Dear Home Ec 101:
I recently bought a Cuisinart ICE-20 ice cream maker. I’m lactose-intolerant and want to make my own non-dairy desserts. (I’m also planning to experiment with alternative sweeteners like agave, stevia and lo han.)
Last night I made an amazingly delicious batch of peach frozen yogurt. Typically, yogurt can be tolerated by lactose-intolerant people because the live cultures help digest lactose. However, I’m wondered what the freezing process does to those cultures.
Do you know if freezing destroys the live cultures in yogurt?
Thanks!
~Breeding good bugs in Montana
Heather says:
I love this question. I did some digging and according to the folks at Stonyfield, freezing yogurt renders the bacteria dormant, but they become active again when warmed either to room temperature or by your body during digestion.
What you must avoid when making homemade frozen yogurt, if you want the cultures to stay viable, is heat. Keep this in mind when choosing your recipe. Also be sure, if you aren’t making your own yogurt, that the carton bears the seal Live & Active Cultures.
Enjoy!
