Labneh Balls

[ravum]

I love the balls of labneh in Olive oil from middle eastern stores.

I attempted to make them using a recipe from Sonia Uvezian.

It was to drain the yogurt in musin for 48 hrs and then form balls and dunk them in Olive Oil.I've drained it more than three days but they are still not rollable.I just used them as is.

It is still delicious but would love to get it right.Is anything added to the yogurt to make it firmer?Any Ideas/tricks?

[Swisskaese]

I love the balls of labneh in Olive oil from middle eastern stores.

I attempted to make them using a recipe from Sonia Uvezian.

It was to drain the yogurt in musin for 48 hrs and then form balls and dunk them in Olive Oil.I've drained it more than three days but they are still not rollable.I just used them as is.

It is still delicious but would love to get it right.Is anything added to the yogurt to make it firmer?Any Ideas/tricks?

←

What kind of yogurt did you use? You really need to make them with a full fat yogurt and even better if it is sheep or goat yogurt.

[Wolfert]

Swisskase is absolutely correct.

I'd like to add a few extra tips: scrape the outside of the cheesecloth once or twice to facilitate draining; crumble the drained cheese onto a paper towel and refrigerate until firm and dry to the touch; and use oiled hands to form small balls. Let them dry another day on papert toweling, then place in a glass jar and completely cover with olive oil.

[ravum]

Paula and Swisskase,thanks a ton for the suggestions.

I used homemade whole milk yogurt.Do I have to use goat/sheep milk yogurt?

Should the cheese be refrigerated covered or uncovered on the paper towel?Still on the strainer?Should the balls also be covered when refrigerated?

[Wolfert]

Paula and Swisskase,thanks a ton for the suggestions.

I used homemade whole milk yogurt.Do I have to use goat/sheep milk yogurt?

Should the cheese be refrigerated covered or uncovered on the paper towel?Still on the strainer?Should the balls also be covered when refrigerated?

←

No, you don't have to use goat/sheep milk yogurt. Goat's milk yogurt, available in fine food stores and health food stores, has a tangier flavor than cow's milk yogurt. zUse goat's milk yogurt cheese balls for long term storage. In fact, you should be able to keep them up to 6 months in oil.

Sheep's milk yogurt, which is naturally rich and dense, needs less draining. I've never made it with sheep's milk yogurt so I don't know the storage time.

On the paper towel: cover loosely with another sheet of paper. Once shaped you can keep them under plastic wrap, refrigerated. For longer storage, let them dry another day on paper toweling in or out of the fridge. I add a few small dried red chilis to the oil. Keep the jar in a cool place or refrigerate.

Edited November 30, 2004 by Wolfert (log)

[ravum]

Thank You!!.I have started making a batch of yogurt for this.I cant wait to try it....

[ChefCrash]

This thread needs images.

[nakji]

About how much liquid yogurt do you need to start with to yield a bottle full of labneh balls?

[Jenni]

Here's a tip for anyone having trouble making yoghurt really really thick and able to be rolled into balls - after you have strained the yoghurt so that it is fairly thick, but not yet nearing solid, wrap it well in muslin and put it over a strainer of some kind. Apply a heavy weight to it. This will force out the excess liquid much quicker than just waiting for it to drip away on its own.

[andiesenji]

Here's a tip for anyone having trouble making yoghurt really really thick and able to be rolled into balls - after you have strained the yoghurt so that it is fairly thick, but not yet nearing solid, wrap it well in muslin and put it over a strainer of some kind. Apply a heavy weight to it. This will force out the excess liquid much quicker than just waiting for it to drip away on its own.

I posted in another thread about yogurt cheese that when I need dense yogurt cheese for this kind of project (or for cheesecakes) I use muslin, a jelly bag or butter muslin cheesecloth in a salad spinner - I purchased the small OXO one mostly for this purpose.

This process extracts a lot of whey in a short amount of time (with some effort) and produces a dense cheese that holds together nicely.

You can check the results every few minutes and pour off the whey (save it for use in baking) until you have the exact texture you want.

Then chill it for an hour and proceed with forming it into balls.

Edited June 26, 2010 by andiesenji (log)

[nakji]

So you line the spinner with the muslin, then spin the yogurt to extract the whey? Interesting. How much do you usually do at a time?

[Darienne]

I posted in another thread about yogurt cheese that when I need dense yogurt cheese for this kind of project (or for cheesecakes) I use muslin, a jelly bag or butter muslin cheesecloth in a salad spinner - I purchased the small OXO one mostly for this purpose.

Have you ever tried curtain sheers? I have come into an excessive amount of the stuff and although I've used it for a lot of other cooking procedures...mostly keeping the ants off stuff in Moab and the fruit flies off stuff in Ontario...I've never tried it to thicken yogurt. I know, I could simply try it. However, you have tried so many things, I thought I would ask.

[JTravel]

I think the curtains are probably "voile".....very fine and strong. I buy it in a fabric store, wash it before using, and it is much neater and easier to use than cheese cloth. I have never drained the yogurt quite to rolling balls level, mainly do spread. Will have to try it.

[andiesenji]

So you line the spinner with the muslin, then spin the yogurt to extract the whey? Interesting. How much do you usually do at a time?

I have yards of the fine voile but don't use it for straining foods. I prefer natural fibers. I use the voile for covers over my lettuce and greens "beds" to keep the critters away.

I ladle the yogurt (I make half a gallon in each batch) into the muslin-lined basket of the spinner, gather the corners and sides to make a closed bag. Or I use a large jelly bag with a drawstring but both are tied at the top.

I do allow some of the whey to drain into a bowl on its own - perhaps for an hour or so.

Then put the basket into the spinner and pump it about ten times.

A lot of whey is expressed in this first session and has to be poured off immediately.

Keeping the "bag" intact, I spread the yogurt about to distribute it more or less evenly and repeat the process.

Depending on how firm the yogurt is to begin with, ordinarily I get good results with three spinning sessions. Occasionally, if it hasn't set quite as much as usual, I need to add one or two sessions.

As I said, it takes a bit of effort but saves a lot of time overall.

I have tried going further with the process to get a really dry end result, similar to hoop cheese or "farmers" cheese which is perfect for cheesecakes.

I make my own yogurt and use the cultures from New England Cheesemaking supply both the Bulgarian and the "Tangy" with never a single failure.

The Bulgarian can be recultured four or five times - I include the whey - but I use it within a week. The yogurt itself keeps very well and I have maintained it in the fridge for more than three weeks.

Edited June 26, 2010 by andiesenji (log)

[nakji]

Sounds like a project! I make my own yogurt once a week - I start off with a small pot of natural yogurt from the shop - no idea what kind it is, as the label only identifies it as sugar-free. It may use gelatine to stabilize, as the yogurt it yields when I make it is never as firm as the original pot. I usually make around 500ml using a tablespoon or so to start. I've never used my "made" yogurt to start a new batch, as I was worried about generation loss, if you will. The idea of making yogurt cheese balls out of it never crossed my mind.

I'm going to pick up a jelly bag and cheesecloth when I go back to Canada, and make this a project for the fall. Any idea how long the labneh keeps in oil in the fridge?

[Lior]

gorgeous pictures!!!