L Rueteri Cultured Dairy / Yogurt for Gut Health - by Sunscape

Healing one's gut microbiome can be a challenge. I have been on a journey to do so for the past few years for various health issues. This is the first time I am fermenting dairy to create a potent probiotic for myself. If you know me at all, you know that I love to ferment all types of vegetables, make my own Kimchi, as well as, brewing Kombucha and Water Kefir.

Every one of these offers different strains of bacteria that aid in restoring a balanced, and healthy gut. Thanks to a post written by @manorvillemike a few weeks back, I researched what L Rueteri Yogurt was all about.

Needless to say, I dove deep into the rabbit hole and now I encourage you to think if this cultured dairy would benefit you.

After watching a few YouTube videos, I ordered what I needed to get started.

Initial Recipe:

1 crushed BioGaia probiotic tablets
2 tablespoons of prebiotic fiber / Inulin or raw potato starch
1-quart ultra-pasteurized Half & Half

• It may not be necessary, but I preheat the half & half making sure not to go over a 100 degrees F. so as not to harm the probiotics when I add them.

• In a bowl, combine the crushed tablets, the fiber, and 2 tablespoons of the dairy. You need to mix it very well to remove any clumping. Mix in the remaining half & half and fill your containers and wrap them lightly with plastic wrap or use the lids provided with your unit.

• Place the jars or containers into the fermenting device and set the temperature for 100 degrees F. and the timer for 36 hours. The unit needs to have water to the level of the liquid in the jars to maintain a constant temperature during the fermentation.

I started my first batch at 7:30 a.m. and it was done 36 hours later at 7:30 p.m. As you can see the culture separated and the whey settled to the bottoms of the jars.

Seven of the jars separated and one of them actually solidified like yogurt. I was pleasantly surprised at how it tasted. I was expecting it to be sour, but it was just slightly tangy.

I saved the creamiest jar to start the second round of yogurt. For subsequent batches, you only have to add 2 tablespoons of yogurt and 2 tablespoons of inulin to the dairy.

When the second ferment was finished, all the jars looked exactly like yogurt. Yay, now that was exciting to see. We both tasted it right away and were delighted to say the least.

In case you were wondering, we did eat all the curds from the first batch. We started out with a tablespoon first thing in the morning and another just before we both went to bed.

I put some onto each of my salads for lunch too. Guess who else likes the curds, yep, our dog Mika. When she sees me get a jar out of the fridge for lunch she stays by my side until I give her a small scoop. Now my dog is getting some good probiotics too.

Health Benefits of Lactobacillus Reuteri:

In Dr. Davis book "Super Gut" he suggests that the cultured dairy can yield many beneficial health effects to name a few:

• Smoother skin - increased skin moisture with increased dermal collagen for fewer wrinkles.
• Accelerated healing.
• Restoration of youthful muscle.
• Increase feelings of empathy due to the oxytocin boost in the yogurt.
• GI tract protection - the colonization in the upper GI provides protection.

I love that the book offers many other types of yogurts you can make using different strains of bacteria. Then he adds a lot of recipes to make that will also aid in restoring a healthy gut.

After years of prescription drugs and pain medications, and acid reflux meds my GI track has suffered terribly. I am so excited to add this to my diet for #ulimatehealth in addition to all the other ferments that I enjoy daily. I shall keep you posted on my progress and as I learn more, I will do my best to share it with you too.

Until next time, this is Sunscape
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