Farmer’s Cheese

Yield: 2 cups

 

 

Ingredients:

 

 

1/2 gallon whole milk

 

2 cups buttermilk

 

 

Directions:

 

Place milk and buttermilk in a heavy, stainless steel stockpot.

 

Stir thoroughly.

 

Heat milk over medium heat to 180° F.

 

Chef’s Note: Do not hurry heating the milk. A smoother product occur when the milk is slowly heated. Milk with thicken around 150° F. It will break into curds and whey around 170°F.

 

Stir very slowly, occasionally with a wooden spoon until the milk reaches 150°F. to prevent milk from sticking to the bottom of the pot.

 

Once the milk reaches 150°F, stir more frequently, at a very slow rate so that the milk moves within the stockpot but the stirring does not create any ripples on the surface.

 

When the mixture reaches 180° F. set the stock pot on a pad on the counter for 30 minutes.

 

Layer 2 sheets of cheesecloth inside a large colander over another pot or bowl large enough to hold the whey contents of the stockpot.

 

Place another bowl, large enough to hold the colander, next to the bowl and colander.

 

Remove the curds from the whey with a slotted spoon and place on top of the cheese cloth in the collander Gently pour the whey through the cheesecloth.

 

Lift the colander from the first container and allow to drain until only drops are coming off the curds.

 

Place the colander in the second bowl. Allow to drain for 30 minutes.

 

 

Chef’s Note: Bottle the whey in sterilized glass containers and chill for use as one would you use no fat milk.

 

 

After the 30 minutes have passed, close the cheesecloth around the cheese, gently squeeze out any remaining whey and chill the farmer’s cheese in an airtight container for up to three days.