**Please note: Our L. Gasseri Superfood Starter was primarily designed for dairy. Fermentation of non-dairy beverages is trickier. **
Makes: About 3/4 quart of cultured coconut milk (about 28oz./800mL)
Time: 30 minutes preps, 36 hours culturing (1 day and 12 hours)
Timing is important. L. Gasseri takes 36 hours to ferment. It's best to start early in the morning or later in the evening. Otherwise, if you start in the afternoon, for example, fermentation will finish 36 hours later, in the middle of the night.)
You’ll need:
- An appliance that can maintain a constant temperature of 100F for 36 hours, and which can ideally hold at least one 1-quart jar. Best two options are a sous-vide device or a yogurt maker with an adjustable temperature setting. (Other options that might work are: Instant Pot / slow cooker / brewing or kombucha warmer/heater - if these can be set to 100F for 36 hours and hold at least one 1-quart jar).
- A glass jar that can hold at least 1 quart of liquid. Make sure that your utensils (jar, spoons, etc) are very clean.
- A loosely fitting lid (or possibly a plastic wrap), to cover your jar.
- 1 sachet of L. Gasseri Superfood Starter.
- 2 tablespoons of a prebiotic fiber (such as Prebio Plus).
- A blender or stick blender.
- A medium saucepan.
- A thermometer.
- 2 x 14-ounce cans of coconut milk (without additives, except for guar gum).
- 1.5 teaspoon of guar gum or 1 teaspoon xanthan gum (Keep the addition of thickeners to a minimum, especially if the coconut milk already contains thickeners. These tend to make the mixture stiff, more like a super firm pudding than yogurt). You will need to experiment a little, to find the texture that appeals to you.
Steps:
- Heat the coconut milk to 180F in a medium saucepan, stirring from time to time. Remove from the heat, and let it cool a little, stirring from time to time.
- Add the guar gum and the prebiotic fiber to the coconut milk, and blend until the texture is uniform and resembles heavy cream. (We do this to dissolve the powder, and for even distribution of the naturally-occurring coconut oil.)
- Let cool to 100F (or room temperature), and then transfer to a bowl/jar, leaving some headspace. It’s important to let the mixture cool so that you don’t kill off the L. Gasseri.
- Stir in the starter. Mix vigorously (or whisk) for even distribution. Do not blend. Push any mixture left on the jar walls down into the rest of the mixture.
- Cover lightly with a loosely fitting lid or plastic wrap. (If you use small jars, loosely cover each one of them with its own lid).
- Ferment at 100F for 36 hours, away from the airflow of air vents/heaters/air conditioning, etc., and away from other ferments. Do not stir while fermenting. Do not open the jar(s) while fermenting.
- After 36 hours, remove from appliance, let cool, then secure lid(s) and put in the fridge. Will keep in the fridge for up to 4 weeks.
- Reculture: To make a new batch, repeat these instructions but use 2 tablespoons of your previous batch of cultured dairy as your starter. If the previous batch separated, use 1 tablespoon of the curds and 1 tablespoon of the whey (or 2 tablespoons of whey if the curd is too firm) as your starter.
- Important tips: Don’t heat the end-product or stir it into a hot dish. If blending is needed, keep it to a minimum and at a low speed. L. Gasseri are living bacteria, and are sensitive to heat and to intense agitation.
Note: Store the starter culture in the refrigerator or freezer until you're ready to use it.
Peckish?
Go to Cultured Dairy Recipes