Yogurt, Greek Yogurt, and Yogurt Cheese (Lebna)

It only makes sense that this is the recipe I would post after the granola.  They do kind of go together!  I eat this every day, as do both my kids. It has done wonders for my digestion.  I have always loved yogurt, but flavored yogurt is often too sweet and there are so many unnecessary ingredients(even in plain sometimes), including colorings, pectin, and often times gelatin.  I try to keep it simple, especially with my kids- I like to know what they are consuming.  And we go through a LOT of yogurt.  My mom had told me she'd been making it at home, so I googled some recipes, and figured I'd give it a shot.  I picked the simplest recipe I found, and followed it to a tee.  There were so many steps, and precautions and nit-picky little details that I was kind of annoyed while making it, but the result was delicious! The next time I did it, I omitted a step or two, the next time another one, and so on.  Pretty soon I had it down to just the simplest possible technique, just the bare essentials, leaving all the fuss and muss behind, and the yogurt didn't seem to suffer for it at all. 

Like the granola, it is hard to mess up this recipe.  You can use any kind of dairy milk that you like: raw, organinc, pasturized, utra-pasturized, goat, 2%, whole, skim! I generally use whatever is in the fridge when my yogurt begins to run low.  Sometimes it's a mix of a few jugs.  There are two pieces of "specialty" equipment you will need for this: a thermometer and a heating pad.  I use a meat thermometer, it was the cheapest and most durable looking one in the store, and I can vouch that it will stand being dropped in hot milk, unlike the digital ones.  Or on the floor, unlike glass candy thermometers.  Yes, I have been through a few.

Your Ingredients:
Milk
Yogurt(Just a tablespoon or two of existing yogurt)

Pour your milk into a large pot (a double boiler can be used, but I find it creates a mess as water boils over the edges, and it takes WAY to long to heat up, also its one extra dish) However much milk you use, will be how much yogurt you get.  One gallon of milk=one gallon of yogurt. You can make your batch as large or as small as you want. Put your thermometer on the pan.  Heat the milk on medium heat, stirring occasionally until it reaches 170 degrees.  It will have a frothy foam on top, almost like a latte.

Take the milk off the heat and allow to cool to 110 degrees.  This can take from half an hour to an hour and a half, depending on the temperature of the room.  If you're in a hurry you can put it in a cold water bath in the sink, but be careful and watch the thermomer closely because it drops quickly and you need to keep it below 120, but above 90 or it won't work.  I usually just leave it on the stovetop(not on the heat) and set my oven timer for 20 minutes so I remember to come back and check it. 

When it reaches 110 degrees, stir in a tablespoon or two of existing yogurt. Plain works best, but I've used flavored, fruit on the bottom and greek in a pinch.  My finished product had a slight fruity taste when I did this, but I didnt mind.  

Put the lid on the pot.  Set on the heating pad(set to low) and wrap the pot with a towel. 

Set your oven timer for 7 hours.  Leaving it longer won't hurt it at all, it will just be thicker and tangier.  Taking it off a little early is fine, as long as its had time to change.  It will just be thinner. Try not to move or jostle it too much, just forget it for those 7 or so hours.

 

After 7 hours, your yogurt should look like this.  There should be an obvious difference between the yogurt and the whey.  

Now you can divide it into containers and let it cool in the fridge.  I just ladle it into mason jars with the help of a jar filler/funnel. 

That's it for yogurt. 

Now for Greek yogurt/ Lebna



First, make your yogurt.  You can do this with your yogurt straight off the heating pad, yogurt thats been sitting in the fridge for some time(2 hours, 2 weeks its all fine) or even store bought yogurt.

Put some cheesecloth over a container and secure with a rubber band.  Push the cheesecloth down so you have a "well".

Put yogurt in the cheesecloth and leave it in the fridge overnight to strain. 

In the morning you just scoop the yogurt out of the cheesecloth.  There will be less of it than you started with, and all the whey will be in the bottom of the container.  If it's too thick, add some whey back in and stir well.  If it's too thin, try using less cheesecloth and straining again.  Greek yogurt has a consistency like sour cream, lebna is closer to cream cheese, but a bit thinner.  You can toss the whey, but I like to save it to add to smothies or pancake batter.  It's a great source of minerals and digestive protiens.  You can also drink it straight.  A word of caution though, this is not for the faint hearted.  I really enjoy it, but in the words of my mother after taking a sip at my suggestion "UGH....(insert worst face you can think of) Why would you make me do that????" And my mom eats and drinks some pretty un-appealing stuff. Love you mom! 

The lebna is a traditional middle eastern thing.  Its really good on a plate, sprinkled with some extra virgin olive oil, some diced tomatoes and fresh thyme or winter savory.  Then dip your pita in it, or spread it on some bread. We eat it alot for breakfast or a quick afternoon snack.  Lebna is best made with fattier milk, it starts to feel a bit thin on the tongue if you use skim.  2% is good, whole is better.   If you want a real treat, throw in a splach of cream.

Yogurt is such a great way to regulate digestion, and for women a great way to preven yeast infections.  It's a delicious and easy way to get your calcium, and it's a great way to extend the life of milk in the fridge.  If you have some that you notice expires tomorrow and you know you can't drink it all- make yougurt! It will last for a week or two more in the fridge! Making it at home saves so much money, and it really only takes about a half an hour of actual work. 

Don't like plain yogurt? Try these great toppings!

Vanilla powder

HONEY(even more added benefits from this!)

fresh fruit

fruit preseves like jam or peaches

maple syrup

granola

Try marinating chicken or meat with yogurt and your favorite spices! It makes it so juicy!

We use yogurt in place of mayo in potato salads-healthier and safer on a hot day potluck! No spoiled eggs. 

Yogurt makes a great sour cream substitute, try it on tacos or baked potatoes.  So much less fat!

Use it in creamy soups instead of heavy cream, for a tangier yet still creamy texture.  A healthy option.

Got other uses for yogurt, let me know!