My milk-allergic kids always beg for yogurt. Can I make a reasonable substitute from soy or rice milk, and if so, are there any special recipes or techniques that need to be followed?

-- Becky M. (beckymom@kjsl.com), February 17, 2000

Answers

Sometimes people who are allergic to whole milk aren't allergic to yoghurt - particularly (but not only) if it's a lactose intolerance. If the allergic reaction wouldn't be too severe it might be worth a try.

-- Don Armstrong (darmst@yahoo.com.au), February 18, 2000.

Lactose intolerance IS NOT milk allergy. If you are allergic to cow's milk (or any other mammal milk) protein, you cannot eat it in any form without some kind of rection. My kids get asthma-like reactions and wheeze like crazy.

-- Becky M. (beckymom@kjsl.com), February 18, 2000.

Hi, Becky. I'm not milk allergic, but I am lactose intolerant. Too bad for your kids.

If you have some decent version of soy milk, I'm pretty sure that you could thicken it with unflavored gelatin, or cornstarch, or flavored Jell-o. And add fruit. Nothing to lose from trying, but a couple of bucks. But I don't see how you could actually get yogurt, because yogurt is milk that is cultured with it's naturally occurring bacteria, specific to milk. Now, maybe there is a way to culture soybean and not get tofu or fermented soy, but I sure don't know it.

-- Rachel (rldk@hotmail.com), February 18, 2000.

I have seen soy yogurt in my health food store so I don't see why you couldn't make it but you would have to purchase some soy yogurt for the culture to start with. I'm sure you know you can buy soy and rice milk cheese. Do a search on the net and you might come up with something. You might try putting some jello in the soy yogurt to flavor it because I wouldn't think it would taste that appealing to kids unflavored. That would also help thicken it.

-- barbara (barbaraj@mis.net), February 18, 2000.

found this reciepe in the vegetarian cook book.here is the easy way, heat soymilk to a boil and hold for 3o seconds stirring constantly,pour into hot sterile jars,cover.let cool to about 110, add 2 Tbsp yogurt[cow or soy] to each quart stir briskly with sterized spatula,cover and incubate for 2 to 6 hours at approximately 105. yogurt is done if when you tilt the jar it separates easly and cleanly from jar sides[ for thicker yogurt make a thicker soymilk by adding less water or more beans to soymilk recipe. it tells how to make it in a pressure cooker if you like i will scan it on your email. the book i got it out of the farm vegetarian cook book by louise hagler is great if you can find it used,I almost threw it out years ago but my husband was found to have diebites so i use it alot now[it has the most awsome hand made bagel reciepe that is to die for].

-- kathy h (saddlebronc@msn.com), February 19, 2000.

THANK YOU!!!! I'd love to have your info scanned - it sounds like exactly what I was looking for. Thanks again!

-- Becky M. (beckymom@kjsl.com), February 20, 2000.

Info wouldnt scan so here goes,pressure cooker - bring milk to a boil for 30 seconds,put the lid and jiggler on the pot and set in sink of cold water to cool. Check it in 10 to 15 minutes, shake the pot a few times to evenly distribute the heat of the soy milk and remove lid. The soy milk should be about 110[ you can use a sterile candy thermometer]. Stir in starter with a sterilized spoon, replace lid and jiggler, and incubate as suggested below. INCUBATION- put jars or pressure cooker in a warm place such gas oven or put jars in oven turn to 150 for 3 minutes turn off and incubate undisturbed for 2 to 6 hours.FOR MAKING LARGER BATCHES- a good mother culture of yogurt can be made by culturing one quart jar of soymilk with a package of freeze dried starter, from this quart jar you can inoculate 1 gallon. use your original quart jar to make another quart jar which can be your second generation starter, this jar will inoculate another 16 gallons.remember to be very clean to keep out contamination.keep hands washed. should yogurt get pink, fuzzy or slimy throw out and sterilize and start over.hope this is helpfull.

-- kathy h (saddlebronc@msn.com), February 21, 2000.

Info wouldnt scan so here goes,pressure cooker - bring milk to a boil for 30 seconds,put the lid and jiggler on the pot and set in sink of cold water to cool. Check it in 10 to 15 minutes, shake the pot a few times to evenly distribute the heat of the soy milk and remove lid. The soy milk should be about 110[ you can use a sterile candy thermometer]. Stir in starter with a sterilized spoon, replace lid and jiggler, and incubate as suggested below. INCUBATION- put jars or pressure cooker in a warm place such gas oven or put jars in oven turn to 150 for 3 minutes turn off and incubate undisturbed for 2 to 6 hours.FOR MAKING LARGER BATCHES- a good mother culture of yogurt can be made by culturing one quart jar of soymilk with a package of freeze dried starter, from this quart jar you can inoculate 1 gallon. use your original quart jar to make another quart jar which can be your second generation starter, this jar will inoculate another 16 gallons.remember to be very clean to keep out contamination.keep hands washed. should yogurt get pink, fuzzy or slimy throw out and sterilize and start over.hope this is helpfull?

-- kathy (saddlebronc@msn.com), February 21, 2000.

I'm back to plug bibliofind.com again. I just did a quick search and found the farm vegetarian book, several copies at various prices. I chose this one because it's a new version and CHEAP!

Hagler, Louise and Dorothy R. Bates, eds.: The New Farm Vegetarian Cookbook; The Book Publishing Co; 1994; sc; GC; 6th printing; book well used, but still in good shape; "(R)ecipes and nutritional information for a completely vegetarian diet based on the versatile and noble soybean." No eggs, no dairy, no cholesterol. Includes how to make tempeh, gluten, soymilk, soy yogurt, and more. 219 pp; COOKING, VEGETARIANISM 00148 Offered for sale by Crystal Dawn Farm at US$4.50

-- Laura Jensen (lrjensen@nwlink.com), February 23, 2000.