Homemade Fresh Cheese

Just three ingredients separate you from homemade cheese that you can use as a spread or serve as a side dish with cold cuts.

Details

  • Preparation Time: 115 minutes
  • Cooking Time: 10 minutes
  • Difficulty: 2
  • Spiciness: 0
  • Number of Servings: 6

Ingredients

  • 1 l Milk, whole milk

  • pieces Juice, lemon

  • 0.5 teaspoons Salt, table

Steps

  1. Pour the milk into a pot and heat it until it boils. Stir it occasionally while heating to prevent a skin from forming on the surface. When bubbles start to form around the edges of the pot, add the lemon juice and stir. Curds should start to form in the milk. If the liquid doesn't separate from the cheese within a minute, add a bit more lemon juice. Remove from heat and let it sit for 15 minutes.

  2. Take another pot and place a fine-mesh strainer over it, lining the strainer with cheesecloth. Pour the liquid with the cheese into the strainer and let it sit for about half an hour to drain. A lump of cheese will form in the center. Wrap it in the cheesecloth and let it sit for another half hour to remove excess liquid. You can gently press with your hands to speed up the process.

  3. Transfer the cheese to a deep plate and sprinkle it with salt. Mix it well with a fork, then transfer the mixture to a small container—the shape of the container depends on the desired final shape of the cheese. Press it down with a spoon and cover it with plastic wrap. Press it down a bit more and refrigerate for a few hours to let the cheese set and take shape.

  4. Transfer the prepared cheese to a plate and serve.

Nutrition Information (Per 100g)

  • Calories: 61 kcal
  • Fat: 3 g
    • Saturated Fat: 1 g
  • Carbohydrates: 4 g
    • Sugars: 5 g
  • Protein: 3 g
  • Fiber: 0 g

Advice

Instead of lemon juice, you can use two tablespoons of vinegar per liter of milk. Instead of salt, you can also use sugar. So, if the cheese is for breakfast or dessert, its up to the individual. You can sprinkle the cheese with pepper at the end of preparation, or you can add herbs during the process (when mixing in the salt). Basil and chives work exceptionally well. For making homemade cheese, its best to use fresh cows milk or at least full-fat store-bought milk.