Q: Why is yogurt beneficial?

A: Yogurt is more easily digested than milk since the cultures added to the milk pre-digest the lactose.

Q: Does Redwood Hill Farm yogurt contain live, active and viable cultures?

A: Yes, there are millions of live active cultures in every spoonful! We include four traditional live cultures in our natural yogurt: l. bulgaricus, s. thermophilus, l.acidophilus and bifidus.

Q: Is Redwood Hill Farm yogurt made with raw or pasteurized goat milk?

A: Redwood Hill Farm yogurt is made with pasteurized goat milk. By federal law, all yogurt produced in the US must be made with pasteurized milk.

Q: What method do you use to pasteurize the milk?

A: For Redwood Hill Farm & Creamery natural goat milk products we use the "Vat Pasteurization" method. This requires that the milk be heated to 145 degrees F for a minimum holding of 30 minutes and then immediately chilled. This is the lowest temperature for pasteurization allowable by law. By comparison, HTST or "High Temperature/Short Time" requires that the milk be heated to 162 degrees F for 17 seconds. HTST is the method used most frequently by creameries because of the shorter time. UHT or "Ultra High Temperature" requires heating the milk to 275 degrees F for one second and will render the product virtually sterile for long lasting time on the shelf. We prefer the "Vat Pasteurization" method for our goat milk dairy products. We feel it is the best method for preserving the integrity of the milk when preparing for culturing our delicious cheese, yogurt and kefir.

Q: Why does Redwood Hill Farm yogurt have a softer texture?

A: Redwood Hill Farm yogurt has a delicate, "European Style" texture because it does not contain powdered milk solids, gelatin, or gums to thicken it. Since no powdered milk solids are added, the yogurt is lower in fat and calories even though it is made with whole milk.

Q. Does Redwood Hill Farm yogurt contain gluten?

A: No, there is no gluten in our yogurt nor do we make anything in our certified organic creamery that contains gluten


Q: Why does the texture or consistency of yogurt vary during the year?

A: We use the milk as it comes from the goat, and milk solids vary seasonally, which causes the texture to vary. The goats seem to "know" that in the winter we need more solids, which results in a thicker consistency, and in the summer, we need less, which results in a lighter, more delicate texture.


Q: What other ingredients does Redwood Hill Farm yogurt contain?

A:  A small amount of tapioca starch is added to thicken the yogurt slightly. Tapioca is a starch derived from the root of the cassava plant.

Q: Is sugar used to sweeten Redwood Hill Farm yogurt?

A: No. There is no sugar added to Redwood Hill Farm yogurt. Our vanilla yogurt is sweetened with maple syrup, while the fruit flavors are sweetened with all natural fruit juice concentrates and clover honey. Plain yogurt is unsweetened.

Q: How long will Redwood Hill Farm Yogurt last in the refrigerator?

A: The last date the yogurt may be sold is printed on the edge of the lid. However, since it is a cultured product it will usually be good for several weeks past the lid date. You can tell by tasting whether it is still good to eat.