Latest Articles

Allotment Gardening
Grow all you can eat on your own allotment.
grow your own
20:32, 10th May 2014

Smallholding for Sale in North Devon
Three bedroom detached house in 18 acres for sale - North Devon, UK
smallholding
20:48, 17th Mar 2013

Nettles
Find out more about nettles - how to benefit from them and how to get rid of them
foraging
16:12, 13th Apr 2012

Making Nettle Beer
Find out how to make your nettle beer
recipes
16:10, 13th Apr 2012

How to Make Sloe Gin
Find out how to make your own sloe gin
recipes
14:40, 13th Apr 2012

Grow Your Own Chilli Peppers
Find out how to grow your own chilli peppers
grow your own
13:33, 16th Mar 2012

Home Beekeeping
Find out more about keeping bees in your garden for honey
grow your own
15:40, 4th Jan 2012

Storing Apples
Find out how to store apples
fruits
13:23, 28th Jul 2011

Making Labneh

Make this, the simplest of cheeses




Making Labneh

recipes | preserving

Labneh (also spelled labaneh is a soft cheese made in the Middle East from strained yoghurt. It is probably the easiest cheese to make requiring very little time and almost no equipment.

Labneh served with olive oil

In order to make labneh all you need is Greek style yoghurt - typically labelled as being 10% fat - and a little salt. Greek yoghurt is rich, thick, and creamy; high in protein, and low in sodium and sugar. In terms of equipment all you need is a strainer/collander, a couple of bowls, a straining cloth (e.g. a clean piece of cheese cloth, muslin, tea towel, or sterile hankerchief), and a whisk or fork.

Pour the yoghurt into a bowl and add salt (just 1-2 teaspoons at most per 500g of yoghurt). Whisk well. Put the straining cloth into strainer ensuring that all of the holes in the strainer are covered by the cloth, and then put the strainer into the second bowl. Pour the salted yoghurt into the cloth.

Straining yoghurt to make labneh

Now lift up the corners of the cloth, and tie them together or hold them tightly together with string or a rubber band. Hang the bag you have made up - for example from a tap with the liquid dripping out and down the drain, or over a bowl if you want to keep the whey. If the weather is warm then it is best to hang the bag inside your refrigerator to keep everything fresh.

The following day, open up the bag and inside you will find labneh - a soft white cheese which you can mould into shape and store in the refrigerator. If you want a harder cheese, twist the corners of the cloth together tightly to squeeze even more liquid out of the yoghurt, and leave it for another 24 hours.

Balls of Labneh

The common way to store labneh is to roll it into small (approx 2cm diameter) balls between wet hands, put them into a sterile jar, and fill the jar with olive oil so that all the labneh balls are completely covered. They can remain in the refrigerator for weeks preserved in that way. You can also add garlic and/or your choice of chopped herbs (typically fresh mint) to the oil to give the labneh additional flavour.

Labneh balls preserved in olive oil in jars

Serving and Eating Labneh

Labneh is usually served with olive oil and pita bread. Press the labneh onto a platter, and pour over a good extra virgin olive oil. Then use toasted pita bread as a scoop to capture the oil and labneh, and eat.



Article Published: 10:31, 23rd Nov 2010


Related Articles


Chili Oil
Make your own delicious chili oil
Article Published: 14:36, 25th Nov 2010
recipes | preserving | grow your own

Uses for Duck Eggs
A selection of uses for duck eggs
Article Published: 09:34, 16th Jun 2011
recipes | livestock | preserving

Grape Jelly Recipe
Make your own delicious grape jelly
Article Published: 12:11, 10th Jan 2011
recipes | fruits | preserving

Make Fruit Leather
Find out how to preserve fruits as fruit leather
Article Published: 19:38, 25th Nov 2010
fruits | preserving | recipes

Tomato Ketchup Recipe with Fresh Tomatoes
Make your own delicious tomato ketchup with fresh tomatoes
Article Published: 11:02, 22nd Nov 2010
preserving | recipes | grow your own

Making Garlic Oil
Make your own garlic oil
Article Published: 14:49, 25th Nov 2010
preserving | grow your own | recipes

Lemon Balm Cake Recipe
Make a delicious cake with easy to grow lemon balm
Article Published: 14:43, 15th Jun 2011
recipes | grow your own

How to Make Sloe Gin
Find out how to make your own sloe gin
Article Published: 14:40, 13th Apr 2012
recipes | foraging | fruit

Make Caramelised Onion Chutney
Make a delicious caramelised onion chutney
Article Published: 08:33, 22nd May 2010
preserving | vegetables | grow your own | recipes

Make Tomato Passata
Preserve tomatoes by making delicious tomato passata
Article Published: 12:00, 25th May 2010
preserving | fruits | grow your own | recipes