Laban(Lebanese Homemade Yogurt)

In Lebanon and the Middle East, yogurt (laban) is considered a cornerstone and a foundation to build upon some dishes, like kibbeh labanieh, shish barak, koussa bil laban, fatteh and much more. Consider eating it plain, drizzling with honey, adding it to dressings or serving for breakfast or dinner as a light frugal meal accompanied with olives and bread. It is also used as a condiment, dip (to make labneh), and a marinade for meat and chicken. Learn how to make your own laban (yogurt), it is is far better than the commercial stuff!

If you’ve never made homemade laban before because you thought it was difficult to emulate, I am here to tell you it is easier than you might think. You just have to consider 4 things when making laban: the milk you use, the starter you use, the temperatures and time.

How to make laban?

In a large pot heat the milk to a range of 180° to 200° F / 82° to 93° C, stir the milk occasionally, you will notice bubbles  around the edges, remove from heat till it reaches 115°F/ 47°C,  you can test it by touch when you can comfortably hold your finger in the warm milk a for 5 seconds, If you’re in a hurry, you can fill a large bowl with ice water and let the pot of milk cool in the ice bath, stirring the milk frequently until it reaches 115°F/ 47°C. Transfer ½ cup of warm milk to a small bowl and whisk in  the yogurt starter culture. Stir yogurt-milk mixture back into remaining pot of warm milk and whisk well to homogenize together, set it in a warm spot, cover the pot and wrap up with a heavy blanket. Let yogurt sit for 6 to 12 hours, until the yogurt is thick and tangy; the longer it sits, the thicker and tangier it will become.

Can I use low fat milk to make laban?

The simple recipe calls for whole milk and a bit of yogurt as a starter. Use plain whole milk to make yogurt, I don’t recommend low fat milks since they will result in a thinner yogurt.

Whar are the ingredients needed to make yogurt /laban!

You need two ingredients to make laban: 1- whole milk, and please avoid ultra-pasteurized products, which can have trouble setting properly. and 2- a ready store-bought yogurt as a starter culture, and please look for plain, whole-milk yogurt, the next time you need to make laban use the starter of that resulting yogurt, and keep the culture going from one batch to the next without having to buy a new starter every time.

Don’t add more than the indicated amount!

Yes, please don’t add more than the indicated amount of starter culture to the yogurt batch as it can lead to over-culturing (graininess and/or separation) and bitter taste.

What is the shelf life of this yogurt?

Generally it should be consumed within 2 to 3 weeks, store in the refrigerator at temperatures below 40°F/ 4 .5 °C. The longer it sits, the tangier it becomes.

You need:

• A clean large pot
• A clean whisk

Ingredients

• 8 cups/ 2 liters / (1/2 gallon) whole milk
• 1/3 cup commercial whole milk yogurt containing active cultures

Directions:

1. In a large pot heat the milk to a range of 180° to 200° F / 82° to 93° C, stir the milk occasionally, you will notice bubbles form around the edges, remove from heat till it reaches 115°F/ 47°C,  you can test it by touch: When you can comfortably hold your finger in the warm milk and count from 1 to 9, it is the time,
2. If you’re in a hurry, you can fill a large bowl with ice water and let the pot of milk cool in the ice bath, stirring the milk frequently until it reaches 115°F/ 47°C.
3. Transfer ½ cup of warm milk to a small bowl and whisk in  the yogurt starter culture. Stir yogurt-milk mixture back into remaining pot of warm milk and whisk well to homogenize together.
4. set it in a warm spot, cover the pot wrap up with a heavy blanket. Avoid jostling or stirring the yogurt until it has fully set. Let yogurt sit for 6 to 12 hours, until the yogurt is thick and tangy, note that the longer it sits, the thicker and tangier it will become. Refrigerate! Homemade yogurt will keep for about 2 weeks in the refrigerator.