L. reuteri yogurt made easier

In the original recipe for L. reuteri Yogurt that I provided in my Super Gut book, we crushed 10 tablets of BioGaia Gastrus in order to obtain 2 billion CFUs (colony-forming units, a measure of viable microbes). In general, it requires 2 billion microbes to confidently generate the fermentation process to yield something that looks and smells like yogurt even though, by the FDA’s definition, it is not yogurt because it does not contain the two traditional species of yogurt-making microbes, Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus. We are really making L. reuteri fermented dairy, but it’s just easier to call it “yogurt,” but you know that we could not sell this in a supermarket labeled “yogurt.” Of course, we make L. reuteri Yogurt to obtain the health advantages of this microbe that is lacking or completely missing in modern people due to its susceptibility to common antibiotics and other factors. But even crushing the 10 tablets didn’t always work, making me suspect that shipping and exposure to varying temperatures, especially high temperatures in trucks, warehouses, etc. may have reduced microbial counts.

In an effort to provide you with higher counts of L. reuteri, we therefore are providing products that we call “MyReuteri” in 10, 20, or 50 billion CFUs that do not require you to crush tablets, but just empty the contents of one capsule into your mixture along with the usual tablespoon of inulin and organic half-and-half or your choice of fermenting vehicle. We have run numerous test batches and starting with higher counts does seem to be a more reliable way to get a satisfactory end-result with hundreds of billions of microbes upon consumption of ½-cup or 120 ml.

Everything else remains the same, so remember to:

• Use clean utensils—Hot soap and water is sufficient.
   
• Do not prepare in the path of airflow from air conditioning or heater. Also avoid use of diffusers in the vicinity
   
• Avoid breathing, coughing, or sneezing directly into your mixture.
   
• Keep your mixture covered, e.g., plastic wrap.
   
• Ferment at the usual 100º F for 36 hours.
   
• Recognize the “first-batch effect,” i.e., the first batch made from probiotic tends to separate into curds (solids) and whey (liquid). If you suspect that you are prone to the insulinotrophic effect of the whey protein, i.e., a weight loss-blocking or weight gain effect, simply pour off the whey or use a strainer lined with cheesecloth or coffee filter, draining whey over 4-8 hours while covered; this yields a Greek-style yogurt. If you do not suspect a whey effect, you can whisk the mixture of curds and whey and obtain a more uniform end-result.
   
• Enjoy your “yogurt” with added berries, chia seeds, ground golden flaxseed, nuts, seeds, your choice of natural sweetener.

And, once you’ve gotten the process mastered, the same process can be used to ferment most other Lactobacillus species such as Lactobacillus crispatus for female health.

The original IHB post is currently found on the: ⎆Infinite Health Blog, but accessing it there can require an unnecessary separate blog membership. The copy of it above is complete, and has been re-curated and enhanced for the Inner Circle membership.