I love to make my own vegan yogurt

One of the primary reasons behind my choice of making my own vegan yogurt was the plastic waste produced each week by eating yogurt. I love to eat yogurt as part of my light vegan dinner (e.g. protein-rich soup, vegan yogurt and fresh fruit with grounded flax/hemp seeds, or coconut flour). Even though I recycle each yogurt cup, it is still plastic (7 cups a week), therefore not much eco-friendly. Besides, I am trying to include more and more organic foods in my diet (when affordable), and none of the brands available in my city was organic. So I decided to give it a try to make my own organic, vegan yogurt. Many years ago when I was still vegetarian, not vegan as now, I used to make my own yogurt, which is quite simple using milk and a starter. Any attempt for making a vegan yogurt failed at that time and I end up quitting.

But this time it was different, I was “inspired” to make it for two reasons (organic food + saving plastic) with a common baseline – to be more eco-friendly 🌍. I was inspired and guided by my angels and spirit guides (fairies included 🍀) that have arranged things so I could succeed this time. A little bit of web searching and some trials took me towards the best vegan, organic and eco-friendly yogurt I had ever tried. I am sharing the recipe with you because I love it and I think you can also take benefit with it. So, for the highest good of the all, here it is:

Ingredients: 1 liter of organic, vegan milk (my favorite it’s a soy/rice mix, sugar- and gluten-free), 1 tsp (flat) of agar-agar, 1 dose of vegan probiotic* (capsule/powder), 1 tbsp of organic apple cider vinegar, ¼ Himalayan salt (optional).

*available on health stores or on the web

Mix the agar with the vegan milk in a saucepan and bring it to boil. Turn off the heat and allow it to cool for 2-3 hours until 40-50 ºC (104-122 ºF). Dissolve the vegan probiotic in a little of the cooled mixture, add it to the rest of the mixture and stir it well. Pre-heat the oven at 50 ºC (122 ºF) for one hour, turn it off and incubate the mixture there overnight, for 8 hours. In the morning the mixture will be solidified, so I gently blend it for 10-20 seconds with the apple cider vinegar (gives a acid-like-yogurt taste) and the salt. I store it in glass mason jars in the fridge. The final product will be a creamy and thick yogurt, which will continue to ferment over the week (you will notice a sourer taste over the week, resembling the acid-sour taste of dairy yogurt). One liter of vegan milk provides 8 cups of vegan yogurt.

It’s easy, simple and delicious. I end up with an organic, vegan yogurt that saves me money and saves 8 plastic cups per week. Mother Nature is grateful and I am delighted with it. I hope you enjoy it too.