Labne from Kefir

WHAT TO DO WITH YOUR CULTURES

What can you do with your jar of kefir yoghurt or your mug of sourdough starter if you are not planning to make bread, or if you are not going to eat the kefir as yoghurt?

Make bickies and cheese!

You have just made kefir curds and whey. At this point you need to decide what to do with your whey – it makes a great addition to soups and stews, can be used instead of other liquids in cakes, and, if all else fails, dogs love it, as do chooks, ducks and probably most other animals. The whey from kefir can be quite lemony and sharp, so consider that when deciding.

Now for your curds. At a guess 1 litre of kefir yoghurt will produce about 125g curds made this way. So you could make a little baked cheesecake (perfect for a couple in iso), or about 5 labne balls. Or you could make a dip, put it in a cake, make a filling for pastries, add it to eggs and make an omelette… or invent something else and tell me about it. But I am going to show you how to make labne balls, and baked cheesecake.

Take your drained kefir curd off the hook and remove the string – open the cheesecloth carefully and scrape the adhered curds away from the cloth and tip it all into a small bowl. Add a small pinch of good salt and mix thoroughly. Now form the curds into balls, about the size of a golf ball. Be sure to make the balls firm or they may fall apart in the oil. It can help to put a dry cheesecloth or a piece of paper towel on a plate and let the balls dry slightly before coating them (salt often brings out more moisture). Put some good quality dukkha on another plate and roll each ball carefully until it is covered in dukkha, place into a (very clean!) glass jar. Place the balls carefully so that they are compact but not squashed. Pour in your best olive oil to cover the balls, and place the jar in a cool place for 1 week to 1 month (any longer and they will be as sharp as an aged cheddar… which you might want, so keep tasting them!). You can add to the jar and add further oil for a couple more batches. Then put the jar in the fridge.

Labne balls can be eaten spread on bread or crackers, or added to flavour a white sauce in a simple vegetable moussaka. I use eggplant, zucchini, pumpkin, tomato, cooked potato layered with the sauce and baked in a hot oven until bubbling and brown on top (finish with a sauce layer). Yum! Meat eaters could add a layer in the middle of lamb-mince cooked with herbs and tomato paste if desired.