Farmers Cheese/Chevre'

I cut up a sheet and boiled it and hung it on the line for cheesecloth. I'm sure "real" cheesecloth from Hoeggers would be better but I just couldn't afford it and kept saying to myself "The pioneers made dairy products and didn't have NOTHING hardly so I can do THIS." But for my latest batches I've just used the strainer.
 
Just a plain white cotton sheet?

I would like to make this but need alittle help. First on some of the recipes it shows using whole milk & butter milk. The recipe here only shows milk. I am planning to use fresh cows milk after skimming the cream.
 
SillySoap said:
Just a plain white cotton sheet?

I would like to make this but need alittle help. First on some of the recipes it shows using whole milk & butter milk. The recipe here only shows milk. I am planning to use fresh cows milk after skimming the cream.
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You can use just about any type of breathable cloth just wash it really good and AIR dry it (don't want the chemicals from fabric softener to flavor your cheese!) And too if it's colored cloth make sure the colors don't bleed... you don't want red fabric dye on your cheese either...

buttermilk adds bacteria cultures to it to give it a different flavor... example some people use buttermilk to make cheddar and give it that added flavor. Now when recipes call for buttermilk it's not what's left over after making butter but it's the cultured stuff they have at the store...

But if you are just wanting a simple cheese then milk and acid will work fine! I made cheese by accident once by pouring some warm milk over some really tart blackberries, I left it sit for a min to go get something for the kiddos I came back to add a sprinkle of sugar and had curds forming! It looked awful but tasted soooo goood!!!!
 
Crimson Rose, thank you! I am so excited to make this. I also have some old pillow cases that I can use to boil & make my "cheese cloth", glad I was able to find something to use them for.
 
Hmmmm. This sounds simple enough that I should try it. I have been wanting to do cheese forever- I think it's time to start! I have ACV and I have a kombucha vinegar (that I left too long to drink!). Do you just eyeball it and see what looks right? If I have never done it before, how do I know it is "right"?

OK, stopping now so I don't freak myself out. I AM trying this tomorrow morning!

edited to add:

Oh, and tell me more about riccota from whey?? I love riccota!
 
I'm so excited! Just came back from errands, and at the dollar store I found wire mesh strainers, medium (not as big as a colandar) for just a dollar each! I bought 5 or 6.

Also got some cheap plastic storage containers, 4 for a dollar. Will do what I mentioned earlier: punch holes in one, place it in another, put the curds in the one with the holes, and place yet another on top, weighted down. That leaves me yet another for whatever!

Cheesecloth and muslin at wallyworld. Wanted to see the dif. Don't have any pillowcases that would work (can't see making cheese in sponge-bob ... that's just weird). Will experiment next since I already made this week's cheese (garlic and spinach).

As far as measuring .. I used to. Now I just eye-ball it. For about a gallon of whole goat milk, I pour probably 1/4 cup of apple cider vinegar (but just guessing). If it's not enough (if I don't see enough separation quick enough), I pour in a little more until it's just the way (whey!) I like it.

Don't freak out.

Remember, if you mess it up, you can always feed it to the chickens! Or just boil boil boil boil boil (did I say boil) with NO salt, stirring regularly so it won't burn, until it reduces to a lot of brownish glop. A little more boiling, press into a container with a top, refrigerate, and you have norweigan cheese (i forget the name ... from my hubby's heritage). Has a VERY strong taste. Can add dill and onion powder a little before it gets firm.
 
OK, now what do I do? I only made about a quart of milk since I wanted the other quart of my (expensive) non-ultrapasteurized milk for yogurt. I added ACV and it separated! Yeah! I poured it into a jelly bag in a colander with a pot of water on top of it for weight. Now what do I do? Refrigerate overnight before packaging and mixing in flavors? And can someone tell me more about using the whey for riccotta?? Or what else can I use it for?
 
valmom said:
OK, now what do I do? I only made about a quart of milk since I wanted the other quart of my (expensive) non-ultrapasteurized milk for yogurt. I added ACV and it separated! Yeah! I poured it into a jelly bag in a colander with a pot of water on top of it for weight. Now what do I do? Refrigerate overnight before packaging and mixing in flavors? And can someone tell me more about using the whey for riccotta?? Or what else can I use it for?
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You don't have to do anything except season it! it is ready to eat, or you can store it and it keeps about a week. Or freeze it if you make a lot and have too much.

I have made ricotta from the whey when you make farmer cheese, but you have to have some "white" left in the whey for the ricotta to work. Some batches of farmer cheese that I made really took all the "curd" out and there wasn't enough left to make ricotta from the whey. When you are done with making ricotta and the whey is leftover, THAT whey is kinda more clearish/yellowish/watery looking. I have made ricotta from whey that is still more "white" and it came out better. I hope that helps, maybe someone has a more scientific explanation.
 
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