Wow yourself with this delicious homemade CHEESE!

Today I'm sharing how I make this simple, homemade cheese! 

This cheese is called Farmers Cheese or Paneer Cheese. It has a different name in each European country. 

I really enjoy making this cheese because:

• ​​It only uses "normal" everyday ingredients. No extra cultures, rennet, etc. You don't even need a cheese thermometer.
• It doesn't take very long to make. Most other cheeses have to sit overnight, get pressed, all that sort of stuff. You don't have to deal with any of that when making Farmer's Cheese! The process is complete in 1.5- 2 hours.
• You can flavor it with any herbs or seasonings you want! Some of my favorites are: oregano, parsley, rosemary and thyme.

INGREDIENTS:

2 Half Gallons Blue Goose Farm raw milk
1/2 cup white vinegar or lemon juice
1 tsp. salt
Herbs or seasonings to taste 

 
 

Okay! I'm going to jump into the process of making Farmer's Cheese. 

Step 1: Pour two half gallons Blue Goose Farm raw milk into a large pot. Turn the stove on medium to low heat. Stir regularly. 

Step 2: Continue stirring until the milk starts to foam at the top and is close to boiling. The trick is to catch it just before it starts to boil. You'll see foam and very tiny bubbles coming up. (If you have a cooking thermometer, this point is around 190 F.)

Step 3: Remove the pot of hot milk from the heat. Then pour 1/2 cup of white vinegar in. Mix in the vinegar gently but thoroughly. This is when the magic happens! You will be able to see the cheese curds immediately forming. So awesome! You are making cheese--give yourself a pat on the back. :)

Step 4: Let the cheese curd mixture sit for fifteen minutes. While it is "doing its cheese thing" you can prep for the next steps. Prepare your salt and herbs-- it can be whatever you want!
This is also the time to prep for straining. I use a colander bowl set in a cooler. What you want here is a smaller colander that you can pour the cheese and whey mixture into. The whey needs to be able to drain from the curds. Place your muslin or cotton cloth inside the colander and secure to the sides with clothespins.

Step 5: Once the fifteen minutes is up, stir in your herbs and salt. Then pour the cheese mixture into the lined colander. Let all the whey drain out for a few minutes. Then gather up your ball of cheese and twist the top of the cloth shut. Gently pat and squeeze the excess whey out of the cheese with one handing while holding it with the other. 

The cheese is still hot, so be careful. Work slowly and carefully. You want to squeeze enough whey out so your cheese has a nice form, but not so much that it's dry and crumbly.

Step 6: Place your cheese ball (still covered in the cloth) on a small plate. Next use another plate to press down and form the cheese. This is not to get more whey out, but rather just to form the cheese into a nice shape for cutting slices. 

Step 7: Once you are satisfied with the shape of the cheese, place it in the refrigerator for a few hours, with the cheese cloth still on. In a few hours, it's time to take the cloth off and cut yourself a delicious slice of the cheese! If it's not salty enough, you can always add more salt before eating. 

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Mmmm! This cheese is so yummy. It doesn't last long around here. 

Please leave me a comment with any questions you have! I would love to help. :)

Happy Cheesemaking!
Farmer Robert