Making Paneer - Trial #1 (Lime Juice)
Every time I make paneer, the yield seems to vary depending on the brand of milk and the acid used to coagulate the milk protein. I've decided to start keeping track to find out what works best for me. So far, 1 oz of cheese per cup of milk used seems to be the average yield.
Making Paneer
8 cups 2% milk, Beatrice brand
1/4 cup acid, citric (ie lime juice or lemon juice) or white vinegar
In a large pot, at medium high heat, bring the milk just to the boil or 200 deg F (90 deg C), stirring constantly. Pour in acid slowly stirring gently in one direction. Take the pot off the heat and let sit for 10 minutes until the acid has coagulated all of the protein in the milk into curds.
Observations: Although larger curds formed, they seem to break down into a smaller size as the milk kept bubbling with the residual heat. It seemed like I had LESS curd as the coagulation progressed.
Pour the contents of the pot into a colander or sieve lined with several layers of cheesecloth or a linen towel. (NO fuzzy towels.)
Curds ...
... and whey
Rinse the curds gently with cold water.
Gather the cloth keeping the ball of curds/cheese in the middle. Squeeze to get as much liquid as possible out of the cheese. Wrap into a ball, place on a large plate and then place a heavy weight onto the cheese and refrigerate for 1 hour or overnight.
Remove the cheesecloth from the cheese, wrap in saran wrap and freeze if not going to use immediately.
Total weight of cheese ~ 8 oz (200 gm)
Making Paneer
8 cups 2% milk, Beatrice brand
1/4 cup acid, citric (ie lime juice or lemon juice) or white vinegar
In a large pot, at medium high heat, bring the milk just to the boil or 200 deg F (90 deg C), stirring constantly. Pour in acid slowly stirring gently in one direction. Take the pot off the heat and let sit for 10 minutes until the acid has coagulated all of the protein in the milk into curds.
Observations: Although larger curds formed, they seem to break down into a smaller size as the milk kept bubbling with the residual heat. It seemed like I had LESS curd as the coagulation progressed.
Pour the contents of the pot into a colander or sieve lined with several layers of cheesecloth or a linen towel. (NO fuzzy towels.)
Curds ...
... and whey
Rinse the curds gently with cold water.
Gather the cloth keeping the ball of curds/cheese in the middle. Squeeze to get as much liquid as possible out of the cheese. Wrap into a ball, place on a large plate and then place a heavy weight onto the cheese and refrigerate for 1 hour or overnight.
Remove the cheesecloth from the cheese, wrap in saran wrap and freeze if not going to use immediately.
Total weight of cheese ~ 8 oz (200 gm)