LABNA

Labna

This tangy cheese is made by straining yogurt until nearly all of the whey has been removed. It is thicker than Greek yogurt, but still soft enough to spread. It’s delicious with pita bread and lends a creamy component to sandwiches.

Ferment Bacterial  Prep 5 minutes
Time 1 to 2 days  Yield 1 cup

Labna is often seasoned with dried herbs and seeds. Try mixing in nigella sativa seeds, dried mint, sumac, or za’atar. You can also roll labna into balls and coat it with seasonings. To store labna balls, submerge them in olive oil and refrigerate.
You will need...

1 quart (1l) whole milk yogurt


Method
1 Line a colander with damp cheesecloth or muslin and place over a clean bowl.

2 Pour yogurt into lined colander, cover lightly with muslin or a dish towel, and allow liquid to drip into the bowl (this liquid is whey). Let sit at room temperature for 12 to 14 hours.

3 When the dripping has slowed to a stop, fold the muslin over the yogurt and put a weight on top to press out the rest of the whey. (A jar of water on a plate works well as a weight.)

4 Check after another 12 hours. Once the cheese is quite dry, transfer it to a jar and refrigerate. Labna will keep, refrigerated, for several weeks.

In the Middle East, labna is often served as part of a meze, a selection of appetizers and salads. Other meze dishes might include hummus, falafel, olives, and flatbread.