Greek Yogurt (a.k.a. labneh )

The marketplace is full of a variety of brands of Greek yogurt – all expensive and rarely with 100% Canadian content.  It’s also one of the easiest ingredients to make at home!  Recipes abound…under the headings of ‘labneh’ or ‘yo-cheese’ but here’s ours.   You can serve it as a fabulous topping for baked potatoes, dolloped into soups or onto lentil curries or served with seasonal berries or compote for a beautiful summer dessert. We love ours with Wellington County maple syrup.  

Choose any brand of top quality Canadian made yogurt.  We love Mapleton’s because it’s not only organic but made from milk from their own farm. Just make sure to read the label.

You can make as much or as little as you wish as it’s just a matter of draining it through a cheesecloth-lined colander or sieve.  Even a jelly bag or clean tea towel will work.

Ladle about 2 cups (500mL) of your favourite plain yogurt into a cheesecloth-lined sieve, drape a clean kitchen towel over it and let drain over a mixing bowl for about an hour.  A clear liquid will gather below as the yogurt thickens. Each batch of yogurt is different but generally this amount will yield about 1 1/4 cups (300mL).

Discard the collected liquid, transfer the thickened yogurt to a bowl and add whatever flavourings you’d like.  Try minced garlic and sun-dried tomatoes; stir in some crushed berries or simply toss with berries and drizzle with maple syrup like we did.

Refrigerate if not using immediately.

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