GAPS Friendly Homemade Yogurt

Let’s make yogurt! Around here we are very into fermented and cultured foods. Not only are they delicious but they are so full of probiotics, vitamins and minerals that are easy for our bodies to utilize! 

Fermented and cultured foods can seem intimidating to those who have not made them, but once you’ve started in the world of ferments and cultures, you will see how easy, quick, and fun they are. 

Yogurt is one of my family’s favorites. We use raw milk, but you can use pasteurized milk if that is all you have access to. It will need to be whole milk, preferably organic, and grass fed, and it cannot be UHT (or ultra-high temperature) pasteurized. You’ll treat it a little differently than raw milk, so pay attention to those directions. You can also use numerous types of starters - whey, creme fraiche, another yogurt - if you have any of these on hand, you can make yogurt! Like the milk, if you are using yogurt as a starter, you can use one that you previously made, or you can use yogurt from the store. Just make sure it is whole milk, organic, plain, with no other ingredients added beside the milk and the probiotic strains. 

As far as cultured dairy products go, yogurt is high in protein versus fat. For this reason, we usually recommend it to people who are more prone to diarrhea or soft stools instead of people who are constipated (for whom we would recommend a higher fat content dairy like sour cream or creme fraiche). 

Let’s dive in! 

Ingredients for Homemade Yogurt:

• Milk

• Whey
  

Pour your milk into a pot and slowly heat it over the stove. Raw milk should be heated to 110 F. Pasteurized milk needs to be heated up to 180 F, then cooled to 110 F. 

This is very important because when milk is pasteurized, it starts growing bacteria that are not beneficial, and can actually be quite harmful (this is why pasteurized milk has an expiration date and why it “goes bad” when it is too old or left out of refrigeration). We have to kill these off first before we let the culturing process happen.

Once your milk is at temperature, remove from heat and add your starter. This can be yogurt, whey or crème fraiche. Whey generally makes a thinner yogurt, a previous yogurt will make a thicker yogurt, and crème fraiche tends to make a creamier yogurt. Stir briefly to combine.

Pour the milk/starter mixture into an insulated container. I use my instant pot with it unplugged and covered. Then I wrap a couple towels around it to keep any heat from leaking out. You can use a thermos, or place your milk in a jar and put it somewhere where you can regulate the temperature such as in a dehydrator or in the oven with the pilot light on. The goal is to keep the milk at 110 F for the next 24-36 hours. Many recipes will say 8-12 hours is fine. When trying to reduce the lactose level and predigest the proteins as much as possible, we aim for at least 24 hours. I find that closer to 28-30 hours produces my favorite consistency/flavor balance. (If you are following the GAPS nutritional protocol, stick to the longer timeframe.)

When the culturing process is done (24-36 hours later), your yogurt is complete! Pour into a glass jar, store in the fridge and enjoy!

Print

Homemade Yogurt

Author: Hollie Bigham, Be Well Clinic

Ingredients

• Milk
• Whey

Instructions

1. Pour your milk into a pot and slowly heat it over the stove. Raw milk should be heated to 110 F. Pasteurized milk needs to be heated up to 180 F, then cooled to 110 F.
2. This is very important because when milk is pasteurized, it starts growing bacteria that are not beneficial, and can actually be quite harmful (this is why pasteurized milk has an expiration date and why it “goes bad” when it is too old or left out of refrigeration). We have to kill these off first before we let the culturing process happen.
3. Once your milk is at temperature, remove from heat and add your starter. This can be yogurt, whey or crème fraiche. Whey generally makes a thinner yogurt, a previous yogurt will make a thicker yogurt, and crème fraiche tends to make a creamier yogurt. Stir briefly to combine.
4. Pour the milk/starter mixture into an insulated container. I use my instant pot with it unplugged and covered. Then I wrap a couple towels around it to keep any heat from leaking out. You can use a thermos, or place your milk in a jar and put it somewhere where you can regulate the temperature such as in a dehydrator or in the oven with the pilot light on. The goal is to keep the milk at 110 F for the next 24-36 hours. Many recipes will say 8-12 hours is fine. When trying to reduce the lactose level and predigest the proteins as much as possible, we aim for at least 24 hours. I find that closer to 28-30 hours produces my favorite consistency/flavor balance. (If you are following the GAPS nutritional protocol, stick to the longer timeframe.)
5. When the culturing process is done (24-36 hours later), your yogurt is complete! Pour into a glass jar, store in the fridge and enjoy!

Created using The Recipes Generator

GAPS Legal Cocktails

Enjoy some full-GAPS legal cocktails (or mocktails)! Delicious, refreshing, good for you and beautiful!

Each drink uses a homemade honey-herb simple syrup, unflavored kombucha and fruit. You can add liquor if desired (see recommendations for each drink).

Honey Simple Syrup:

• 1/4 c filtered water

• 2 tsp honey

• 2 short sprigs of one herb (for these recipes we used rosemary, basil and mint)

Add each ingredient to a small pot. Simmer together for 15 minutes, stirring often to combine and making sure it does not boil. After 15 minutes remove from heat, strain the herbs out and pour the remaining syrup into a jar to cool.

Blueberry-Rosemary (Makes 2 servings)

• 1 1/2 cups of unflavored kombucha (either homemade or store bought - remember, the longer ferment the better with GAPS)

• 1/2 cup of frozen blueberries

• 2 tbsp rosemary simple syrup

• Rosemary sprig for garnish (optional)

• Recommended liquor: Gin (optional, to taste)

Blend kombucha and blueberries until smooth. (it may take several minutes to get the blueberry skins to blend completely. It is still enjoyable even if it’s not completely smooth, so don’t stress if your blender has trouble with this part!)

Add cooled simple syrup and stir to combine. Pour into two glasses, add optional ingredients if desired, enjoy!

Strawberry-Lime-Mint (Makes 2 servings)

• 1 1/2 cups of unflavored kombucha (either homemade or store bought - remember, the longer ferment the better with GAPS)

• 3/4 - 1 cup frozen strawberries

• 1/2 lime (slice the other half for garnish)

• 2 tbsp mint simple syrup

• Mint and lime wedge for garnish (optional)

• Recommended liquor: Vodka (optional, to taste)

Blend kombucha and strawberries until a nice icy-blend consistency. Squeeze in juice of 1/2 lime and add mint simple syrup (add 1 tbsp at a time to taste). Stir with spoon to combine. Pour into two glasses, garnish and add liquor if desired, enjoy!

Orange-Basil (Makes 2 servings)

• 1 1/2 cups of unflavored kombucha

• Fresh juice from 1 orange

• 2 tbsp basil simple syrup

• Basil leaf and orange peel for garnish (optional)

• Recommended liquor: Scotch (optional, to taste)

Combine kombucha, orange juice and basil simple syrup, pour into 2 glasses, top with garnish and add liquor if desired. Enjoy!

All drinks are delicious without liquor. Note: small amounts of liquor is legal on full-GAPS, so make it a rare treat if you add in your choice of liquor. Just remember, as long as you are sticking to the legal foods, eat/drink intentionally, thoroughly enjoy, and move on - no guilt with a boozy treat, even with GAPS!

Hollie Bigham
RN, BSN, FNTP, CGP

Morning Sickness Bars

Morning sickness bars are nutrient dense, and easy on the stomach. This is Hollie’s go to food when “morning sickness” lasts morning, noon and night. Morning sickness bars will nourish your body even when you do not feel like eating. This recipe is so easy and quick once the nuts/seeds are soaked and dried. Try to soak and dry nuts and seeds in bulk to have ready when a craving for a new kind of fruit pops up! These can be whipped up within 5 minutes, and even eaten before they make it to the freezer!!

Ingredients for Morning Sickness Bars:

• 2 cups dates

• 2 cups soaked and dried assorted nuts (cashews, almonds, walnuts and pecans work well)

• 1 tsp sea salt

• 2 cup shredded coconut

• 1 cup soaked and dried pumpkin seeds (chopped)

• 2 tsp lemon zest

• 1 cup dried fruit (chopped)

Directions for Morning Sickness Bars:

Blend 2 cups of dates. Add in the nuts and blend well, scraping down the sides and blending as needed (approximately 1-2 min). Add sea salt and coconut and blend for 30 seconds.

Turn out mixture onto parchment paper. Knead in seeds, lemon zest and dried fruit just enough to combine evenly throughout the mixture.

Place another sheet of parchment paper on top and the mixture out until approximately 1/4-1/2 inch thick. Cut into bars (whatever shape and size you want).

Place in freezer for about 20 minutes, then wrap individually in parchment paper and keep in the fridge. Take a few out before bed and keep them on your nightstand. Eat immediately when you wake up before rising out of bed to help ease morning sickness.

Feel free to change up the nuts, fruit, add dried ginger, whatever sounds good to you at the moment.

Enjoy, mamas!

Print

Morning Sickness Bars

Author: Hollie Bigham, Be Well Clinic

Ingredients

• 2 cups dates
• 2 cups soaked and dried assorted nuts (cashews, almonds, walnuts and pecans work well)
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 2 cup shredded coconut
• 1 cup soaked and dried pumpkin seeds (chopped)
• 2 tsp lemon zest
• 1 cup dried fruit (chopped)

Instructions

1. Blend 2 cups of dates. Add in the nuts and blend well, scraping down the sides and blending as needed (approximately 1-2 min). 
2. Add sea salt and coconut and blend for 30 seconds. 
3. Turn out mixture onto parchment paper. Knead in seeds, lemon zest and dried fruit just enough to combine evenly throughout the mixture. 
4. Place another sheet of parchment paper on top and the mixture out until approximately 1/4-1/2 inch thick. Cut into bars (whatever shape and size you want). 
5. Place in freezer for about 20 minutes, then wrap individually in parchment paper and keep in the fridge.
6. Take a few out before bed and keep them on your nightstand. Eat immediately when you wake up before rising out of bed to help ease morning sickness.
7. Feel free to change up the nuts, fruit, add dried ginger, whatever sounds good to you at the moment.

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