Can you use lactose free milk to make yoghurt in the TM?

[chocymoose]

Hi,

Just wondering if you can use lactose free milk to make lactose free yoghurt in the TM? Its available as UHT or fresh in the chilled section, is like regular milk but heat treated with lactose to break down lactose first

TIA!

[mkr]

Why would you want to? In the process of making yoghurt the yoghurt cultures (bacteria) turn the lactose into lactic acid. There should be very little lactose left in yoghurt fermented for 12-24 hours. Just leave out the milk powder and you should be fine.

[chocymoose]

I'm lactose intolerant and regular yoghurt does upset my stomach if eaten in large quantities. I will give it a try and report back!

[judydawn]

Hi chocymoose, welcome to the forum by the way.  I wonder if this blog will help you at all regarding lactose free milk and making yoghurt.

[mkr]

Regular yoghurt as in shop bought yoghurt? The store bought stuff usually has lactose in it as it's not fermented long enough and they often add all sorts of other junk like milk powder and sugar.

[andiesenji]

I agree about the processing time of commercial yogurt.

If you make yogurt with regular milk and allow it to incubate for a minimum of 12 hours, the lactose level will be negligible. 
I have a friend who is severely lactose intolerant and has no problem with yogurt made this way and allows hers to incubate for longer, 18 hours, as I recall. 

One caveat.  Not all people who think they are lactose intolerant are sensitive ONLY to lactose.  There are other components in milk, i.e., some of the proteins, that also will cause digestive upset.  One of my grandchildren (teenager) has this and the symptoms are dose related.  That is, she can tolerate a small amount of dairy products in baked goods, etc., but at a certain level she develops symptoms.
Macaroni and cheese or bread pudding is not tolerated but baked goods (scones, cakes, etc.,) containing milk or cream are okay.

If you use half and half or light cream to make yogurt, you will get a product that substitutes for sour cream but has little or no lactose.  This too should be incubated longer than 12 hours. 

[chocymoose]

Thanks everyone, I'll give it a try perhaps with regular milk first and see if it makes any difference. My tummy issues do seem to be dose dependent.. now just waiting for my TM to be delivered