Leben (Middle Eastern Sour Milk)
Leben is a traditional Middle Eastern or North African drink. Making it is very simple.
Total Time
24 hours
Servings
20 cups
Prep Time
20 minutes
1 gallon homogenized whole milk
1 cup unflavored (plain) yogurt
1 quart half and half cream (optional)
1 teaspoon citric acid (optional)
1 teaspoon sugar (optional)
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.
- •Do not leave out your leben uncovered for a prolonged period of time after it is complete. This will horribly worsen its taste and make it unpleasantly sour.
- •Do not refuse to re-boil your leben during its procedure after adding the sugar/citric acid. You will feel the crunchiness of the crystals in your finished product.
- •You should preferably store your leben in a metal, steel or glass container. Storing it in a wood container will stain the wood and you risk degraded pieces of wood falling into your leben.