Homemade Farmer's Cheese
This humble homemade cheese uses just a handful of ingredients and no specialty equipment. Serve with breadsticks, Crudité, Pita Chips, as part of an Antipasto Platter, crumble on salads, enjoy with a drizzle of honey or along with fresh fruit, the list goes on!
Servings: 32 tablespoons
Ingredients
- 8 cups (1/2 gallon) whole milk
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt (optional)
- 5 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
Instructions
- Warm the milk. Add the milk and salt (if using) to a large heavy-bottomed pot. Heat over medium-low for about 30 to 40 minutes, stirring occasionally to avoid scorching and never allowing the milk to boil.
- Make the curds. As the milk heats up, you should see steam and tiny bubbles forming at the edges of the pot. When this happens, begin to slowly pour in the vinegar. Gently stir briefly with a wooden spoon, then wait about one minute before stirring again. The milk should curdle and turn a yellowish color.
- Cool. Remove from the heat and cool at room temperature, about 30 minutes to 1 hour.
- Form the cheese. Line a sieve with a cheesecloth and place it over a large bowl. Pour the cheese mixture into the cheesecloth, then gather the cheesecloth around the curds and squeeze to drain excess water (the water/whey should run clear at some point). For a crumbly cheese, squeeze all the water (whey) out. For a creamier cheese, leave a little bit of the whey moisture in. You can discard the whey or keep it for another use (see notes).
- Use or store. Transfer the cheese to a glass container with a tight lid. Use immediately or refrigerate, tightly covered, for up to 1 week.
Notes
- Visit our shop to browse quality Mediterranean ingredients including olive oils, honey, jams, and spices.
- No cheesecloth? Line a fine mesh strainer with a large coffee filter, thin clean tea towel, or paper towels.
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This recipe makes an acid whey with salt, so it will add a tangy, slightly salty layer to dishes—use sparingly as the flavor can dominate. Some ideas:
- Baking: Substitute some of the water or milk in baked goods, like bread or Blueberry Muffins.
- Smoothies: Add a small amount of whey to smoothies, like our Minty Green Smoothie.
- In soup: Add in place of some of the broth for depth of flavor.
- To cook veggies: When you reduce whey, it forms a beautiful glaze for cooking vegetables that gives them almost a pickled vibe (you see this in fancy restaurants sometimes). Simply stew small-chopped veggies in whey, stirring often until softened and glazed.
- Cooking grains: Replace a half cup or so of the water when you cook grains, from Farro, Basmati Rice, and beyond.
Nutrition
Calories: 37.1kcal | Carbohydrates: 2.8g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 1.1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 7.3mg | Sodium: 95.9mg | Potassium: 91.6mg | Sugar: 2.9g | Vitamin A: 98.8IU | Calcium: 75.2mg | Iron: 0.001mg
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