I got this recipe from Mark Bittman's "How to Cook Everything":
"Fresh Cheese, the Easy Way
MAKES: 6 to 8 servings
TIME: 2 hours, largely unattended
The recipe—and all the variations except for the cream cheese—work with 1 percent, 2 percent, or whole milk,
which of course makes the richest cheeses. If you live near a farm and can find raw whole milk, you’ll get the best
flavor.
1/2 gallon milk
1 quart buttermilk
Salt (optional)
STEP 1. Put the milk in a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring occasionally to keep it
from scorching, until the milk bubbles up the sides of the pot, about 10 minutes.
STEP 2. Line a strainer with a triple layer of cheesecloth or a piece of undyed cotton muslin. Have a long piece of
twine ready.
STEP 3. Add the buttermilk to the boiling milk all at once and stir constantly until the mixture separates into curds and whey; this will take just a minute or so. It will look like cooked egg whites suspended in a slightly thick yellowish
liquid. Remove from the heat and stir in a large pinch of salt if you like.
STEP 4. Carefully pour the mixture through the cloth and strainer so that the curds collect in the bottom and the
whey drains off.
Gather up the corners of the cloth and twist the top to start shaping the curds into a ball. Run
the bundle under cold water until you can handle it. Keep twisting and squeezing out the whey until the bundle
feels firm and dry. Don’t worry about handling it roughly; it can take it.
STEP 5. Tie the string around the top to hold it tight, then tie the string around the handle of a long spoon or a stick to suspend the cheese back over the pot to drain. Let it rest, undisturbed, until cool and set, about 90 minutes. Remove the cloth and serve immediately or wrap in plastic and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Or freeze the cheese for up to 3 months.
Variations:
Fresh Cottage Cheese. Incredible stuff; drain as dry or as moist as you like: Follow the recipe through Step 3. In
Step 4, after you pour the curds and whey through the cheesecloth, simply leave the curds loose in the
strainer until they’ve drained the amount of moisture you desire, anywhere from 30 to 60 minutes. Then
scoop the curds into a container and store in the refrigerator.
Fresh Ricotta. Also unbelievable, especially with top quality milk: Reduce the amount of buttermilk to
1 pint (2 cups) and proceed with the recipe through Step 3. The mixture will look like thickened buttermilk.
In Step 4, after you pour it through the cheesecloth, simply leave the ricotta in the strainer until it
has reached the texture you like, anywhere from 30 to 60 minutes. Then scoop the ricotta into a container
and store in the refrigerator. Fresh Cream Cheese. So rich, you won’t believe it: Use 1 quart of heavy cream instead of the milk and reduce the buttermilk to 1 pint.
Fresh Cream Cheese. So rich, you won’t believe it: Use 1 quart of heavy cream instead of the milk and reduce
the buttermilk to 1 pint.
Fresh Goat Cheese. Tangy and creamy and cow’s-milk free: Substitute goat’s milk for the cow’s milk and
1 pint goat’s milk yogurt for the buttermilk."
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