Hello all, in this post, I will be picking up from where we left off the last time, & sorry for the delay, unexpected summer programs have been popping up non stop. Don’t worry because it is never too late ! we are still in the season of preparing for winter, whether it is pickling, or preserving.

In preserving summer produce part II I will be walking you through preserving goat Labneh.

Labneh:

The goats roamed our hills and fields for a while now, and ate the healthiest shrubs. The milk they produce is high with nutrients and is the best kind of milk you can get. There are two seasons that this kind of Labneh is available, spring, and end of summer, therefore, the Labneh that we get in between these two seasons is good for eating on the spot, due to the high amount of water present  in the milk. Water is abundant during spring, making the shrubs that the goats graze on during this season very moist, resulting in watery milk, hence more water in the Labneh. The more the water in the Labneh, the less it will be good enough for preserving.

However, the Labneh you get during autumn is the most suitable for preserving because it has less water in it. In early autumn, the shrubs have less water in them so the labneh produced at that time is dryer and better for preserving.

Buy the labneh depending on how much you might consume, and always make sure that it is being purchased from a good reliable source and done out of goat milk. the Labneh should be at room temperature before kneading it. Knead the Labneh very well.

Set up your table and cover with a clean white sheet, then start dividing the Labneh bulk into small equal sized balls so that you have proportional portions at the end.

I am sure you noticed that the cloth I am using in the picture above is not totally white. Let me tell you why, this cloth means a lot to me as it is the art work from my nieces time in kindergarten. I always use this cloth to remember the happy times of her childhood.

Start rolling your balls by giving them a nice massage, then place them on the clean sheet. Leave them on the sheet for a while so that any extra water in them will be absorbed by the sheet. Meanwhile, keep yourself busy by washing and drying your jars carefully.

Filling the jars is a very simple yet fun. Start by adding a little amount of oil to the bottom of the jar, around 1 – 2 centimeters high. Fill the jar by placing the balls next to each other till you reach the top. Finally, you pour more olive oil until the top layer is completely covered. Close the jar tightly and add it to your shelf, now you are making sure that you have a good choice of dinner during winter.

Nothing beats a toasted Labneh sandwich with side tomatoes and a cup of tea.

*Essential tip: While filling the rows, make sure you don’t have empty spaces, you can do so simply; when laying the second row of balls on the first, place the ball in between the two bottom ones. This way, you will need less oil and you will be able to fill more Labneh in the jar. Furthermore, always make sure to clean the jar of any left behind traces of Labneh as you start removing them, for any of this residue not immersed in oil will go bad.

Happiness is an inside job and this could be one of them for you, so enjoy.

with love, Jahna