Dr. William Davis, MD, the author of the best-selling book Super Gut: has a passion to help you heal your gut. And he has great news about a little-known superstar bacteria called Lactobacillus reuteri (L. reuteri).
I’m excited to share his live-changing information here with you —for that’s my passion —to get these healing tools into your hands!
SIBO, IBS, and L. Reuteri
More and more people are struggling with IBS (irritable bowel syndrome), SIBO (small intestinal bacterial overgrowth), and SIFO (small intestinal fungal overgrowth). SIBO is the presence of excess colonic bacteria in the small intestine. Those harmful bacteria do not belong there and create a lot of havoc.
There are not many answers to help these unique problems, but now there is hope.
“L. reuteri is very unique compared to most bacteria that live in the six-foot-long colon. L. reuteri prefers to colonize the upper gastrointestinal tract (in the stomach, duodenum, jejunum, and ileum) which is ~23 feet long. While it takes residence in the upper GI tract, it produces natural antibiotics called bacteriocins that are very effective against undesirable bacteria species that live in the small intestine and that can cause SIBO.
Loss of this special bacterial species is likely the real reason more and more people are experiencing SIBO. Restoring this species is becoming part of the solution to SIBO.” (source)
This is a great place to begin the healing process for those who are hurting. It comes in the form of a fermented yogurt that uses a specific strain of bacteria (L. reuteri) that most of us are missing, especially after antibiotics, glyphosate food-contamination, and pharma meds, etc.
Fermented foods work significantly better than probiotic supplements in colonizing the body since the body knows what to do with food. Probiotic pills are often killed in stomach acid and never give you the strains or amounts you need.
Let Dr. Davis and Donna Schwenk from Cultured Food Life explain to you the health benefits and just how to make this special yogurt which can help you in many ways, especially if you’re struggling with things such as SIBO, leaky gut, low energy, loss of muscle and bone, or metabolic syndrome. The recipe is below.
Dr. William Davis Developed a Way to Properly Make Yogurt High in Lactobacillus Reuteri
Dr. William Davis has done a ton of research on this species and developed a way to make a yogurt high in L. reuteri, which the body readily absorbs.
The yogurt manufacturers told him that making yogurt with L reuteri couldn’t be done. Since L. reuteri is really a cultured dairy made with completely different strains of bacteria than conventional yogurt, it also required different temperatures and longer fermentation times.
Nobody was actually making this because they didn’t think it could be done. However, he’s made dozens of successful batches, had them tested in a lab, and they all had high counts of L. reuteri. The secret is keeping the temperature steady at about 100°F while it ferments for 36 hours, and giving it a prebiotic to feed the culture. The long, slow fermentation increases the bacterial strains exponentially over the 36 hours and creates a thick delicious yogurt.
“Modern life has eradicated this species from 96% of people in the modern world. Today only 4%—fewer than 1 in twenty people—continue to enjoy this marvelous species.” ~Dr. William Davis
Before refrigeration in 1927, everybody fermented their food. They would ferment their milk and their vegetables. Water could be risky since it wasn’t always clean, so they also made drinks containing good yeasts and bacteria. They would even salt cure or ferment their meat.
Manufacturers marketed the new freon-cooled refrigerator by saying fresh food was better than fermentation, demonizing fermented foods. And we were taught that in our medical and nursing schools. Along the way, we’ve also demonized eggs, coconut oil, and what are normal levels of cholesterol etc.
I’ve realized now it’s not the food, it’s what we’ve done to the food and to our microbes.
Dr. Davis’s Instructions to Make L. reuteri Cultured Yogurt: A step-by-step guide
(We recently found a local source of organic raw whole milk. I tested my particular Instant Pot and found it could not do yogurt at a constant 100 degrees, so I just per-ordered the Luvele yogurt maker that can maintain 100 degrees for 36 hours).
In the meantime, till I can do several tests with my raw milk, but I’d advise only using pasteurized (or pasteurizing your raw milk first) so you don’t waste anything.
Update 3/28/24: I found that this particular strain takes a while to ‘adjust’ and ‘settle down’. It is a very powerful, robust strain. I decided to do a test and keep my raw milk raw! I didn’t want to pasteurize and kill all the other good bacteria and enzymes inherent in organic raw milk, so I slowly persisted with 8 batches (yes, 8!) … at first they were so separated and sour that I felt like I might be wasting my time, but on the 4th and 5th batch, it stopped separating! From that time on, I instinctively felt it was moving in the right direction! By the 6th or 7th batch it became WAY more creamy and much less tart.. and my taste buds craved it. This last batch, the 9th, is hardly any different than Trader Joe’s European-Style Organic Plain Whole Milk yogurt and TJ’s Organic Plain Whole Milk Yogurt. This is a huge win for deciding to be patient!
This “Ultimate Probiotic Yogurt Maker” is only $49 with all the right features.
Dr. Davis’s Own L. Reuteri Yogurt Recipe
Dr. Davis writes, “Here is the simple recipe, step-by-step to minimize your potential for making mistakes. Truly, I have made something like 60-70 batches with not a single failure. You can do this, too”.
Why do this? Well, if you are new to this conversation, you will be surprised to know that conventional yogurts achieve NONE of these effects.
All but the last 3 benefits below are a result of L. reuteri’s ability to provoke hypothalamic release of oxytocin, a hormone that is proving to be the key to substantial age-reversal and health effects including: (1,2)
1. Smoothing of skin wrinkles due to an explosion of dermal collagen
2. Accelerates healing, cutting healing time in almost half
3. Deeper sleep—though this benefit is enjoyed by less than 20% of people
4. Reduces appetite, the so-called “anorexigenic” effect—food still tastes good, but you are almost completely indifferent to temptation
5. Increases testosterone in men
6. Preservation of bone density—obtaining L. reuteri is one of the most important steps you can take to prevent osteoporosis
7. Increased empathy and desire for connectedness with other people (I think of all the children who struggle with connecting!)
8. Probiotic effects that may include prevention of small intestinal bacterial overgrowth, SIBO
9. Increases Vitamin D by 25.5% (study)
10. Increases Vitamin B12 and B9 (Folate) (study)
11. Improves fertility by encouraging a healthy vaginal microbiota (study)
You will need:
• Glass or ceramic bowl or other vessel large enough to hold at least one quart of liquid
• 2 tablespoons of prebiotic fiber such as inulin powder or raw potato starch, or even better yet, Pre-Bio Plus.
• Starter: Either 10 tablets BioGaia Gastrus (or better yet, L. Reuteri Superfood Yogurt Starter) or 2 tablespoons previous batch of L. reuteri yogurt (either whey or curds works)
• 1 quart of organic half-and-half, whole milk or other liquid (to make with coconut milk, several additional steps and ingredients are required).
• Some method of maintaining at 100 degrees F.
Yields: Around 8 one-half-cup servings
1. Rinse your bowl or other vessel well after washing with hot soap and water:
2. Add 2 level tablespoons of prebiotic fiber:
3. Add 10 crushed tablets of Bio-Gastrus (that provide 200 million CFUs of L. reuteri, a relatively small number) (or better yet, L. Reuteri Superfood Yogurt Starter which includes L. gasseri). Crush the tablets with a mortar and pestle or by putting into a plastic bag and crushing with a rolling pin or heavy bottle/glass until reduced to a coarse powder. (The tablets are flavored with mint and mandarin, but the taste does not show in the final product, nor in subsequent batches.) Once you have made your first batch, make subsequent batches with two tablespoons of the prior batch, rather than crushed tablets; it can be any mixture of whey or solid curds, as both contain L. reuteri.
4. Mix either crushed tablets or 2 tablespoons of the prior yogurt with prebiotic fiber:
5. Add a little, e.g., 2 tablespoons, of your choice of dairy; I used organic half-and-half, as this yields the best texture (and, of course, we NEVER limit fat in the Wheat Belly lifestyle). Make a slurry by stirring; this prevents clumping of the prebiotic fiber. (Whole milk—NEVER low- or non-fat—yields a thinner end result, while cream yields something close to butter, too thick for my taste.)
6. Stir in remainder of half-and-half or other liquid:
7. Cover lightly with plastic wrap or other means.
8. Ferment by maintaining at 100 degrees F for 36 hours. Prolonged fermentation—far longer than the 6 or so hours of commercial yogurts that explain why the bacterial counts are so low–in the presence of prebiotic fibers yields far higher bacterial counts in the tens to hundreds of billions per serving.
I use a basin-type sous vide device, but you can use a stick sous vide, yogurt maker with adjustable temperature control, or Instant Pot. (Just be careful with the Instant Pot or yogurt makers without adjustable temperature, as they are set to be compatible with conventional yogurt microorganisms and are often too hot and kill L. reuteri; if your device heats to 110 degrees F or higher, it will likely kill L. reuteri and you should find an alternative means of heating. If in doubt, add some water, turn on your device and measure the temperature reached with a thermometer first before you ruin a batch.) Keep your materials out of the way of fans, heating/cooling vents, or other sources of air contamination.
The end-result for me is rich, thick, and delicious, better tasting—and with far higher probiotic bacterial counts—than anything you can buy in a store.
9. Refrigerate: Once cold, the “yogurt” is so thick that it can stand upright on a plate:
Serve with fresh or frozen berries, grainless granola, squirt of liquid stevia, or your choice of fruit or natural sweetener.
Troubleshooting tips by Dr. Davis:
If you are encountering difficulties in making the L. reuteri yogurt, consider these troubleshooting items (source):
• Temperature—Unlike most other lactate-fermenting species used to make yogurt, L. reuteri grows best at a lower temperature of around 100 degrees F. Microbial die-off begins at 115 degrees, with virtual wipe-out of the organism at 120 degrees. Unfortunately, many heating devices, such as yogurt makers or Instant Pots, either do not specify the temperature and/or are set inaccurately and generate temperatures of 120 degrees F or higher, killing your bacteria. If you fail to see any fermentation, i .e., no thickening occurs after 12-16 hours, check the temperature with a thermometer. You may have to use another device or do as I do: Use the oven by turning onto any temperature, e.g., 300 degrees, for 60 seconds, then turn off; repeat every 4 hours or so. As imprecise as this seems, it works great and you do not need to purchase any devices. (At night, heat before bedtime, then again when you awake—no need to get up in the middle of the night.)
• Not enough prebiotic fiber—We use 2 tablespoons prebiotic fiber, such as Bob’s Red Mill Raw Potato Starch or powdered inulin, per quart of liquid. Omitting this step will yield a thinner end-product with markedly lower bacterial counts and thereby not yield the benefits we are looking to obtain.
• Ferment longer—Although you may have yogurt after 12 hours, this is not long enough to generate the magnitude of bacterial counts we desire in the trillions. (See the Arithmetic of Yogurt blog post.) We therefore aim to ferment for 30 to 36 hours, then refrigerate.
• Use a thicker starting liquid–I like starting with (organic) half-and-half, as the 18% fat yields a cream cheese-like end-product, thick and rich. Cream also works, but yields something close to the consistency of butter, too thick for my taste. Full-fat milk (cow, A2 milk, goat, sheep) is okay, but expect a thinner end-product, similar in consistency to store-bought yogurt. Avoid use of skim, low-fat, 2%, or non-dairy almond, hemp, soy milks, as they are too thin and, of course, we never limit fat on the Wheat Belly lifestyle. Coconut milk (canned, never carton) can be used, but be sure to emulsify the milk (e.g., stick/immersion blender) prior to adding starting culture and prebiotic fiber; this prevents separation of the fat.
Many thanks to Dr. Davis for his original text and images. He connects more of the dots here.
***For the Full Spike Protein Protocol to protect from transmission from the “V” and to help those who took the “V”, go here.
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Bea Ann Bridges
Hi Jacqueline, Thank you for the great article and instructions on making this special yogurt. I really want to try it!
Questions:
1. Can you use a food dehydrator for the 36 hours at 100 degrees? I have the Excalibur dehydrator but it’s not a digital temp control, so do you think the dial control would be accurate enough? Mine is like this one: https://www.amazon.com/Excalibur-2900ECB-Dehydrator-Adjustable-Temperature/dp/B001NZPP6U/ref=asc_df_B001NZPP6U&mcid=59802b62da9931839b60744ec8acac99?tag=bngsmtphsnus-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=80470624945521&hvnetw=s&hvqmt=e&hvbmt=be&hvdev=c&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=&hvtargid=pla-4584070153270303&psc=1
2. Does it mater what the source of the inulin is? The link you gave for the Amazon one is from chicory but I found one on iHerb that is an organic inulin from blue agave. Wondering if it matters?
Thank you!
Bea Ann Bridges
Jacqueline
Hi, BeaAnn,
I think you would need to test your Excaliber by putting water in a container (just like you had yogurt in there, and test it with a thermometer to see if it stays consistent.
I tested my Instant Pot and it was about 6 degrees too hot on the lowest yogurt setting.
This article will be helpful to go deeper about that: https://www.culturedfoodlife.com/store/product/l-reuteri-superfood-yogurt-starter/ (scroll all the way to the end for using differ3ent devices).
And you can also use Pre-Bio for your prebiotic: https://www.culturedfoodlife.com/store/product/prebio-plus/
I’m going to go with PreBio which I just added to that sentence on the prebiotic. It has 3 prebiotics in it as you will see and I think is better than just chickory or just blue agave.
I hope that helps!
May the Lord bless your work as you make this!
~Jacque
Bea Ann Bridges
Thank you Jacque! You’re always so helpful with great resources! I just ordered this adjustable temp yogurt maker: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0C5S6XVK7/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&th=1
I will order the other 2 items I need tonight. Thanks for the link for the best prebiotic too! I’m excited to try this homemade yogurt for the health of my gut and your detailed instructions will make it much easier than I ever thought yogurt would be!
Blessings,
Bea Ann
Jacqueline
Bea Ann,. that looks like a GREAT yogurt maker! Can go the 36 hours at the 100 degrees needed, is stainless, glass jars, small and very inexpensive!
I love it and am going to link it in the post as a great option to the Luvele. Now I wish I had waited!
Thanks for sharing your discovery, friend.
Blessings,
jacque
Bea Ann Bridges
Hi! Honestly, I looked at the Luvele AFTER I’d ordered the one on Amazon and I think the Luvele is so much prettier, so I’m tempted to order it after all! Also, I really like the size of the Luvele much better and it would fit in my space better, too. But since my Amazon comes this Saturday, I will try it out and if it works well I will likely keep it. 🙂
Faith
This is fascinating. I started making regular yogurt a year ago. I make at least a gallon per week. But now I might have to give this a try — just when I thought I had my yogurt making all figured out! A couple of questions:
1. You mentioned you had just found raw milk in your area. Have you made this yogurt with raw milk? I recently started making my yogurt with raw milk, but I pasteurize it because I can’t get the thickness otherwise. What if I used raw cream?
2. How long can the yogurt be used to start new batches? Would I need to use the inulin and starter again every few months? Or once I’ve made a batch, could I just always use that as my starter? Does the culture weaken over time?
Thanks, Jacqueline. You always have the most amazing information!
Jacqueline
Faith, thank you!
I haven’t gotten my Luvele to make it yet, but others have.. To be safe and get those high numbers of bacteria, I plan on using a fresh culture every 4-5 months.. I am getting the L. Reuteri Superfood Yogurt Starter and it has 4 sachets in the box, so I can reculture it before the product expires.
Also, read #5 in Davis’s instructions. He mentions using cream.
Hope that helps!
Enjoy! ~J
Faith
I hope you will do a post after you have made a few batches. I would love to hear how it goes. I have a Vitaclay pot, which can double as a yogurt maker (though I don’t normally use it for that), and I am going to test it this weekend to see what the yogurt setting temperature is.
I did notice what Dr. Davis said about cream (I thought that was you saying the cream version was too thick for your taste), but I was curious if raw cream would not make such a butter-thick result, as the cream straight from my raw milk is not as thick as the store cream. I’ll have to try it (if I can spare that much precious cream.) Maybe 1/2 raw cream and 1/2 raw milk. Since I have recently switched (back) to raw milk, I find a number of things turn out differently than they did when I used store milk.
I’m curiuos about the culturing of raw milk. I understand that raw milk turns into very runny yogurt if it is not pasteurized because of the raw milk cultures competing with the yogurt cultures. So I wonder since this is a whole different method, if raw milk will work better for this type of yogurt. I’ll have to give it a try.
Last question, do you know what the Wheat Belly lifestyle is?
Jacqueline
Faith, I will try! The schedule is pretty brutal already, but I’ll try!
Blessings,
Jacque
Gina
Raw milk or raw cream will not work. They would need to be pasteurized first. You can make kefir with raw milk though and it is a cultured product with many different strains of bacteria. The link Jacqueline provides in this post to Donna Schwenk’s website, Cultured Food Life has a lot of information about kefir and about Dr. Davis’ yogurt as well as other fermented foods. I would just hate to see you ruin some raw milk or cream.
Bea Ann Bridges
Hi Jacque, I am following up on my first batch of L Reuteri yogurt that I made and have a question for you. Unfortunately, it did not turn out well even though I followed the directions to a T. Each of the jars of yogurt separated and did not thicken much. When I stirred it, it was still all separated in curds and whey.
I checked the temp on my yogurt maker and it was ~ 102 degrees, so I didn’t think that was enough of a variation to cause it to fail. Also, I used organic inulin for the prebiotic and the 10 BioGaia Gastrus tablets for the starter.
I plan to try again but would like to know what to do differently, so if you have any thoughts of what may have happened, I would love to hear them?
Have you been able to make a batch with your Luvele yet, and if so how did it turn out?
Thanks so much!
Blessings, Bea Ann
Bea Ann Bridges
Me again! I forgot to tell you in my previous comment that I used Alexandre 100% grassfed, A2 whole milk for my batch.
Also, I just read this on the link you provided in your article:
“Initial batches often stratify into ⎆curd layers and watery whey. You can save the whey for future starter use. I freeze it in ice cubes trays when I get any liquid I can separate.”
So happy to read this, b/c this description fits exactly with what I experienced! So as long as the final product smells like fermented dairy/sour-ish, then I assume it’s safe to consume and will be effective as a probiotic. I guess I will freeze all this whey I have now in trays to use later as starter. 🙂
Faith
Bee Ann,
Your information is very helpful, and I hope you will post comments again when you make future batches. I am very interested to hear about your experiences. You use A2 milk, so I am assuming that means it is raw. I also use A2 milk, although I have not tried this type of yogurt yet. Did you pasteurize it first? Dr. Davis uses organic half and half for a thicker product. Have you used just the milk with cream? Or the cream only?
I make a lot of regular yogurt and I do pasteurize that because I have not been able to get it to turn into thick yogurt if I don’t. I have only had a runny mess the 3 or 4 times I have tried to make yogurt with low temp raw milk.
With my conventional yogurt, I use the milk after I have removed the cream. I use the cream for ice cream and the creamless milk for yogurt and kefir, mainly because I wanted to use the cream and not waste the milk. But it turns out that both my yogurt and kefir turn out better if I have removed the cream. They turn out thicker, more like the end product I used to get when I was using store homogenized milk.
Anyway, any of your comments about this yogurt are greatly appreciated!
Faith
Bea Ann Bridges
Hi Faith, I am really new to yogurt making and started it b/c I was inspired by Jacque’s article on this particular type of yogurt, for all the health benefits listed. Anyway, the milk I use is not raw, it’ s from a company in CA and I buy it at Whole Foods. A2 doesn’t refer to how the milk is processed, but rather the type of protein in the milk. A2 milk was originally found in cows milk in centuries past and is more digestible than A1 milk, which is the majority of modern milk. It’s the only milk I buy b/c it has all my specifications – 100% grass fed, A2/A2, regenerative organic certified, full fat, non homogenized/vat pasteurized. It is so delicious and I believe the healthiest available. I’d love to find a raw milk source with these qualities, but have never been able to. The most important thing to me is 100% grass fed b/c of what is most likely going into the grains now, even organic ones are testing glyphosate positive. I cannot even find a local raw milk source that is 100% grass fed, much less all the other qualities. All the dairies I’ve checked with give their cows grain at milking time.
Here’s the website for the milk I buy if you’re interested:
https://alexandrefamilyfarm.com/
I’m just so happy that this first batch is okay and didn’t go bad like I had thought. I ate my first serving this AM and it was pretty firm after I drained out the whey. Since it’s whole milk versus half and half I was not sure if it would be thick enough for my liking, but it really was. I’m going to continue reading on the links Jacque posted in this article for more info as I go. Here is the blog link that I found with questions and answers: https://drdavisinfinitehealth.com/2020/08/l-reuteri-yogurt-what-has-been-your-experience-take-the-survey/
That is so interesting how you said your yogurt and kefir turn out better and thicker if you remove the cream – I would never have thought that, b/c it seems like the cream would help thicken it up.
I will try to remember to post again when I make my second batch to update the progress!
Blessings, Bea Ann
Jacqueline
Bea Ann, this is so neat!
A side note: Our daughter has been making yogurt for some time with raw milk (not pasteurized), and it has always been fine, but she ONLY uses very fresh raw milk so that there is little chance of it spoiling!
Jacqueline
Faith, I am excited to follow along and read as you and Bea Ann learn and share! I am still waiting to do my first batch till all our older yogurt is consumed and we’ve had colds so have not been eating much!
Ah, such is life, but keep sharing! I love that others can refer to your learning experiences.
Blessings,
Jacque
Jacqueline
Bea Ann, that is great insight and confirmation!
Bea Ann Bridges
Thanks Jacqueline! We would not be having these experiences and conversations if it wasn’t for your research in bringing us all this helpful, healthful input! 🙂
So sorry you’ve been sick! Do let us know when you are all well and have tried your Luvele for the first time. Although my yogurt maker worked fine, I do believe I’d rather have a unit that makes the yogurt in one larger container versus the 8 small ones that mine uses. So I’m still considering getting a Luvele. 🙂
May the Lord bring you and your family back to full health soon!
Blessings, Bea Ann
Bea Ann Bridges
Also, Jacque, that’s interesting to hear you daughter gets thick enough yogurt with raw milk. Does she make this L. Reuteri yogurt with this method or is it another method? I would so love to find raw grassfed A2 milk to try!!
Jacqueline
Bea Ann,
So far she has just done it with fresh raw milk in her Instant Pot, and they love it. But once we get back settled in later in the month, we will be using the Luvelle for Reuteri!
Bea Ann Bridges
Hi there! Just wanted to give a quick follow up to my yogurt making experience. The fist batch that was separated and curdled was apparently normal for first batches, so I ate it and it was fine. I’ve made 2 more batches since then and both have been “perfect”!
I’m loving having this high quality, healthy yogurt, made in my own kitchen so simply. Thank you again Jacque, for helping me on my health journey!
I’m so thankful to the Lord for you and for the dear friend who shared your website with me several years ago!
Blessings,
Bea Ann
Jacqueline
Bea Ann, well! That is certainly encouraging, 🙂 because I made our first batch today (we just got our fresh raw milk) and it had a 1″ firm crust on top and all beneath was whey. It tasted fine, but the texture was not what I expected!
Do you ‘pasteurize’ your milk or is is already pasteurized?
Actually, I would be okay with it the way it was today just to get the benefits, but if I can get it even a bit creamier, I will be one happy woman – like you! God is good!
Hugs,
Jacque
Bea Ann Bridges
Hi Jacque, I buy the Alexandre brand 100% grass fed organic A2 milk to make my yogurt, and it is cream top, vat pasteurized. i would love to find raw 100% grass fed A2 milk, but have not been able to. Maybe using raw milk changes the finished texture some, seems like I read that on the website you resourced in your article.
I really hope your yogurt becomes creamier as you make subsequent batches. I’m loving mine and look forward to my serving everyday! 🙂
Jacqueline
Oh, I hope so, Bea Ann! Thank you for sharing the details with me! I may have to pasteurize if the next couple batches don’t smooth out a little 😀
I love a good learning curve usually, but I am doing too much right now and so it takes longer!
Blessings to you! ~Jacque
Faith
Hi Bea Ann,
I am curious about the taste. Does it taste like regular yogurt? Is it on the sweeter side or the tart side? I do plan to try it once I can get the Luvele.
Thanks,
Faith
Bea Ann Bridges
Hi Faith, Yes, I’d say it tastes like some regular yogurts, but they all taste somewhat different to me, so not really sure how to answer. All I can say is that, for me, it’s the perfect balance of tart and sweet, but possibly a little more on the tart side??? But it’s very creamy and just the right thickness – so yummy and healthy! 🙂
Jacqueline
Hi Jacqueline it’s me again … Please disregard my prior post / comment. I just read in the comments that you found out about the ultimate yogurt maker after you had already put out your original article, and that you added it into the article afterwards. (Sorry I was confused until I read the comments.)
Thank you again for sharing such helpful information ❣️
Jacqueline
No worries, Jacqueline! Glad the confusion got cleared up! ~J
Hope
Hi, I ordered the 2 quart yogurt maker that was recommended, and the probiotics, but am unable to reach the site that sells the L.Reuteri starter, and I can’t find a number to call, I’ve emailed 3 times, got one answer but the link they sent didn’t work for me. I need to hook up with them and place an order! as soon as I get the starter i am ready to go, so I’m chomping at the bit! can u help? thank you so much, I love the info on Deep Roots, telling my friends about it.
Jacqueline
Hi, Hope!
This is the Donna’s Cultured Food Store website and their contact is up in the menu. https://www.culturedfoodlife.com/
This post is the one you need to order: https://www.culturedfoodlife.com/store/product/l-reuteri-superfood-yogurt-starter/ (it is in my post, but you may have missed it in all the text).
This post also has some additional tips and thoughts on the process and learning curve! https://www.culturedfoodlife.com/is-your-l-reuteri-yogurt-separating/
Thank you for sharing and I am excited for you! Enjoy!
Sending peace,
Jacque
Hope
Yes, I can get no further than that first page where it tells you to log in to order. I went there by clicking the link that was in your article, Jacqueline, and could get no further than the first page, then Donna sent me the link to order, same thing happened, and not in the info u sent above, it’s the same thing again. It offers to log in, but I don’t see how to make an account to start up. Im sure I must be missing something simple, makes me feel ridiculous, lol. But I’m not just giving up and going away, lol, I must be able to figure out how to do this! That ordering link does not get me to the ordering place for some reason. My lovely yogurt maker is sitting here waiting on me…..grin. Thank you for whatever u can do to help me place an order.
Hope
I GOT it, LOL, it was just that I needed to scroll down!!! Duh duh duh, that’s a lesson on anything comparable. I’m so excited to start making my yogurt, you all have a wonderful day and God bless us all and our country!
Katie
Jacque – I’m testing my Intant Pot today to see if it will hold ~100F for 36 hours with just plain water. I put it on the souz-vide setting because I can select the temp and length of time it stays at that temp. My Instant Pot seems to be on the warm side because I have to set the souz-vide temp to 96F in order for it to stay at ~100F. Now that I know it can work, I need to look into purchasing stuff to make L. reuteri yogurt! Yay!
We met a new family last week who shared delicious sparkling apple juice with us. They made it using Sacharomocyces boulardii. The wife shared some of her sparkling juice (for me to continue inoculating our own apple juice) and these instructions with me. It’s delicious and gut healing!
https://drdavisinfinitehealth.com/2022/10/saccharomyces-boulardii-sparkling-juices/
Katie
Jacqueline
Katie, I am excited for you! And I have heard of some Instant Pots which will do the 100F for 36 hours. I hope it works perfectly, b/c it is such a helpful strain! I think I will need to pasteurize my raw milk to get it ‘just right’!
The sparkling apple juice sounds amazing, and it is wonderful that you have the apples to make your own. Isn’t it fun to thrive with our Creator’s good gifts from His bountiful earth?!
Also, thank you SO much for the huge box of homeopathics! Fun to open and I definitely will share.. already thinking about that! I am thankful for your generosity and thoughtfulness.
May the Lord continue to bless you, your family, and all that you set your hands to!
Grace and mercy,
Jacque
Katie
Whoa! That got there fast. We only mailed it Tues. afternoon. I guess I’m used to Canada Post. =)
Yes, we’re thankful for apples – our trees are still on the small side and a few neighbors and friends have let us pick their trees for many years. It’s fun to try all the different varieties. I don’t know if you can get Kerr Crabapple there, but it was developed at Morden Research Station for our Zone 3 climate – it’s our favorite and makes beautiful pink/red apple juice.
Katie
Katie
Jacque,
I just pulled my first batch of L. reuteri yogurt out of the instant pot. It looks great and tastes awful! I pasteurized our fresh milk to make it and it ended up tasting like “cow” or like I’m licking the side of a barn. The other family members agree. Our cow milk kefir also tastes very “cow-y.” Any insight? Have you had this happen? I know it isn’t bad or rancid, so we can eat it anyway – it just doesn’t taste lovely.
Katie
Katie
Hi again, Jacque,
I tried a second batch of L. reuteri yogurt with all goat milk and used some yogurt from my first batch as the starter. After fermenting, it still has potato starch granules that are undissolved and they sank to the bottom. I fermented the yogurt another 2-4 hours, so we’ll see if that helped. I can’t find much help online for this.
My concern with trying raw cow’s milk is the presence of other microbes. I wanted a good strong L. reuteri culture.
I’ll keep looking online for things to try, but just wanted to update you and see if you or other readers had more insight.
Thanks!
Katie
Jacqueline
Hi, Katie, your words just jogged my memory that you left another message sometime last week: “I just pulled my first batch of L. reuteri yogurt out of the instant pot. It looks great and tastes awful! I pasteurized our fresh milk to make it and it ended up tasting like “cow” or like I’m licking the side of a barn. The other family members agree. Our cow milk kefir also tastes very “cow-y.” Any insight? Have you had this happen? I know it isn’t bad or rancid, so we can eat it anyway – it just doesn’t taste lovely.” I apologize. Life is very crazy right now.
I had wanted to write a post about my experience with reuteri, but have just run out of time.
The surprise to me about the reuteri strain is that it’s very, very strong, and it literally took me, I believe, 8 batches to get it to settle down, be creamy with no stirring and really taste amazing.
I used the Leuvele glass yogurt maker, bc my Instant Pot wasn’t able to stay at the lower 100 degrees. The Leuvele can run 36 hours at 98 or 100 degrees. I’ve done it at both temps with no difference in results.
With the first 3 batches I pasteurized my raw milk; it separated quite a bit and was very tart, but I pressed on. The 4th batch was less tart and didn’t separate totally.
By the 5th batch, I decided to use the freshest (1st day purchased) raw milk and DID NOT pasteurize it. I was ready to waste it, but my daughter encouraged me to try it bc she had a friend that had been making yogurt for years that was raw. She didn’t want to lessen the goodness by heating it, even a little.
Anyhow, since going through all the not so good batches (and a steep learning curve for me), it has been kind of fun to realize the researcher in me take this as a challenge. I think you may find it rewarding to press on, too. I also think I hated to waste the reuteri culture I purchased, and I decided to eat my failures.
I did write an Update in the original post on 3/28/24. I hope this encourages you some, Katie.
I pray it all works out in the end!
Blessings,
Jacque
Katie
Thanks! Yes, I plan to keep trying it. The thing is, I have not yet had a batch that was very sour and separated. I used the Instant Pot sous vide setting for my first two batches. The second one w/ goat milk yogurt seemed UNDER done even though I slightly increased the temp. Both batches have been runny. I purchased the culture in packets from Cutting Edge Cultures (what Culture Food Life sells). Anyway – I’ll keep trying!
Thank you!
Katie
Jacqueline
Katie, that is disappointing, I’m sure. Perhaps, try to do it with raw cow’s milk irregardless of the other microbes.
Praying it will still work for you!
Jacque
Katie
Hi Jacque!
Just want to share an update re: L. reuteri experiments at our house. =)
I tried a raw cow milk batch on Instant Pot Yogurt setting. It was all curds and whey. Unbeknownst to me, the milk had been skimmed. It was cultured, so I blended in the chunky stuff and we’re drinking it. It doesn’t taste as bad as the first batch made w/ pasteurized cow milk.
While blending the above batch, a little cream left in the yogurt turned to butter! I put that in the compost for the chickens because it was too sour for my taste.
So far, our favorite batch has been made w/ the goat milk on the sous vide setting, but it wasn’t fully cultured.
Today I started a batch w/ pasteurized goat milk and am trying the yogurt setting instead.
I made an important discovery b/c of my smart husband. He suggested taking the temp inside the instant pot w/ the oral thermometer we use in case of fevers. It turns out our kitchen thermometer is 3 degrees COOLER than the real temp. That explains the under-fermented batches on the sous vide setting!!
I’m recording this here for the sake of others who are trying to figure out the L. reuteri fermenting!
Katie