Almond yogurt - high protein, vegan

This high protein yogurt uses almonds, soybeans and a white bean like "great northern bean" to make 1 gallon of yogurt. This recipe has a short cut in that it avoids the process of filtering the milk, heating it, then cooling it. Instead, after soaking overnight, the beans are pressure cooked for 12 minutes to denature the proteins, then blended in batches for 4 minutes in a Vitamix with sterilized water. A high power blender is needed.

Great

% Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Step 1

Bring 3 liters of water to boil to sterilize it, then set it aside and allow it to cool. Meanwhile combine the nuts and beans in a bowl and soak them overnight, rinse, then pressure cook covered with an inch of water for 12 minutes on high pressure.

Step 2

In two or three batches, add the beans and enough sterilized cooled water to cover by 2cm to a Vitamix that has been cleaned carefully, and blend until completely smooth, (about 4 minutes). Don't remove the skins or strain the mixture. Once everything is blended, add sufficient sterilized water to make 1 gallon.

Step 3

Using normal sanitary procedures for yogurt, allow to cool to 42.5C. If you wish to add flavoring like a teaspoon of cardamom or a tablespoon of vanilla, boil with a cup of water to sterilize first, then add to the mixture. Add the starter cultures. You can use the blender to mix the starter thoroughly with a quart of yogurt, then add this back to the batch and stir to distribute.

Step 4

Pour into your fermentation container, and to prevent mold, cover the surface of the yogurt, all the way out to the edges of the fermentation container, with cling wrap. This together with a relatively high fermentation temperature should quickly sour the yogurt and prevent surface yeast and mold from forming.

Step 5

Ferment at 42.5C for 16-24 hours. Check the yogurt periodically for sourness. Refrigerate. Warning, as this yogurt ferments it will become thick and viscous. If it ferments longer, it will start to form bubbles, but because the mixture is thickened, the bubbles will not escape and it will overflow the container and make a mess. Refrigerate once sour to prevent this. If you measure pH, a minimum of pH 4.2 is needed for good yogurt. I've had batches below pH 3.5.