Friday, July 8, 2011

Labneh

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(about 9 oz)


Labneh is strained yogurt which has a consistency similar to cream cheese, but with a lot less calories and a wonderful tangy flavour.

It can be served plain or combined with fresh herbs such as chives and mint, then drizzled with olive oil.



32 oz plain low fat yogurt (large container)
1/4 tsp sea salt

Stir the salt into the yogurt while it's still in it's container. Set aside.

Line a sieve or colander with a double or triple layer of cheese cloth and position it over a deep bowl to catch the whey.

Empty the contents of the yogurt container into the cheesecloth and allow to drip for for about 12 to 24 hours taking care that the whey never comes in contact with the bottom of your sieve or colander. The longer it sits, the firmer it will become.


I leave mine out in the kitchen at room temperature.. some people prefer draining their yogurt in the refrigerator.. others tie together the four corners of the cheesecloth and hang the yogurt on a hook to drip from there. Mine turns out just fine without the additional fuss.

About an hour before the labneh is finished, I like to gather the sides of the cheesecloth and gently squeeze the cheese; usually an additional amount of whey can be extracted this way.

When the labneh is ready, wrap it in plastic and store in the refrigerator until you are ready to use it. The whey can be reserved for another use...  I like to cook rice with it.

10 comments:

Torviewtoronto said...

yummy there is so much to do with this sweets and savouries looks wonderful

Sue/the view from great island said...

It's so beautiful, I love the way it retains the cheesecloth texture! This looks like the homemade ricotta I made a while ago, but with a lot less work.

Monica Mannion said...

How many hours did you leave it outside? 12 or more?

Gerlinde in Washington said...

I left it about 16 hrs.

Unknown said...
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Unknown said...

Very elegant pictures!I am sure the taste is awesome... especially with some freshly pressed, extra virgin olive oil.

I make labneh from home-made yogurt. Every now and then, a gallon of milk is almost full with one day left for expiration! Instead of dumping it, I heat the milk to 80-90F in a pot, I add 2-3 spoons of yogurt, mix well and leave in a warm area overnight. 12-24 hours later, I strain with the cheese cloth as Gerlinde described for 8-12 hours. Voila! Great taste. Need it extra creamy (and calorie-full!), I do it from whole milk.

Gerlinde in Washington said...

Thanks Burhan! I might just give it a try. I used to have a roommate who made yogurt frequently. It seemed an easy process and was delicious.

Annie Sezzz said...

This is fabulous!! It is Oct. 2014 and I just found your post!!! It has been ages since I have made labneh. Seeing this... I am forced to make it again SOON!! We love to just eat it with olives, cucumber, pita bread etc. So yummmy. Don't forget to add to your plate of labneh.. some olive oil and dried mint leaves.. oh soooo good!!! :)

Gerlinde in Washington said...

Thanks for the suggestion, Annie. Mint and olive oil sound lovely!

Annie Sezzz said...

I forgot to add...break off pieces of pita bread and use it to scoop up the labneh and eat it that way :) Enjoy!

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