Leben (Middle Eastern Sour Milk)

Leben (Middle Eastern Sour Milk) — a beverage recipe, 5 ingredients, about 1460 min.

1460 min · Beverage

contains dairy

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Ingredients

Units: US Metric

Scale: ½× – 4× with Plus →

Make it lactose-friendly

1 gallon homogenized whole milk → lactose-free milk, oat milk, or almond milk
1 cup unflavored (plain) yogurt → lactose-free or coconut yogurt
1 quart half and half cream (optional) → lactose-free cream or coconut cream

Swaps are suggestions, not medical advice. Check labels if lactose is a serious issue for you.

Add the milk to a large pot. Boil until it starts to foam.
Turn off the heat and wait for the milk to cool to room temperature.
Stir in the yogurt and half and half.
To make your leben more sour, boil the mixture and add the citric acid along with it until it starts to foam. To make your leben more sweet, boil the mixture and add the sugar along with it until it starts to foam. It is not recommended to add the sugar and citric acid together in your leben. This will worsen its taste.
Stir well, cover with a towel, and let rest overnight at room temperature.
Uncover and stir, then enjoy.
To preserve your leben, cool it as a regular dairy product.

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