Coconut milk yogurt

[prairiemommy]

We're DF and when in the States on our last vacation I found coconut milk yogurt in the stores. DS loved it and wants it all the time but it just isn't anywhere up here so I bought a yogurt maker and decided to make my own.

I have tried two batches now of homemade coconut milk yogurt now and each one has a weird sulphury smell when I first open the jars. It's fine after a little while open - the smell is gone and it smells like coconut but it still a little off-putting. Is there something wrong with it? I threw the first batch out as I was unsure and just opened the second batch today. My gut instinct is to not eat something that smells like that but I can't think of anything I did wrong.

I'd love to make coconut milk yogurt to reduce the amount of soy we eat but I think I may have to switch to soy milk if this keeps happening.

[JTA Mom]

I'm not sure why you are having a sulphur smell. How are you making your coconut milk yogurt?


Ami

[kjbrown92]

www.kathysrecipebox.com. I have a coconut yogurt recipe and it's never smelled like sulfur.
What kind of starter are you using?
What kind of coconut milk are you using?
What kind of yogurt maker do you have?
How long are you incubating?

[prairiemommy]

Originally Posted by kjbrown92

www.kathysrecipebox.com. I have a coconut yogurt recipe and it's never smelled like sulfur.
What kind of starter are you using?
What kind of coconut milk are you using?
What kind of yogurt maker do you have?
How long are you incubating?

Okay, I used two different methods - thinking that perhaps the first one didn't work. One was heating up most of it to 110 F and then adding the rest that had been mixed with the starter (from here). The other one was bringing it to a boil and boiling it for 2-3 minutes and then cooling it to 110 F and adding the starter (from the booklet that came with the yogurt maker).

I incubated for about 13 hours the first time and 14 hours the second time. My yogurt maker is this one . Glass jars etc... Coconut milk was canned - not organic as I can't find any here - but higher fat content so that it would set better.

My biggest issue though is the starter. There are ZERO sources of dairy-free starter where I live and to ship it is so much $$$$$. That is probably the source of my sulphur smell too, now that I think about it. I used gelatin, which I had read about in one of the methods I didn't try, and I added some acidophilous caplets - as I had read you can do that too - about 6 (obviously without the caplet part - just the powder). Also added some honey. I also have no source of powdered soy or rice milk. So I'm very, very limited with what I have to work with.

I can't think of anything else that I did or didn't do. The yogurt did set nicely the second time around (first time was a little runny but not bad) though it took a good day in the fridge to set.

[JTA Mom]

Hmmm, the gelatin might be creating some issues.

Here's a couple youtube videos of how one woman makes hers. She uses tapioca as a thickening agent:

Part 1:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A_FqgKRbw14

Part 2:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dfDqo_YNMkw

Ami

[californiajenn]

I get that smell when I ferment my coconut yogurt more than 8-10 hours.

[prairiemommy]

Originally Posted by californiajenn

I get that smell when I ferment my coconut yogurt more than 8-10 hours.

Oh, that's good to know! Maybe I'll try less time and see how it works. I hope it works out this time

Thanks for the videos too, JTA Mom. I'll watch them before my next batch.

[kjbrown92]

Originally Posted by prairiemommy

Okay, I used two different methods - thinking that perhaps the first one didn't work. One was heating up most of it to 110 F and then adding the rest that had been mixed with the starter (from here). The other one was bringing it to a boil and boiling it for 2-3 minutes and then cooling it to 110 F and adding the starter (from the booklet that came with the yogurt maker).

I incubated for about 13 hours the first time and 14 hours the second time. My yogurt maker is this one . Glass jars etc... Coconut milk was canned - not organic as I can't find any here - but higher fat content so that it would set better.

That's the same yogurt maker I have. I incubate for 12 hours. I get my starter from giprohealth.com (it is not truly free of dairy, but under the ppm range that the FDA requires to be labeled dairy-free, and my kids don't react to it). The recipe I use is on my website (I think I made an adjustment in one of the comments, so read through that). I slacked off during the summer, and just made another batch, and my kids are just moving right through it because they missed it so much.

I use Aroy-D coconut milk (it's full fat and doesn't have guar gum, which is an issue for my DS). Tapioca starch, starter, maple syrup (you can use honey, my DD2 can't have it). So it's not many ingredients. It took me a lot of batches to get it right. I would have given up if not for the fact I couldn't find any probiotics for the kids anywhere else. You can do it!

[prairiemommy]

Originally Posted by kjbrown92

That's the same yogurt maker I have. I incubate for 12 hours. I get my starter from giprohealth.com (it is not truly free of dairy, but under the ppm range that the FDA requires to be labeled dairy-free, and my kids don't react to it). The recipe I use is on my website (I think I made an adjustment in one of the comments, so read through that). I slacked off during the summer, and just made another batch, and my kids are just moving right through it because they missed it so much.

I use Aroy-D coconut milk (it's full fat and doesn't have guar gum, which is an issue for my DS). Tapioca starch, starter, maple syrup (you can use honey, my DD2 can't have it). So it's not many ingredients. It took me a lot of batches to get it right. I would have given up if not for the fact I couldn't find any probiotics for the kids anywhere else. You can do it!

Thanks! I was looking at your website last night as I'm ready to try another batch today.

One thing - I can't get that starter (except for huge, exhorbant shipping $$$) but if it even has a little teeny bit of dairy, I wouldn't be able to use it. DS gets hives from any little amount of dairy, even if it's labelled dairy-free but says, "Was produced on the same equipement as ...." or "processed in the same facility as..." - whatever. I actually have an open case file with one company here because his hives were so severe after eating their beef broth, they are trying to figure out if something went truly wrong in their factory or if DS is just so super sensitive.

So that is disappointing, but good to know that that starter has dairy in it.

[prairiemommy]

I did my new batch today and it has no smell! I haven't tried it yet but it smells 100% better.

I made three changes, so I guess I don't know which one helped. I used tapioca starch instead of gelatin and it worked way better to set it. I incubated it for only 8 hours instead of 12-13. And I used a different type of DF acidophilous caplets (newer ones).

Ds and I will try it tomorrow. I can't wait! Thanks everybody for your help!

[kjbrown92]

Glad to hear it. I hope it tastes delicious! I love putting a little maple syrup in it and dipping fruit in it.