, but after 30 hours, it starts to kill the good bacteria. After 36 hours it will not last as long in the refrigerator.
I forgot to switch on my yogurt maker. Will it be OK if I switch it on 8 hours later?
At room temperature it will have started to ferment but at a much lower rate. Switch it on and ferment it for a full 24 hours, and it should still be fine.
What happens if I use the yogurt in cooking?
You will lose the probiotic benefit of the bacteria, because the heat from cooking will kill them.
What happens if I freeze the yogurt?
You lose some, but not all of the probiotic benefit of the bacteria, because some of them will be killed in the freezing process.
What happens if I dehydrate the yogurt?
You lose the probiotic benefit of the bacteria.
How long is yogurt good for after you've fermented it?
It can last up to three weeks in the fridge, but the bacteria will remain active in it for two weeks at most.
Why can't I use the yogurt I have made as a starter for the next batch?
This would be a bad practice; the commercial yogurt or starter powder we use as a starter has been produced under tightly controlled production methods and should not contain undesirable strains. If we use the yogurt that we have produced with each generation, other strains are likely to contaminate it and the existing bacteria can also mutate to undesirable strains.
"Yogourmet yogurt starter" has maltodextrin listed as an ingredient, is it okay to use?
We do not recommend it. Maltodextrin is not legal on the SCD.
What is the liquid left over from dripped yogurt? Is it whey?
The water is not whey, per se. Whey contains lactose and is usually the word used when you separate milk into curds (protein), using rennet. The water we get in our lengthy fermentation is actually the "water of hydrolysis," which forms when the culture splits lactose, which yields two monosaccharides and H2O. It varies with temperature variations as well as with the varying amounts of fat in the milk you use. Skim milk yields the most water, as it has more lactose than whole milk and, therefore, will produce more water of hydrolysis when the lactose is split.
Is there a maximum amount of yogurt I can eat in one day?
Yes. Don't take more than 3 cups per day whether dripped or undripped.
Elaine writes: The reason I put a "top" on yogurt amount is because of the amount of one of the sugars of which lactose is composed: galactose. In other words, more than 3 cups would put stress on the liver to convert galactose to glucose, and people with IBD don't need more stress on the liver. Remember, you are eating pure casein, which is a very good protein, but three cups is still a lot.
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Information published on this website is intended to support the book Breaking The Vicious Cycle by Elaine Gottschall. It is for information purposes only. It is not the intention of this site to diagnose, prescribe, or replace medical care. Your doctor or nutrition expert should be consulted before undertaking a change of diet. Specific Carbohydrate Diet™, SCD™, Breaking the Vicious Cycle™ are trademarks owned by Kirkton Press Inc.