Belle + Bella Non-Dairy Vegan Yogurt Starter - Gluten Free, No Added Sugar, Non GMO - Makes 4 Quarts Vegan Yogurt - 2 Billion Live Cultures - Mix with Any Dairy Free or Dairy Milk - 1 Box

Disclaimer: I have been making my own yoghurt since I was a kid, and my mom has been doing the same. I don't ned a recipe or temperatures, because I go by what the milk feels like, and don't own a thermometer. I did not follow the instructions on the package exactly, because I didn't need to.- Results: Perfectly creamy, very very very mildly tangy yoghurt. I didn't leave it out longer, because it will naturally continue to ferment in the fridge, and I didn't want to take the risk of ruining the whole batch by over fermenting. I made a full batch for me (I live alone), which is 2 quarts of soy milk, which should last me about 2 weeks.- If you don't like a ton of whey in your vegan yoghurt, do what I did, and add agar powder to your milk when it's cold, and then bring it up to heat. I used 1/2 teaspoon of agar, because I wanted the yoghurt to be set, but not hard. I still want the yoghurt to easily turn smooth and liquid for when I want a sauce or a smoothie or something.- I used 2 quarts of Silk brand unsweetened unflavoured organic soy milk (in the green carton). I substituted 1/4 cup of the soy milk with Goya brand coconut milk, because I wanted my yoghurt to be slightly more rich than plain soy milk alone. I didn't substitute more than that, because coconut milk does not set up into yoghurt nearly as well as soy does. The proteins behave too differently from dairy milk. Soy milk proteins behave similarly enough that I've always had good results.- I let about 2/3 of the quart (plus the coconut milk and agar) come up to a gentle simmer over medium low heat (because if I heat it at higher heat, the milk catches on the bottom of the pot, and it's difficult to remove, and also the milk tends to over boil when it's on high heat). I wanted it to get ripping hot, so that it's too hot for me to hold my finger in there, but never to come to a full rushing boil. It took me about 1/2 an hour on my stove, because I prefer to bring the milk up gently rather than risk a giant mess on my stove. I then poured in the remaining 1/3 of the cold soy milk, and stirred it gently. I don't whisk it, because that forms foam/bubbles, and that doesn't set up nicely. The bubbles don't go away easily, so it's better to just avoid them in the first place. We're making yoghurt not a latte.- I let the hot milk come down to body temperature. If I can hold my index finger in the milk, and stir it around (the key is to make sure you can stir the mixture, because the cooler milk is on the top, and the hotter stuff is on the bottom) comfortably, then it's ready for the culture. I sprinkled the culture over the top of the surface of the milk, and gently stirred until I saw all the granules dissolve.- I then wrapped the pot with a lid on with an old sweatshirt that I don't wear anymore, to keep the culture warm. My apartment is fairly cold, so I didn't want the cultures to slow down too much. I put the whole works into my (turned off) oven, so that there would be no drafts to interfere with the yoghurt culture going on.- I let the whole thing hang out in the oven for about 7 - 8 hours (can't recall when I went to sleep exactly). When I got up, I took off the sweatshirt, and set the pot on my counter to cool down. It still had a bit of residual heat. You don't want to transfer the yoghurt until the agar has had time to gel up. This won't happen until it cools down, but you also don't want to throw the works into the fridge, because that'll slow the fermentation too much. I let it sit out for about 2 hours, and it cooled completely (remember that I have a cold apartment). Everything was set to perfection.I have seen some people complain that this is an expensive product. This is because they are likely using a fresh packet of starter every time they make a new batch of yoghurt. Don't do this. It is very silly to do. For one thing, the starter has an expiry date 3 years from the day that I got the package. If you store the starter in the freezer, it'll last indefinitely. For another thing, you don't use new starter every time. The old batch of yoghurt IS your starter. The first time you use the old yoghurt as your starter, use about 1 cup of old yoghurt to 2 quarts of soy milk. This is because your bacteria colony isn't powerful yet, and is still getting used to things. The fourth or fifth time you make a batch of yoghurt, reduce the old yoghurt to about 1/2 a cup per 2 quarts. After a year or so, you'll only need like a couple of tablespoons of starter for 2 quarts.I also keep a backup of yoghurt starter in my freezer. I freeze about 1 cup of what I consider to be a "perfect" batch (exact tartness, exact creaminess, exact fermentation time that I'm looking for), in case I or someone else eats all the existing batch that I have, or in case I forget to start the next batch before the current batch goes off. Ideally, you should be making a fresh batch every week, as that's about when the environment in your yoghurt starts to get too acidic for the existing bacteria, and they can no longer thrive. The texture goes off, the flavour goes way off, and nobody's having a good time. If you have the patience for it, make a fresh batch twice a week, and you'll never get a messed up batch. I'm just lazy, and I've been making my own yoghurt a long time, so I know what to look for.I have only ever tried making yoghurt from soy milk, because it's the one that has proteins that behave enough like cow's milk for my liking. I have tried with almond milk, coconut milk, and cashew milk, all with disaster results, /even/ when I add agar. For some reason, it just doesn't come together nicely. If I don't add agar, the yoghurt is a bit runny, and has more whey than I care for. I used to use arrowroot or tapioca starch, but I found that they gave the final yoghurt a weird texture that I didn't care for. Agar is a bit pricey, but 1/2 tsp in a batch isn't going to break the bank for me.Because the starter did exactly what I wanted it to do, in a predictable fashion, I'm giving this a full 5 stars.

Works great every time! My yogurt is perfect!

Being new to making yogurt I have tried a few vegan starters. I am using full-fat coconut milk as other types of non-dairy milk doesn't work with any of the starters I have used and I can't tolerate soy. I never had a successful batch using this starter or another one I bought here on Amazon. The only success I've had, and still use, is to use about 1/4 cup of plain cashew milk, commercial, yogurt for the starter. It also works well after being frozen.I wrote about success with the non-dairy yogurt. Right, it worked once or twice, slightly, and no longer gives dependable results.Update: September 14, 2023.So, again, I decided to try my hand at coconut milk yogurt. I have watched several videos and it look SO simple, it's got to work! I have purchased 2 different yogurt makers and both of them cooked at a temperature that was WAY too hot... like, one was over 130°F, when max is supposed to be 112°F. I gave up. Now, I noticed that my Instant Pot, in the sous vide setting keeps water temperature exactly as it is set for, according to my instant digital thermometer. So, again, I endeavor to make some coconut milk yogurt. I bought a new batch of Belle+Bella starter and following directions exactly with full fat canned coconut milk and the result is the same.. a big FAIL. I can't get even the slightest amount of tang. It's like I never used a starter at all. I give up! There are other vegan starters and one in particular, I can get a very slight tang to the homemade yogurt, but not enough to waste my money on more coconut milk, starters and whatever. Yes, I have tried using probiotic capsules... nope. Even though they will curdle the coconut milk left in a dish overnight at room temperature (test for active bacteria), they don't make yogurt that well. I have a yogi curse! I am tempted to make a batch using regular milk, just to see if it really would work... but, I can't eat it anyway, so that's a no-go.So, my initial 2-star rating is still a little over rated about how I really feel about Belle+Bella vegan starter.This time, after 8 hours of nothing, I poured all the little jars back into the pot, added a different brand of vegan starter and re-set the Instant Pot for another 8 hours... we shall see, in the morning. I won't be getting up early to check it.. lol.If my review isn't posted, I understand, but I got some off my chest!

Why did you pick this product vs others?:The best. So simple. So delish. I had tried the Healthy Cultures brand and wasted two packets and 2 quarts of high quality soy milk and the milk never thickened. I had used Belle + Bella in the past. It worked again, first batch, like a charm. From now on, this is the only one I’ll buy for all the reasons you want to make homemade vegan yogurt. Having trouble finding it in local stores of late, so I’ll have to get it from Amazon. BTW: I followed the instructions on the pack. I incubate with an Instant Pot on “Yogurt” setting for 12 hours. ( I’ll do 8 next time to decrease the tanginess.) Once incubation is done I transfer yogurt to a strainer and refrigerate to render Greek Yogurt. So simple, creamy and delish!!!

It always makes good yogurt!

Vegan yogurt is really tough to get right. This product takes the cultures out of the equation. I will say the Amazon stock seems weaker than the same exact stuff I can get locally.I always use the most basic, decent tasting soy milk I can get. Basic because additives can mess with the end result. Decent tasting, because, well, fermenting in this way only adds tang and takes nothing away. Soy because it's simple, low calorie, yet high protein. West Soy or Eden have worked well. Here is what I do:– Stir 2T slurried arrowroot powder into 32oz soy milk– Bring that to 160 F° for a few minutes– Cool to 105 F° before adding cultures– Transfer to jars and place in oven with just the light on– After 8 hours I start checking for flavor. Cooler months it can go up to 24 hours. Warmer maybe 12-16.- Put in fridge for 5-7 days