Liberté Yogurt: My Holy Grail of Dairy Products

After a lengthy residence on the Greek isles, my yogurt loyalty has decamped to Quebec.
I'm a little obsessed with Montreal-made Liberté yogurt. When asked to pick me up a tub or two, Serious Eaters Robyn and Ed, sensing the urgency in my voice, returned with eight.
Where Greek yogurt is thick, dense, and strained of whey, in some cases, almost to chalkiness, Liberté has a looser consistency. If Fage can be likened to heavy cream whipped to firm peaks, Liberté is whipped to soft; both are rich, but one is airier on the tongue.
Full-fat Liberté is exceptional; low-fat merely pretty good. The range includes an organic line, a number of fruit-on-the-bottom flavors, and a totally superfluous "Six Grain" variety containing—why bother?—a nubbin or two of whole grains. None in particular really stands out to me; I'd happily eat the yogurt, with its pitch-perfect tang, plain.
I think I've found my Holy Grail of yogurt—what's yours?
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65 Comments:
Liberte is my fave as well - is it available in the US? I live in Canada so it's always in my fave grocery store.
Maureen at 8:52AM on 01/19/09
I love Liberte as well...full fat, preferably the blackberry fruit on the bottom. It's my special treat at least once a week. Yes...it is available in the US...at least NE it is...I live in WNY, and I can get it at Wegmans & Tops markets.
I also love Brown Cow, it's a bit lower in fat, so I eat that the rest of the week.
mepolo at 9:00AM on 01/19/09
I buy the Liberte 2% milkfat by the quart. I can't seem to consume enough of it. It has the smoothest, creamiest texture without feeling like wallpaper paste in my mouth.
Soigne at 9:13AM on 01/19/09
Mmmmmm. Yep. That's the best yogurt ever. The flavours the full-fat yogurt come in are also pretty exceptional - I like the lemon in particular, which has a lemon curd-like flavour.
What Ontario grocery stores lack (a liquor selection, for one), they more than make up for by having tons of Liberte dairy in stock.
beth maher at 9:32AM on 01/19/09
I've never tried Liberte but have recently been obsessing over Redwood Hill Farm's goat milk yogurt.
caviarandcodfish at 9:36AM on 01/19/09
Oh Liberté... brings back so many memories of university (which I just finished a month ago...) I, for one, am a huge fan of Danone Naturale plain yogurt. I love that there's no gelatin and no cornstarch, so it doesn't do funny things when you're trying to cook with it.
Vincci at 9:46AM on 01/19/09
It is available in NYC. I buy my Liberte at Dagostinos.
hindyg at 9:50AM on 01/19/09
Liberte Plum+Walnut is great. So is Fage 2% mixed with fruit and nuts you cut up yourself!
zackola at 9:51AM on 01/19/09
How can you blaspheme LIberte pear with whole grain? OMG! It is the best! Peach and raspberry are good, too. When I'm strict about low carbs I definitely stick to Fage fat free but when I'm feeling indulgent it is Liberte. (Although, FYI, Liberte grain is pretty low on the carb scale, too.) I buy my LIberte at D'Ags and Gourmet Garage...
Deb07 at 10:01AM on 01/19/09
The plum and walnut Liberté Mediterranée is perfection. I've been eating the stuff for years, although I did stop for a few years when they went and started making it with milk by-products instead of real milk. The texture was chalky and gross. They went back to making it with real milk even before making yogourt with anything else was outlawed in Québec, and they've been my only brand of yogourt ever since.
SqueezeBottle at 10:10AM on 01/19/09
After getting salmonella poisoning and totally ruining my stomach over the summer, I decided I was going to get over my distate for yogurt and sample as many kinds as possible. Unfortunately, my local whole foods doesn't (or, at least, didn't at the time) carry Liberte. So I'm eager to find some and try it. My favorite turned out to be Fage. Here are my findings and ratings of several yogurts, for anyone who's interested:
http://thescrabbled.com/posts/68606
johnhutch at 10:15AM on 01/19/09
Wow, my memory's terrible. I _did_ try Liberte. The grain one. And hated it!
johnhutch at 10:17AM on 01/19/09
Yet another vote for Liberte as the best yogurt out there.
Celeriac at 10:20AM on 01/19/09
I actually really like the Emmi yogurts from switzerland. I usually hate fruit on the bottom varieties because they're oversweet, but the Emmi yogurts have a perfect fruit on the bottom. They also have the nice tang of a greek yogurt.
mimisbear at 10:25AM on 01/19/09
The Plum walnut... best yogurt I have ever tasted.
LIRC at 10:26AM on 01/19/09
ahh come on now! nothing beats turkish yogurt!
nedime_7 at 10:30AM on 01/19/09
i used to be a liberté devotee, but then i tried chobani yogurt with fruit on the bottom. delicious. it's a bit on the pricier side, so when i can't splurge i go back to liberté (pear + grains is a great flavor i agree, deb07!) or nonfat brown cow with fruit on the bottom.
chokpocky at 10:31AM on 01/19/09
oh how could i forget emmi? that's a great one too, but again, a bit pricey.
chokpocky at 10:32AM on 01/19/09
Heads up Liberte fans- its on sale at Food Emporium this week for 79 cents!!! I have 8 tubs of plum and walnut in the fridge...
spartana07 at 10:44AM on 01/19/09
@spartana07 - woohoo! Thanks for the heads up.
Michele Humes at 10:45AM on 01/19/09
Liberte is, indeed, my favorite yogurt. Especially the honey on the bottom variety. It's yogurt perfection for me.
ccbweb at 10:50AM on 01/19/09
Liberte is great! Could I also recommend Cream on Top - Brown Cow Coffee? They discontinued my favorite Lemon Flavor... Don't get turned off by the Coffee factor, it's amazing!!!
pickle at 10:59AM on 01/19/09
I've never tried this before! Can it be found anywhere? I'm a fage loyalist but am willing to convert.
marisa79 at 11:04AM on 01/19/09
I've never had this one, but my holy grail of yogurt is Stonyfield Farms low fat maple yogurt. Not too sweet, creamy, absolutely delicious. I think since I grew up with low-fat yogurt, whole milk yogurt often just doesn't taste good to me--like eating cream or something. And non-fat yogurt mostly just tastes artificial and gross. But their low-fat one--just the right balance. And the key is not too much sugar.
cupcakemuffin at 11:09AM on 01/19/09
greek gods yogurt
Frantic foodie at 11:16AM on 01/19/09
I LOVE the Mediterranee, any low fat yogurt tastes like watered down crap to me.
Zorbs at 12:15PM on 01/19/09
As I cannot get Fage where I live, Liberté Mediterranée has been an outstanding substitute.
anonymoose at 12:15PM on 01/19/09
I was really surprised by how good the thick and creamy fat free Archer Farms yogurt is at Target. They have a honey almond flavor that even has some of the viscous consistency of real honey.
runnereater at 12:33PM on 01/19/09
Count me as a fan too.
CanadianFoodieGirl at 12:39PM on 01/19/09
does siggi's skyr count? lately it's been on sale at whole foods for a ridiculous price versus an unthinkable one, so i've been indulging in the pomegranate/passionfruit.
i haven't tried liberté yet but will get right on it. my usuals are either fage 2% or goat yogurt from patches of star at the greenmarket.
cybercita at 12:42PM on 01/19/09
I love liberté's coconut yogurt. It is heaven! But for lighter fare, I do love a local organic brand, Fraser Meadows. Yum.
kickpleat at 12:56PM on 01/19/09
Liberté Mediterranée. Nothing less than 8% milk fat for me.
practicallydone at 1:02PM on 01/19/09
I love fage yogurt --but I did read about this Liberte' yogurt in another thread & have been dying to try it since....
@hindyg--a BIG THANK YOU!! I will try Dagostinos :o)
Italiancupcake at 1:45PM on 01/19/09
Oh man I loooove Liberte Yogurt. Can't find it now that I've moved out west- has anyone sourced it in Northern California?
Embackus at 2:57PM on 01/19/09
Here's my fav: 1 cup of full-fat Fage, a handul each of goji berries and chopped walnuts, and a tablespoon each of agave syrup and acai powder. Stir, pack into my bento for an all-day-long snack, lunch, snack sequence.
BobbieAnne at 3:32PM on 01/19/09
Liberte has a full-fat mocha yogurt that is absolutely heavenly. I can't afford the fat, so I usually buy plain Western Creamery 1% yogurt. It's nice and thick, like the Liberte brand.
In Quebec, Liberte makes the most delicious creamed cheese. I brought a tub home from my last trip to Montreal, but I can't find it in Toronto.
amandalaird at 4:45PM on 01/19/09
Fage 2%. My first, my last, my everything....(until I have 6 weeks to live and I can have the full-fat Fage).
koshercurry at 5:14PM on 01/19/09
Agree with the Liberté whipped cream cheese - Definitely the best by far (ex-Montrealer here) Occasionally found here in Ottawa.
Liberté Mediterranée I find a bit rich... I do like the texture of the one with grains. Usual yoghourt is President's Choice 2%.
PeanutButter at 5:50PM on 01/19/09
Stonyfield Farms' Yobaby in banana. Heavenly little full-fat yogurt.
PDXbiker at 7:57PM on 01/19/09
Liberte is my weekend yogurt when I am very very lucky, which means when the local cheese store has stocked its tiny yogurt case with the plum/walnut or the peach/passionfruit. It is SO indulgent... right up there with having a whole-milk latte. Better, even.
maryn at 8:03PM on 01/19/09
siggi's skyr is my fave.
kdjmom3 at 8:16PM on 01/19/09
Sorry, I'm faithful to my fat-free Fage. Although maybe my memory is overly flattering -- I haven't had any since I went back to NYC last spring.
piccola at 9:21PM on 01/19/09
Stonyfield Farm - Chocolate Underground.
fatitalianbroad at 12:12PM on 01/20/09
Fat free Fage. No crud floating around in or under it.
brobin at 3:10PM on 01/20/09
i love the lemon flavour...my favourite!!!! it reminds me of lemon meringue pie. I have yet to try the maple syrup flavour...has everyone tried?
vyu1203 at 4:44PM on 01/20/09
Perhaps some of you remember the children's book "Stories Julian Tells" by Ann Cameron. I read it when I was about seven. There's one story in which a father is making some lemon pudding which he describes to his two boys with the phrase, "It will taste like a whole raft of lemons, it will taste like a night on the sea." It wasn't until I moved to Montreal ten years later that I realized the father was actually talking about lemon Liberté Méditerranée yogurt.
golux at 5:54PM on 01/20/09
I tried the grain version of liberte first, so maybe that's why I don't like it. But for everyday - usually full fat yogurt, like Erivan or Fage. For a special treat, though it's not quite yogurt, I love petit montebourg! It's too expensive but so delicious - available at whole foods in the cheese section for those who want to try it.
prunesaregood at 8:34PM on 01/20/09
i love seven stars yogurt. the texture and flavor are amazing. a little more expensive than buying ronnybrook at the greenmarket, but worth it.
boltchloer at 12:51AM on 01/21/09
Brown Cow Yogurt, Cream Top or Lowfat type...I love to stir in a spoonful or two of honey or maple syrup into the plain yogurt...smooth, not-too-sweet,creamy yogurt nirvana. :-)
skyeyes at 9:55AM on 01/21/09
Ronnybrook is wonderful! My second favorite is Brown Cow
rifbat at 11:00AM on 01/21/09
I'm a Fage girl, usually the fat free (into which I stir raisin bran for breakfast). I love adding preserves to the plain 2% Fage.
Amandarama at 11:39AM on 01/21/09
amazing....a health conscious co-worker was just telling me this was the best yogurt and I need to try it. Will definitely be on the lookout for this. thanks!
Gizmosma at 11:44AM on 01/21/09
oh my, so many posts and nobody's given love to the dolce de leche Liberte?
for a long time, it used to be my Sunday treat. I'd get a book and a tub and sit down until both were done. then I gained weight, haha.
it's better than ice cream though!
katrina at 12:28PM on 01/21/09
Love Liberte. Buy here in Vermont all of the time. Was very sad when I went to their website and found all sort of flavors that they don't carry here. However I was sort of glad that they discontinued the bigger containers of the flavored ones b/c I was able to finish them in one sitting.
latenac at 1:58PM on 01/21/09
I am on the look out for it, but I am failing - in Spain, the mama I lived with bought apple yogurt - and it was fantastic! Not too sweet, creamy, thick, small 4oz serving sizes. I can't find it and I want it. Has anyone even seen Apple Yogurt in the US before? I'd settle for that since I can't find the brand she bought there.
csbrown at 2:47PM on 01/21/09
It's my absolute fave stateside! It's the only thing I've found that can compare to the udder deliciousness of Marks and Spencers Organic yogurt tubs in London! The plum and walnut and blackberry are my favorite balls-out full-fat flavors.. but the raspberry grainy one is my "daily dose of pleasure," as the label says..
fetacrackwhore at 8:53AM on 01/22/09
Having read everyone's raves about this product, I bought myself a 6 oz. container of the peach/passionfruit Mediterranee this afternoon. 8.5% milk fat! Dear lord! It is very rich and tasty. Also, it's about a dollar cheaper than the Fage at my market. But, given the amount of fat in it, I don't think it will replace my daily Fage. However, if I could ever track down the plain full fat (which my market did not have) I would use it to make a tzatziki in a heartbeat!
Amandarama at 5:26PM on 01/23/09
Yes Liberte plum walnut, but please search out Butterworks Farm whole Jersey milk yogurt. It's like a craft yogurt, totally badass organic family farm in northern Vermont that grows their own feed/pasture for their localized herd of Jersey cows. The yogurt is Golden colored because the milk is so lovely from these cows!
butterworksfarm.com
mamameggie at 10:26PM on 01/23/09
+1 on the Liberte love. The full-fat Mediteranee is amazing, especially the wild blackberry flavor.
columbusfoodie at 10:27AM on 01/24/09
I love Liberte. I like their plain as well as their fruit on the bottom yogurts. The passion fruit, and the plum(?) and walnut versions are fruity in a pleasant non saccharine kind of way. I also love Browncow's cream on the top yogurt. Their low fat version is disgusting, but oh man..cream on the top is fantastic.
filfila at 1:21PM on 01/24/09
wegman's in allentown, pa carries a small liberte line - a buck a piece, so not cheap, but soooooo worth the indulgence.
sugartoast at 9:41AM on 01/26/09
I am not a big yogurt fan - makes me think of my childhood - sweet syrupy stuff on the bottom with bland yogurt on the top, not so appealing... I tried Greek yogurt for the first time this past weekend (needed it for a recipe) and it was quite tasty. If anyone has any suggestions for good yogurt, let me know :)
ddvierra68 at 4:16PM on 01/27/09
I moved from NY to SF and cannot find Liberte in my local grocery stores and it makes me so sad!
liltham at 12:40AM on 01/30/09
You are 100% right about Liberte! Plum/walnut and peach/passionfruit are my favorites. Also, mocha -- I couldn't find it anywhere and actually emailed the company but they said they weren't selling it in NYC! Never found dulce de leche but would love to try. Emmi is also great: I like grapefruit (great flavor for yogurt -- who knew?) and black cherry.
rteplow at 9:04PM on 01/31/09
having tried different liberte flavors- I have something slightly blasphemous to add: I might prefer Liberte's yogurt over most ice creams.
prunesaregood at 8:01AM on 09/24/09