I have been straining my SCD yogurt for over 20 years, when I want to have a very thick yogurt. The longer it strains, the thicker it will get. Straining it for 24 hours, will produce of thickness almost like cream cheese. Recenlty, I discovered making SCD Labneh, which is essentially just a strained yogurt thay may have some lemon juice and salt added.
Adding the lemon juice and salt to the yogurt provides more flavor, and I think adding salt strains out even more of the liquid. The salt and lemon juice give it more of a cream cheese-like flavor.
What is Labneh?
Labneh is yogurt that has been strained to a thick, creamy consitency. Typically the yogurt is mixed with salt, or salt and lemon juice, before straining. I ilke to use salt and lemon juice to bring out the flavor. Labneh is used in a variety of dishes and can be mixed with olive oil, herbs, and other flavorings to be used as a spread or dip. I like to use it in place of cream cheese in recipes.
How is yogurt strained to make Labneh?
A variety of items can be used to strain yogurt. I like to use a yogurt strainer because I find the clean up to be the easiest and mine takes up less space than using a bowl with cheesecloth. I have seen people use coffee filters and very fine mesh to strain their yogurt, along with traditional cheesecloth. You can also use a nut milk bag.
Simple Steps to Make SCD Yogurt Labneh
It takes about three cups of plain yogurt to get 1 cup (or 8oz.) of thick strained yogurt.
For Labneh:
- Add three cups of yogurt to a mixing bowl
- Gently stir in a half teaspoon of lemon juice and a fourth teaspoon of salt – don’t stir too virgorously or the yogurt will thin too much and go through the trainer
- Scoop yogurt into your strainer
- Strain for 24 hours to get thick, cream cheese-like yogurt
- Remove from strainer and stor in air-tight container in the refirgerator
Use in place of cream cheese in most recipes. Find Labneh in my recipe for Grain-Free Blueberry Yogurt Bars.
Equipment
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to mixing bowl
- Gently stir to mix in the lemon juice and salt – do not over stir, the yogurt should still be thick
- Scoop yogurt into your strainer
- Strain for 24 hours
- Remove strained yogurt from strainer and store in air-tight container in the refrigerator
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