Fresh Farmer's Cheese

By
John Mitzewich
John Mitzewich
John Mitzewich is a food writer, recipe video producer, and culinary school instructor with more than 20 years of experience in the food industry.
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Updated on 12/10/19
Bagels and farmer's cheese

stu_spivack / Flickr / CC2.0
Prep: 5 mins
Cook: 20 mins
Total: 25 mins
Servings: 4 servings
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
225 Calories
12g Fat
18g Carbs
12g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories 225
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 12g 15%
Saturated Fat 7g 34%
Cholesterol 38mg 13%
Sodium 1106mg 48%
Total Carbohydrate 18g 6%
Dietary Fiber 0g 0%
Protein 12g
Calcium 417mg 32%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

This farmer's cheese recipe will show you how fun and easy it is making your own fresh white cheese at home. This cheese recipe uses plain milk, requires no special equipment, and produces a homemade cheese that's a sort of cross between cream cheese and a ricotta.

Ingredients

  • 2 quarts milk (whole; use pasteurized, instead of ultra-pasteurized, if available)
  • 2 cup buttermilk
  • 1 tablespoon white vinegar
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons salt

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

  2. In a heavy-bottomed pot, over low heat, slowly heat the milk up, stirring often, until it is just about to simmer (about 180 F).

  3. Stir in the buttermilk, and then the vinegar, and turn off the heat. Very slowly stir until you see the milk separating into curds (the solids) and whey (the liquid). Leave undisturbed for 10 minutes.

  4. Line a large strainer with 2 layers of cheesecloth, and place over a stockpot to catch the whey. After the 10 minutes, ladle the curds into the cheesecloth, and allow the whey to drain for 10 minutes. Gather up the edges of the cheesecloth, and tie a string around the top to form a bundle.

  5. Tie the string to a wooden spoon or dowel, and hang the cheese curds over the stockpot and continue draining for 30 minutes.

  6. After draining, remove the cheese from the cloth, and transfer it into a container. Stir in the salt and refrigerate. This fresh cheese can be used for up to 5 days. Use as a spread, or as you would use cream cheese, or cottage cheese.

  7. Enjoy!

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