I am on a low-carb eating regime to lower glucose and lose weight. Oddly enough, the food I eat to do this is *HIGH* fat, low-carb. I am permitted a small amount of yogurt each day and want to make my own. Is it possible to make yogurt this way? Use cream and whole milk? Thanks for any help you can offer.

-- Madeleine Harrison (madly@home.com), September 02, 2001

Answers

I don't know about cream, but I make yogurt with whole milk (or whatever is handy). It's easier with whole milk, actually.

A friend from India taught me a no-fail easy way to make it. -Heat milk to almost boiling (scald)(I start this after supper to have yogurt for next day's breakfast). -Cool to the point that you would give to a baby in a bottle (test on the inside of wrists that it does not burn). -I place the milk into a glass ovenware dish with lid at this point. -Add two tblsp of active yeast (see label on yogurt container from store) or use the last two tblsp of your last batch of yogurt. -Stir, cover and place in (turned off)microwave all night. -Stir and enjoy tasty homemade yogurt for breakfast.

This is an excellent way to use milk that has gone slightly sour.

I wonder if you can make yogurt from goats's milk and how does it taste?

-- Ann Markson (tngreenacres@hotmail.com), September 02, 2001.

I forgot some important information--I use two tablesp (about--I really don't measure)of active cultured yogurt to 1/2 gallon of milk. If it's still a little soupy in the morning let it stay in the microwave longer or add more active yeast. It is really forgiving.

-- Ann Markson (tngreenacres@hotmail.com), September 02, 2001.

By the way, Madeleine, how is the low carb diet going for you? I know I feel better when not eating too many carbs.

-- daffodyllady (daffodyllady@yahoo.com), September 03, 2001.

Get yourself some Nubian milk, my two does had butterfat in the 7%+ range just 3 weeks fresh, can't even imagine what it will be at 10 months!! :) Add some cream to your milk before you add your culture and this will increase your fat dramatically! It will also set very nice. Another high fat drink you can make is Keifer, if you like yogurt you will like Keifer. Vicki

-- Vicki McGaugh TX (vickilonesomedoe@hotmail.com), September 03, 2001.

Anne, thank you so much for your repsonses. I will try your whole milk method tomorrow and maybe add a *little* cream, too. My mother told me tonight that too much cream might inhibit solidifying because it's treated someway to perserve it longer than milk. As fot goats milk, I have tasted goats milk yogurt from the health food store. It's excellent, but awfully expensive, and I dont have access to goats milk to try to make my own. Will post back on results! Thank you so much for replying so quickly.

-- Madeleine Harrison (madly@home.com), September 03, 2001.

Daffodyllady, The low-carb way is going gangbusters for me. My glucose readings have dropped dramatically and I have gone from 164 to 141 lbs in 3 months. Lots more energy, too. If one has to go on a medically helpful way of eating, I can't think of a more tolerable one. I eat yummy meats and rich cheeses, steamed broccoli or cauliflower with butter, French pate, eggs, sugar-free Jello with heavy cream etc. My "cheat" is Ak-Mak crackers. I have 2 of them a day with cream cheese :-) I try to limit my carbs to 30 grms perday for now. The important part of eating this way is that you must drink a LOT of water-- at very least 10 eight ounce glasses a day, and more is better, especially if you exercise. The water consumption is essential to flush out burned fats. That's probably more than anyone wanted to know, but there it is.

-- Madeleine Harrison (madly@home.com), September 03, 2001.

Vickie, I hope I am right-- A Nubian is a goat? wow. rich milk!!! I am in Salem Oregon. Anyone got Nubians here?

-- Madeleine Harrison (madly@home.com), September 03, 2001.

Hi - I got an electric yogurt maker (a Salton from Hoegger's) and went ahead & got their "fancy" culture stock & the yogurt cheese strainers - a little pricy on the strainers but wow, nice product - I got the cultures partly because I don't know what's in that Dannon stuff at the store (no organics locally) and partly because we don't pasteurize our cow milk. The whole milk I use, once cultured & the whey drained off (feeds the plants) probably is pretty much only fat & protein - and it tastes really good. They say use a 1/2 cup stock no older than 5 days, per 1 qt milk. Just wanted to pass along their variation... Helen

-- Helen Schesniak (applebake@cybrzn.com), September 03, 2001.

Madeleine, Oregon is goat country! Nubian Talk over at groups.yahoo.com has some of the most respected breeders in Oregon on it regularly! Longman, Lodestar, Crown Hill etc. Vicki

-- Vicki McGaugh TX (vickilonesomedoe@hotmail.com), September 03, 2001.