I realized how cheesecloth got it’s name when I used it for it’s original purpose! I know it’s obvious, but when I dumped the cheese into the cheesecloth, I was quite pleased.
I’d been wanting to try my hand at making cheese, so when I spotted a gallon of organic milk for half price the other day, I jumped on it. Farmer’s cheese is made all over the world. It’s essentially curdled milk with the whey drained out, which leaves a soft, mild white cheese. It’s pretty simple to make.
- Start with a gallon of milk. Don’t buy ultra pasteurized because it won’t work. Pour the milk into a large pot and add a dash of salt. I also added some black pepper to mine. You could add other spices if you want. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally to avoid scorching the bottom. Turn off the heat.
- Stir in about 1/4 cup of lemon juice or vinegar. Let sit for a few minutes to fully curdle.
- Line a colander with cheesecloth (!) and sit it over a large bowl. The whey should be yellow. Dump the curdled milk and whey into the cheesecloth so the whey will drain out. Squeeze out as much as you can. If it’s white, there is still plenty of cheese to be made so boil and curdle it again. Transfer the cheese into a container and keep it in the refrigerator.
This makes quite a bit of cheese. I ate it with bread, crackers, and fresh veggies. And I used it on a white pizza with fennel, red onion, garlic, olive oil, and salt. You can replace ricotta with farmer’s cheese in lasagna, manicotti, etc. Next time I’ll add some fresh herbs to it. Maybe some garlic, like Boursin. I should find some goat’s milk and make chevre.
With the leftover whey, I tried to make this Norwegian cheese called gjetost by cooking down the whey, but it ended up solid as a rock. I think I cooked it too long. I did try it before it got to that point, however, and it had a unique caramelized flavor. I’ll try again and let you know if it works.
papaver 