Jose’s visit to Cribs Foundation Manila, Philippines– Orphanage Sunday 7th Aug 2016.
Cribs foundation
Purpose of visit: Probiotics Culture – Making two types of home made yogurt and Bread baking using the yogurt for the children and staff of Cribs.
I would like to thank OPRC patients :
- Adeline Tien for donating “Kefir” for room temperature yogurt incubation.
- Sophie Gerometta for donating “heirloom culture” – Thermophilic yogurt culture
- Risa Buduan – yogurt testing, bread recipes testing.
Machine for Bread and Yogurt (mmbm 20 model)
Jose bought a bread machine that has both bread and yogurt function. With the help of Risa who grew the “Kefir” culture to a significant amount that it would convert 1 litre of milk into yogurt. Risa also helped with experimenting on which bread recipe is the easiest to make. We also tested the yogurt function using the Heirloom Culture (from the UK) given by Sophie. Although this procedure has more steps the yogurt is a lot nicer in texture and flavour.
Cribs “Edith” making Yogurt/Bread
Jose instructed Edith and Nora- nurses at Cribs in making two types of yogurt and how to make the bread using the harvested yogurt. We added honey to the yogurt and we tested it with the kids- luckily they seem to like it.
I called Nora yesterday and so far they have made both types of yogurt / bread and have given them to the kids.
The only and major problem we had was that the local shops do not sell fresh milk, most are ultra-pasteurized or UHT milk. We did however find fresh water buffalo milk though they are sold infrequently.
What is Kefir? (excerpts from: click here)
Kefir is a fermented milk drink made with kefir “grains” (a yeast/bacterial fermentation starter) and has its
Cribs “Edith” making Yogurt/Bread
origins in the north Caucasus Mountains. It is prepared by inoculating cow, goat, or sheep milk with kefir grains.
Several varieties of probiotic bacteria are found in kefir products such as Lactobacillus acidophilus, Bifidobacterium bifidum, Streptococcus thermophilus, Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus, Lactobacillus helveticus, Lactobacillus kefiranofaciens, Lactococcus lactis, and Leuconostoc species. Lactobacilli in kefir may exist in concentrations varying from approximately 1 million-1 billion colony-forming units per milliliter and are the bacteria responsible for the synthesis of the polysaccharide kefiran.
TYPES OF BACTERIA PRESENT IN KEFIR VS. YOGURT (excerpts from: click here)
- Milk Kefir
Cribs “Edith/Nora” making Yogurt/Bread
The bacteria in milk kefir, on the other hand, can actually colonize the intestinal tract. Kefir also contains a far larger range of bacteria, in addition to containing yeasts.
- Yogurt
The beneficial bacteria found in yogurt help keep the digestive tract clean and provide food for the friendly bacteria found in a healthy gut. They pass through the digestive tract and are called transient bacteria.
Heirloom Culture (excerpts from click here)
If you make your own yogurt, there’s a chance your yogurt could outlive you.
Cribs “Edith/Nora” making Yogurt/Bread
That’s because some bacteria that grow and feed on the sugar in milk – the process that ferments milk into yogurt — can procreate indefinitely in new generations of yogurt.
But not all yogurts have these immortal powers. The typical store-bought yogurt only carries a few strains of bacteria that have been isolated by scientists. Those bacteria on their own can’t regenerate very long — maybe just for a generation or two.
That’s one reason yogurt enthusiasts are now rediscovering heirloom yogurt starters, many of which originated in countries like Finland and Bulgaria with long traditions of yogurt-making. These bacterial cultures, which live in yogurt or in freeze-dried powders now sold on the Internet, are made up of diverse communities of bacteria that together can take over one batch of milk after another.
Cultures for Health sells heirloom cultures from Scandinavia, Eastern Europe and Western Asia, along with sourdough starters and other live food-making products.
The Heirloom yogurt that Sofie gave was from the UK and believed to be 100yrs old (unconfirmed). I have tested both yogurt prior to giving them to Cribs.
It is hoped that the Kefir can be harvested in the future and be given to the Foster Parents and since it only needs to be in room temperature to grow, it is perfect for most families. Kefir yogurt is also ideal for lactose allergic children and lactose free milk is very expensive in the Philippines.
The additional ability to bake fresh bread with either Kefir or Heirloom yogurt provides a healthier food source for the children.
I will be back again next month to visit and offer treatment to the kids, its a shame I didn’t have any time to treat the children on this trip, but i figured the time spent making the yogurt will give them long term benefits.