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The Spruce Eats / Katarina Zunic
Kajmak is a Serbian / Croatian fresh, unripened or "new" cheese made from unpasteurized, unhomogenized milk.
It's usually served with bread as an appetizer (lepinja sa kajmakom), but also as a condiment melted on the Balkan version of a hamburger patty (pljeskavica sa kajmakom), as well as simmered with beef shank meat (ribic u kajmaku), or tucked in pita bread with cevapcici sausages.
While this recipe produces a young kajmak which is to be consumed immediately, traditional Serbian kajmak can also be matured, in wooden vessels called čabrica, with salt being added to the layers of kajmak and maturation for several months. In this process, excess liquid drains from the maturing kajmak, producing an even richer final product.
If left to ferment, aged kajmak has a stronger taste and is yellow in color, and is required for a pastry (pita) called gibanica.
Ingredients
- 2 quarts unpasteurized, unhomogenized (raw) cow milk (or sheep milk)
- 1 teaspoon salt
Steps to Make It
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Gather the ingredients.
The Spruce Eats / Katarina Zunic -
In a medium saucepan, bring the milk to a rolling boil.
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Turn off heat and let cool completely without stirring (4 to 5 hours).
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Skim off the cream that has accumulated on top and refrigerate.
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Repeat the boiling and cooling process several times, skimming off the cream and adding it to a container in the refrigerator.
The Spruce Eats / Katarina Zunic -
Add salt and mix well.
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Store in an airtight container refrigerated for up to 2 weeks.
The Spruce Eats / Katarina Zunic
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