Farmer's Cheese
If you've never made Farmer's Cheese, this recipe is an easy, three ingredient, process. If you ever have milk in the fridge that is at it's use by date and not quite what you want to drink; this cheese is a great alternative to throwing away the milk. If you're not familiar with what Farmer's Cheese is, think of it as a cross between a ricotta and a cottage cheese. It can be a substitute for feta with a milder taste. You can add herbs of your choice or some fruit and serve it in a variety of ways. Used on pizza, in a salad or as your cheese curds with gravy on our favorite, poutine, it's a great way to extend that milk and make some delicious meals. This recipe is using 1 gallon of whole milk but you can reduce the ingredients based on what you need to use up.
Equipment
- 1 Pot large enough to hold your milk with space to spare
- 1 large spoon we use a wooden spoon but any will do
- 1 set measuring cups and spoons
- 1 cheese cloth or muslin for straining curds
- 1 string, tie or elastic used to hold cloth shut while draining
- 1 strainer
- 1 bowl optional if hanging to drain
Ingredients
- 1 gallon whole milk Skim or alternate milks will not work as the fat is what makes the cheese curds
- 1/2 cup lemon juice
- 2 tbsp white vinegar
Instructions
- Pour milk into pot
- Heat on stove just until milk comes to a boil and immediately remove from heat
- Add lemon juice and white vinegar and stir until curds form
- Let cool and then strain (if straining in fridge overnight put strainer in bowl and add something heavy on top of your cloth to help force the liquid from the curds)
- Let strain at least 5 hours or overnight in the fridge
- Once strained, remove from cloth and break apart into sized curds you wish for whatever you are making with your farmer's cheese
Video
Notes
This should last in the fridge for a week or two. You can add herbs, scallions, fruit, however you would normally use the cheese your substituting for. It's great on pizza as a substitute for feta cheese but has a milder taste.
**When straining this, you can tie the cloth and hang from your faucet in the sink or you can place your strainer over a bowl, close the cloth over the cheese and place a weight on top. If hanging to strain, periodically give the cloth a squeeze to ensure the liquid is draining well. If putting in the fridge you can make early in the morning to use that night or at night to use the next day.