Fresh cheese

The advantage of making your own cheese – yo can add your own flavours you. The pictured cheese is also made completely lactose free

 

Fresh cheese

It is possible you think that making your own fresh cheese is a lot of work and very complicated. That is far from the truth. You make your own fresh cheese relatively quickly, and it’s not particularly complicated. You probably already have all the ingredients you need at home. The advantage of making your own cheese is that you can add the flavours you like yourself. You can also adjust how firm or lose you prefer the cheese. Another great advantage for those with lactose intolerance is to be able to make their own cheese. Although the supply of lactose-free fresh cheeses has increased, one can still have problems finding such cheeses. Especially considering all the flavours, which are found on fresh cheeses with lactose. If you make it yourself, it is you who decides the flavours. In this recipe you get approx. 2 dl or 300 gram finished cheese.

 

Ingredients

1 litre of whole milk (possibly 1.3 litres of whole milk if you omit the cream)
3 dl whipped cream
3 tablespoons vinegar (you can also use lemon juice)
1 tsp salt

 

Flavouring

Salt
Pepper
Chives
Chili pepper

Or everything you want to add of taste according to your own wishes and imagination.

 

Directions

1. Start by preparing the ingredients and equipment. Transfer the milk and perhaps the cream to a suitably large saucepan. Then heat up to 85 °C, it is an advantage if you use a food thermometer. If you do not have it, then at the moment the milk starts to foam slightly, and evaporates it is the right temperature. Just be sure to use a whisk, and stir regularly so that the milk does not burn. Use medium temperature on the plate, even if it takes a little longer. When you have reached the right temperature, pull the pan to the side.
2. Add salt and vinegar, and whisk everything well. Let it all stand for approx. 10 min.
3. The milk mixture will now separate. If you use regular milk and cream, it will be lumpier. On the other hand, if you use lactose-free milk and cream, you get a grainier mixture. If it does not separate enough, then add more vinegar, and wait a little longer. Have a double-folded cheesecloth or a kitchen towel. (If you use a kitchen towel, it is important that you have rinsed it in cold water several times. You should remove all residues of soap; otherwise, fresh cheese attracts taste easily). Put the cheesecloth over a colander, or a strainer, place this over a suitable pot.
4. Carefully pour the liquid into the colander and allow the whey to drain. The whey is the yellowish aqueous residue liquid.

 

This is a good way to let the cheese hang, so that the whey drains off.

 

Drainage of the whey and completion

1. Tie cheese cloth or kitchen towel together. Now let it hang freely over a pot, or similar. This is so that extra liquid will drain off, then you get a firmer cheese. A cheesecloth is thinner than a kitchen towel. Thus, it sufficient if you let it hang for 15-20 min. If you use a kitchen towel, you should let it hang longer. I let mine hang for approx. 40 min. Which gave a nice and soft enough consistency when the cheese was cooled down. If you let it hang longer, you get a firmer cheese.
2. Put the cheese over in a bowl, add spices. Mix everything well and transfer the cheese to a suitable form, box or similar.
3. Put in the fridge. The recipe gave me 2 dl of finished fresh cheese.

 

Fresh cheese served: Fresh cheese is suitable for a lot, and can be used both in baking, on bread and whatever you want. For example, you can make your own crostini, and have your own fresh cheese with tomato, cucumber and basil. Crostini is made so easily that it is not a recipe. Cut baguettes into suitable slices, brush them with olive oil. Then put them a little under the grill in the oven, until they are crispy and golden. Cool on a rack.

 

Crostini with tomato, cucumber, basil, olive oil with its own fresh cheese tastes lovely

 

Allergy: Gluten free. Lactose-free if you use lactose-free milk and cream. Low FODMAP if you make it lactose free. You must use lactose-free milk from cows, not soy milk or the like.

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Read more about different types of cheese: Cheese

You can make cheese from several types of milk. Read more about milk: Milk