The idea for this article came up when I found a gallon of sour milk in the fridge, earlier this week. What to do, what to do? 😀
This was a familiar situation: When I was growing up, every other bottle of milk my mom or aunt would buy from the grocery store was sour. They would never throw the milk away, though. Instead, they would use it to make farmer cheese.
“Farmer cheese, cottage cheese, and ricotta are all fresh cheeses made by curdling milk with an acidic ingredient, such as vinegar, lemon juice, or citric acid. Farmer cheese is typically dryer and firmer than both cottage cheese and ricotta.”
In my experience, whole milk and 2% milk to work equally well. Fat-free or ultra-pasteurized milk will not work, though.
The cheese-making process is as follows:
1. Pour 1 gallon milk into a large pot, and bring to boil over medium heat.
2. Turn off the heat and add the juice of 2 lemons *or* 1/2 cup white vinegar. Stir.
3. The milk will start to curdle. The goal is for the milk to fully separate into cheese curds and a yellow liquid called whey. Add a bit more lemon juice or vinegar, if needed, to accomplish full separation.
4. Pour the curdled milk into a cheesecloth over a large mixing bowl.
5. Tie the cloth and hang it from the kitchen cabinet, collecting the whey in the mixing bowl below.
6. A few hours later, when there’s no more whey dripping from the cloth, take the cheese out of the cloth, and add salt, pepper etc. as per your preferences.
We always add salt etc. at the end, but I have seen recipes that call for these to be added at the milk curdling stage.
We use the whey in soups.
For a great overview of sour milk uses, you are welcome to check out the Bon Appétit article “Your *Expired* Milk Still Has So Much More to Give.”(2020)
You can eat the cheese on its own (we love it as it is, super creamy and wholesome) or you can use it as sandwich spread, topping for eggs, pizza etc.
*If your milk has already curdled and smells rancid, do not try to make cheese. Look for just the first signs of souring. As stated in the Bon Appétit article referenced above, “There’s a difference between the faintly tangy milk in your fridge and the clumpy milk in a sippy cup that you found behind the couch. The latter is best sent to the sink while the former is, with a little creativity, drinkable, enjoyable, and prized.” If in doubt, just don’t do it, imo 😀
Do you make cheese at home? I would love to learn from you 😀
Farmer cheese
Ingredients
- 1 gallon whole or 2% milk
- Juice of 2 lemons *OR* 1/2 cup white vinegar + extra, if needed
- Salt and pepper to taste (optional)
Instructions
- Pour the milk into a large pot, and bring to boil over medium heat.
- Turn off the heat and add the lemon juice/vinegar. Stir. The milk will start to curdle. The goal is for the milk to fully separate into cheese curds and a yellow liquid called whey. Add a bit more lemon juice or vinegar, if needed, to accomplish full separation.
- Pour the curdled milk into a cheesecloth over a large mixing bowl. Tie the cloth and hang it from the kitchen cabinet, collecting the whey in the mixing bowl below.
- A few hours later, when there's no more whey dripping from the cloth, take the cheese out of the cloth, and add salt, pepper etc. as per your preferences. You can eat the cheese on its own or use it as sandwich spread, topping for eggs, pizza etc.
- Enjoy!
I’ve made cheese before by adding kefir to boiling milk. I never tried it with 2%, but good to know that it works too! To make cheese more dense, I put some form of heavy weight on refrigerated cheese overnight – in cheese cloth, of course, to keep its shape
I didn’t know about kefir and boiling milk, and about heavy weight, respectively. Great tips! Thank you so much for sharing, Marina 🙂