Quark Recipe
Not the subatomic particle but the cheese. Quark is a versatile low fat cheese (1/3 the calories and fat of sour cream) which is popular in Europe. It can be used in place of sour cream, cream cheese, and heavy cream. We find it to be the most useful of all the soft cheeses I make.
Ingredients:
1 gallon pasteurized (can be homogenized) milk
1 quart of buttermilk, preferably Bulgarian culture
1/4 cup of cold non-chlorinated water
1/4 tablet of Junket rennet or 2 drops liquid rennet
1. Heat milk to 86 degrees F. Add buttermilk and let stand for 12-14 hours at room temperature (68-75 degrees). The mix should turn into a thick buttermilk.
2. Dissolve the rennet (junket or liquid) in the water, Add to the milk/buttermilk solution. When you press the curd it should be somewhat solid and springy like Jello. Surface should be shiny.
3. Line a large colander or strainer with cheesecloth.
4. Ladle the set milk into the colander and let the whey run out into a container or,alternatively, hang in a muslin or cheescloth bag. Let the quark drain 8-16 hours, depending on how moist you want the cheese to be.
5. When you take the quark out of the cheesecloth it will be lumpy. To smooth it out use a whisk.
Yield: 1 2/3 quarts.
Notes:
1. If your water is chlorinated add a little milk (just enough to make it cloudy) and then add the rennet.
2. Bulgarian culture buttermilk may sound exotic but it is widely available
(in Seattle at most supermarket chains).
Not the subatomic particle but the cheese. Quark is a versatile low fat cheese (1/3 the calories and fat of sour cream) which is popular in Europe. It can be used in place of sour cream, cream cheese, and heavy cream. We find it to be the most useful of all the soft cheeses I make.
Ingredients:
1 gallon pasteurized (can be homogenized) milk
1 quart of buttermilk, preferably Bulgarian culture
1/4 cup of cold non-chlorinated water
1/4 tablet of Junket rennet or 2 drops liquid rennet
1. Heat milk to 86 degrees F. Add buttermilk and let stand for 12-14 hours at room temperature (68-75 degrees). The mix should turn into a thick buttermilk.
2. Dissolve the rennet (junket or liquid) in the water, Add to the milk/buttermilk solution. When you press the curd it should be somewhat solid and springy like Jello. Surface should be shiny.
3. Line a large colander or strainer with cheesecloth.
4. Ladle the set milk into the colander and let the whey run out into a container or,alternatively, hang in a muslin or cheescloth bag. Let the quark drain 8-16 hours, depending on how moist you want the cheese to be.
5. When you take the quark out of the cheesecloth it will be lumpy. To smooth it out use a whisk.
Yield: 1 2/3 quarts.
Notes:
1. If your water is chlorinated add a little milk (just enough to make it cloudy) and then add the rennet.
2. Bulgarian culture buttermilk may sound exotic but it is widely available
(in Seattle at most supermarket chains).
Cotswold Recipe
A cheddar type cheese with added dried chives and dried onion. Adapted from Making Artisan Cheese, Tim Smith.
Ingredients:
2 gallons raw or pasteurized whole milk
1/4 t. MA culture
1/16 t. annato
3/8 t. liquid rennet
2 t. dehydrated chives
1. Heat the milk to 90 degrees F.
2. Stir in MA culture for several minutes.
3. Let milk ripen for 45 minutes, holding the temperature.
4. Dilute rennet in 1/4 cup non-chlorinated water. Add to milk, stirring in with 25 strokes. Still the milk.
5. Let the milk sit for 45 minutes or until you have a clean break. Cut curd 1/4".
6. Gently stir the curd for 20 minutes.
7. In a double boiler bring the temperature to 100 degrees F. over 35 minutes.
8. Let the curd set for 30 minutes, stirring continually. Make sure you maintain the temperature at 100 degrees. Let the curds rest for five minutes.
9. Drain all the whey.
10. Add two tablespoons salt, the dried chives, and dried onions. Mix well so that the ingredients are evenly distributed.
11. Put the curds into a cheesecloth lined mold and press with 90 pounds of pressure for one hour. Redress the cheese in the cheesecloth and press with 190 pounds of pressure for 10 hours.
12. Remove from cheesecloth and air dry until dry to the touch.
13. Wax the cheese.
14. Age the cheese for at least three months.
Notes:
1. If using pasteurized milk, add 3/8 t. Calcium Chloride before adding rennet.
2. When heating the milk to 100 degrees be sure not to heat the milk too quickly at the beginning of cooking.
A cheddar type cheese with added dried chives and dried onion. Adapted from Making Artisan Cheese, Tim Smith.
Ingredients:
2 gallons raw or pasteurized whole milk
1/4 t. MA culture
1/16 t. annato
3/8 t. liquid rennet
2 t. dehydrated chives
1. Heat the milk to 90 degrees F.
2. Stir in MA culture for several minutes.
3. Let milk ripen for 45 minutes, holding the temperature.
4. Dilute rennet in 1/4 cup non-chlorinated water. Add to milk, stirring in with 25 strokes. Still the milk.
5. Let the milk sit for 45 minutes or until you have a clean break. Cut curd 1/4".
6. Gently stir the curd for 20 minutes.
7. In a double boiler bring the temperature to 100 degrees F. over 35 minutes.
8. Let the curd set for 30 minutes, stirring continually. Make sure you maintain the temperature at 100 degrees. Let the curds rest for five minutes.
9. Drain all the whey.
10. Add two tablespoons salt, the dried chives, and dried onions. Mix well so that the ingredients are evenly distributed.
11. Put the curds into a cheesecloth lined mold and press with 90 pounds of pressure for one hour. Redress the cheese in the cheesecloth and press with 190 pounds of pressure for 10 hours.
12. Remove from cheesecloth and air dry until dry to the touch.
13. Wax the cheese.
14. Age the cheese for at least three months.
Notes:
1. If using pasteurized milk, add 3/8 t. Calcium Chloride before adding rennet.
2. When heating the milk to 100 degrees be sure not to heat the milk too quickly at the beginning of cooking.
