by Courtney Meyerhofer
One of the best things about milk is….cheese.
As the weather warms up, it’s the perfect time to make cool, creamy cheese that you can eat with anything.
Anyone with a pot, some milk, and vinegar or cultures can make their own soft cheese.
Unlike hard cheese like cheddar and gouda, soft cheese is ready straight away without any drying or aging.
Cottage cheese. Cream cheese. Fromage blanc. Mascarpone.
All of these are soft cheeses that are delicious on eggs, on pizza, with fruit, or spread on toast.
Soft cheese is simple and decidedly un-fussy. Here are some tips for success.
Don’t Skip the Warm-Up
Warming up the milk before adding cultures sets you up for cheesemaking success because a little heat makes the good bacteria thrive.
Set a timer
Cheese has to follow a timeline, and it’s different for each culture and cheese type. Make sure to plan ahead so you can strain the cheese after the specified time.
Good cheese cannot be rushed!
Get the Cultures
Cottage cheese is easily made with just milk and vinegar, but anything else requires the assistance of helpful, friendly bacteria to culture.
Tried and true Cheese Cultures:
New England Cheesemaking Company – I like the soft cheese sample pack
If you want to try homemade cheese without the cultures, try our fool-proof 2-ingredient cottage cheese recipe.
If you’re ready for local, grass fed raw A2 milk, we’ve got you covered.
Check out the details of our Raw Milk co-op.