Fresh White Cheese Recipe

How to make it

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• Measure the milk into a heavy saucepan or pot, the heavier the better. Stir the buttermilk and lemon juice together thoroughly, then stir the mixture into the milk.
• Set the pan over very low heat (it is desirable to use a heat-tamer mat under even a very thick pot) and begin to heat the milk. If you have a candy/jelly thermometer, attach it to the pan, otherwise, have at hand an instant-reading thermometer for frequent checks on the temperature. Heat the mixture slolwly to a thermometer reading of 175 F. Stir the milk very gently with a pancake turner or similar flat-ended implement once or twice after it begins to thicken, stirring only two or three strokes. Once a thermometer reading of 175 F has been reached, turn off the heat and let the milk stand for 10 minutes undisturbed. Masses of white curd suspended in yellowish liquid (the whey) will appear.
• Line a sieve with two layers of dampened fine cheesecloth or nylon net and set it over a large bowl. Ladle the curds and whey gently into it and drain off the whey until the drip slows after a few minutes. Tie the corners of the cloth to make a loose bag and hang it over the bowl from a cupboard handle or hook. Drain the cheese for about an hour or until the consistency suits you, from creamy to somewhat firm. (Whey is great for breadmaking - I freeze it for future use.) Scrape the cheese into a bowl, cover, and refrigerate it for use within about 5 days.
• For soft, light cheese to serve as is (or with preserves for dessert), turn the drained cheese into a bowl and stir in a little salt and/or a little cream, if you wish. If a smooth texture is wanted, beat the cheese briefly with an electric mixer.
• To mold the cheese pack the drained cheese firmly into a 2-cup bowl lined with cheesecloth. Fold over the ends of the cloth and invert the bowl onto a plate. Refrigerate to drain further for several hours or up to a day. To serve, unmold onto a dish and strip off the cloth.
• Ways to use the finished cheese:
• If you don't use the cheese in recipes you can pepper-coat the cheese by sprinkling the molded cheese thickly with fresh, very coarsely ground black peppper and serve it with crackers.
• You can make herbed cheese by mixing the freshly drained cheese with salt and pepper plus a little mashed garlic and a handful of fresh herbs. A good combination is parsley, chives and thyme and/or tarragon or basil.
• The next recipe I put up will be a recipe for small white cheeses in olive oil and herbs in which you can use this cheese. I will also be putting up some white cheese spreads and dips recipes.