Homemade labneh- cheese

[sister herb]

Some call it yogurt cheese, others call it the Lebanese cream cheese but it is most commonly known as labneh. It is a staple on any breakfast menu, on dips, makes a wonderful sandwich with a few mint leaves or some pitted olives. To put it simply labneh is strained yogurt, it is super easy to make and very tasty and the best part is, you can flavor it any way you like. Mint, oregano, sumac, olives, chili flakes, your imagination is the limit, better yet why not try a combination of flavors and make a middle eastern dip that is all your own.

Compared to cream cheese, labneh is much healthier and lighter in calories, you can make it using regular yogurt or fat free yogurt but the best labneh is the one you make out of homemade yogurt. Another major plus to making labneh is that it is really easy to preserve, regular labneh lasts 2-3 weeks in the fridge.

1 Kg Yogurt (greek, regular or fat free)
1 teaspoon salt

Place a piece of doubled cheesecloth or soft cotton fabric (preferably undyed and clean) in the colander and place the colander over a deep bowl

Stir the salt into the yoghurt then spoon the yoghurt in the center of a piece of the cheesecloth.

Leave to drain for 3-5 hours . (if the weather is hot allow it to drain in the fridge).

You can also pull the corners of the cheese cloth up and tie them tightly and then suspend from a stationary object over a bowl (to collect the whey) . Again if the weather is hot do this in the fridge.Let the labneh hang overnight,when well drained it will be the consistency of cottage cheese.

Remove from the cloth and store covered in the refrigerator until needed.

Notes
If your labneh is still too thin in consistency, you have two options to make it thicker
Fold the cheese cloth around the labneh and then place a weight over the labneh (think heavy bottle or a bag of rice or sugar, something 3-5 kg in weight). The weight will help draw out the whey.

Leave the labneh to strain the fridge, get a clean white fabric and wrap the labneh in it and place it in the fridge in a colander over a bowl to collect the whey. Change the fabric two times a day for 2-3 days and the labneh should become very thick as the fabric will draw the whey out of it

Flavors: You can mix in fresh or dried herbs, minced garlic, pepper flakes or any other flavoring you like.

Cheese cloth The purpose of “cheese cloth” is to separate the curds from the whey by allowing the whey to drain while holding the curds and preventing them from passing through. What most people think of as “cheese cloth:” the very wide weave material is often useless for this purpose unless you double it over itself 4 or 8 times . I recommend using either a large plain white cotton handkerchiefs, or white non-terry cotton dish towels, something clean that you dedicate for cheese making and make sure it is a fabric with fine weave

If you don’t have a cheese cloth try using unbleached coffee filters lining a fine sieve to strain the yogurt

To Serve Labneh:
Spread it evenly over a medium-sized plate. Sprinkle with fresh seasonal herbs like mint or dill – or place a few olives around the center of the plate. Drizzle a thread of olive oil over all. Serve with pita or other fresh bread

Use it as a spread to make a sandwich, plain or with some mint on top.

Serve it as a dip with cucumber, carrots or celery sticks

 

[A.Abubaker]

I think in my language it is called chakah.

 

[Mahzala]

We take it a level further, where the consistency is so thick that it is actually rolled into balls, dried for days, and then eaten as a snack. Nowadays, they are so readily available, we can find them in most gourmet stores, whereas a few years ago, we literally had to, with all the hope of slipping in by chance, get them into the country every time someone went overseas. And as kids, waiting for this treat to come with someone returning home, only to find it wasn't allowed through customs at the airport, was a very shattering moment.

I've never really seen it (labneh or whey) made deliberately from fresh yoghurt. If the yoghurt has started to become sour itself, then I've seen this happen. With us, it is used as a substitute to yoghurt in some delicacies. We also make ricotta, from bad milk, by simply boiling it, until it separates and then you drain it off with a cheese cloth. So instead of adding lemon or vinegar to deliberately curdle good milk, which of course, is the most creamiest, most delicious of cheeses, use your milk which is just about going off, and you have homemade ricotta.

 

[A.Abubaker]

So is it chaka?

 

[Mahzala]

Yes, looks very close to it. And curdling bad milk, or ricotta, is khaydak.

 

[A.Abubaker]

Thanks.

My mother makes something else from Milk as well called ''pssai/potsai'' kind of a sweetish cheesy thing, not sure what it is called in english but i suspect it is probably another name of khaidak.

 

[queenislam]

Excellent food
Alhamdulillah.
Thank you for sharing.
Take care,
~Wassalam

 

[Mahzala]

Thanks.

My mother makes something else from Milk as well called ''pssai/potsai'' kind of a sweetish cheesy thing, not sure what it is called in english but i suspect it is probably another name of khaidak.

Well, isn't potsai/potsa the word used for cheese? It's exactly the same as khaydak, or ricotta. The sweetness comes from the use of fresh milk, it's much more creamier. If you use milk that's just about off, the sweetness is not very dominant.

 

[A.Abubaker]

apparently its a pahsto word for khaidak or so I am told, Paneer is used for cheese in general.

 

[sister herb]

We make fresh cheese is my country by this way too, then its name is "tuorejuusto" (fresh cheese).

 

[Mahzala]

We make fresh cheese is my country by this way too, then its name is "tuorejuusto" (fresh cheese).

Wow, I like that tongue tying word. Which language is that?

 

[sister herb]

That is Finnish language, from Finland (where I am from). In my language have a lot of kind of compound words.

 

[Mahzala]

That's nice to know. I've never heard the Finnish accent first hand. But reading your posts, I might have a slight idea

 

[Tabassum07]

^ You should try reading the Foods Thread in the Word games section, sis Mahzala. Sister Harb has been giving interesting tongue-twisting food names for years.

 

[Mahzala]

^ You should try reading the Foods Thread in the Word games section, sis Mahzala. Sister Harb has been giving interesting tongue-twisting food names for years.

As you said, that is years worth of responses that need to be sieved through, just under 1700, right? And that's just the one thread. I heard some Finnish though, the basics, it's a mouthful if I had to speak it, haha.

Going slightly off-topic, yesterday at school, in my notebook, I had written some notes in my own language and a group of my students saw the writing. They immediately all gathered around me and were so intrigued to know what it said, and if each letter was a word, and how their names would be written, and some even attempted writing it themselves. They even asked me to read it to them, which was quite funny on my part. And the one thing most of them concluded was: "I wish we spoke another language when we went back home ..." Languages are quite an interesting thing huh?

I still like tuorejuusto though =)

 

[sister herb]

You are always welcome to visit in Finland, sis Mahzalah; then I can serve to you kaurapuuro, nokkoslettu, piparkakku, korvapuusti, maitokahvi and omenapiirakka. Also tuorejuusto if you like.

(Translation: oatmeal porridge, nettle pancake, gingerbread, cinnamon bun, milk-coffee, apple pie, fresh cheese)

 

[Tabassum07]

Yes, languages are interesting. I sometimes wish I spoke or understood more. So what's your native language sis Mahzala?

 

[sister herb]

^^ Maybe we should open new thread about languages to some other section... or else one new green sister would not gives us any more free lollipops but becomes dark green...

 

[Mahzala]

You are always welcome to visit in Finland, sis Mahzalah; then I can serve to you kaurapuuro, nokkoslettu, piparkakku, korvapuusti, maitokahvi and omenapiirakka. Also tuorejuusto if you like.

(Translation: oatmeal porridge, nettle pancake, gingerbread, cinnamon bun, milk-coffee, apple pie, fresh cheese)

Why thank you! Some of those are among my favourites.

^^ Maybe we should open new thread about languages to some other section... or else one new green sister would not gives us any more free lollipops but becomes dark green...

Tabassum, what she (^) said

 

[Tabassum07]

(I don't want green sister to take away my lollipops or waffles)

Okay, talk returns to labneh. I have actually been wondering that this will just taste exactly like yogurt with salt, right? Or does the taste also change from hanging the yogurt for so long? Cream cheese usually has such a different texture and taste.