kefir cream cheese
I made kefir cheese based on these instructions from Cultures for Health.
I added extra milk on Thursday morning and let it sit until this morning around 8am to let it thicken a bit more. Towards the bottom it started to separate, so I thought that was a good sign. I strained it like normal and then set it in the strainer with some cheesecloth over a small bowl. I checked on it after a few hours to make sure it was straining because the strainer I was using has fewer larger holes versus a fine mesh. It was working fine so I checked after 6 hours and decided to let it sit for 8 hours total. That seemed like the right amount, but I do have adjustments.
Notes for next time:
- Start out with more milk because the volume basically cuts in half after straining out the whey
- Use a bigger bowl to prevent the cheese from sitting in the whey
- Let it sit at least 8 hours
Other than that, this cheese turned out tasty. I don't think I will have enough for my recipe tomorrow because the recipe needs 4 ounces, which is what I have, but I forgot that I plan to double the recipe, so I will actually need 8 ounces. I'll make it work somehow, but it definitely won't be the nice ranch I was dreaming about. I'm probably going to try again next weekend and will fill it up to the top.
I added extra milk on Thursday morning and let it sit until this morning around 8am to let it thicken a bit more. Towards the bottom it started to separate, so I thought that was a good sign. I strained it like normal and then set it in the strainer with some cheesecloth over a small bowl. I checked on it after a few hours to make sure it was straining because the strainer I was using has fewer larger holes versus a fine mesh. It was working fine so I checked after 6 hours and decided to let it sit for 8 hours total. That seemed like the right amount, but I do have adjustments.
Notes for next time:
- Start out with more milk because the volume basically cuts in half after straining out the whey
- Use a bigger bowl to prevent the cheese from sitting in the whey
- Let it sit at least 8 hours
Other than that, this cheese turned out tasty. I don't think I will have enough for my recipe tomorrow because the recipe needs 4 ounces, which is what I have, but I forgot that I plan to double the recipe, so I will actually need 8 ounces. I'll make it work somehow, but it definitely won't be the nice ranch I was dreaming about. I'm probably going to try again next weekend and will fill it up to the top.