HOW TO MAKE YOGURT CHEESE OR MIDDLE EASTERN LABNA----A LOW FAT SUBSTITUTION FOR SOUR CREAM OR MAYONNAISE

Yogurt cheese is not glamorous, but it is a real workhorse in the kitchen.  To make yogurt cheese is very simple and the end product is a wonderful substitute for sour cream in appetizers, salads, main dishes, desserts, or on baked potatoes. If the yogurt is allowed to drain long enough, it produces an end product with a cream cheese-type consistency which can be spread on bagels and used in recipes calling for cream cheese.   

MIDDLE EASTERN LABNA OR YOGURT CHEESE

A 32-ounce container of yogurt yields 2 cups of yogurt cheese.  The liquid drained from the yogurt, whey, is rich in protein. It can be used in making bread, muffins or soup.  I use to feed it to Katrinka, my beautiful German Shepherd.  She loved it.   Katrinka is gone now, but Izzy has taken over the "drinking the whey" job.



Fat-free mayonnaise mixed half and half with yogurt cheese is much tastier than just fat-free mayonnaise for chicken and tuna salads.  With a little mustard added to the mayonnaise and yogurt cheese, you have a great dressing for potato salads. The addition of herbs makes delicious dressings and dips, all very low fat.  I make Ranch Dressing using yogurt cheese, buttermilk and a packet of seasoning mix.   

 

In the Middle East yogurt cheese is called Labna. It can be whisked and sweetened with vanilla or finely grated lemon or orange zest to sweeten it to use in desserts.   A touch of honey can also be added for sweetness.  For fruit salads, I add a little vanilla extract to the yogurt cheese for a very low fat dressing. 


 

The brand of yogurt that you use to make the cheese is important because some brands contain gelatin. Gelatin binds the whey up; therefore, it will not drain off making it impossible to make yogurt cheese. NOTE: If you are going to use the yogurt cheese for cooking, you can stir in a tablespoon of cornstarch per cup of yogurt cheese to stabilize the yogurt when it is heated.

YOGURT CHEESE--A NONFAT SUBSTITUTE FOR SOUR CREAM AND CREAM CHEESE

 

Plain nonfat yogurt or low-fat yogurt, a brand that does NOT list gelatin as an ingredient

Paper coffee filter or a double thickness of cheese cloth

Strainer, sieve or colander

Yogurt without gelatin in the ingredient list, coffee filter or cheesecloth, strainer, and bowl in which to place the strainer.


 

 

Line strainer with coffee filter or cheese cloth; place on a bowl.  Put yogurt into lined strainer.  Cover with plastic wrap; refrigerate. Allow liquid, the whey, to drain from the yogurt until yogurt cheese is desired consistency.  The longer it drains the thicker and more like cream cheese than sour cream it gets.  
 

Line a strainer with a coffee filter or double layer of cheesecloth.

 

 

 

 

 

Put yogurt into the filter.

 

 

 

 

Refrigerate.

 

 

 

 

The whey separated from the yogurt cheese after refrigerating the yogurt overnight.

 

 

 



The yogurt cheese.

 

 

 



Remove the filter or cheesecloth.

 



 The yogurt cheese is ready to use for sauces, dressing, desserts, or baking.

 

 

 

Enjoy, enjoy, enjoy!!!!

 

 

GREEK YOGURT 

 

Last summer I made yogurt cheese out of the new, to me, Greek yogurt.  Now I don't know what happened.  Is Greek yogurt more sour?  I was excited to make the yogurt cheese with Greek yogurt as I was using it to make Greek Tzatziki Sauce, yogurt cucumber sauce, to serve with my Greek Kabobs. 

 

I took a taste of the yogurt cheese made from the Greek yogurt and my mouth puckered up until my lips looked like Donald Duck's beak or bill.  I guess a duck's beak is called a bill.  Anyway I looked and sounded like Donald Duck.  I was shocked.  I quickly put in a little honey to tone down the sourness and then proceed to make my sauce.  Tom's cousins were waiting to dinner so there was no time to waste.

 

I haven't tried using Greek Yogurt since then, but I know it has become extremely possible.  If you try making yogurt cheese or Labna with Greek yogurt, please, let me know how it comes out for you.   

 

 Making Tzatziki last summer with Greek yogurt.