The Home Creamery (7 page)

Perhaps it’s the comforting, creamy flavor that cream cheese imparts to dishes that wins over taste buds so quickly. Or maybe it’s the flaky, tender texture it lends to pastries and baked goods. Whatever its allure, the fresh homemade version is even better!

HOMEMADE CREAM CHEESE

INGREDIENTS

6 cups (1½ quarts) whole milk

4 cups (2 pints) heavy cream

1 cup plain cultured yogurt

1 rennet tablet

¼ cup cool water
(55 to 60°F)

Salt

This method for making cream cheese is very easy and relatively quick and gives you creamy, rich-tasting results.

1.

Combine milk, cream, and yogurt in a large pot and stir well. Warm to 100°F over low heat. Check temperature with thermometer. Remove pan from heat.

MAKES ABOUT 1½ POUNDS
PREP TIME: 40 MINUTES

2.

Dissolve rennet tablet in the water in a small bowl. Add to warmed milk mixture, and stir thoroughly for 3 minutes. Cover and let stand for 1 to 1½ hours or until curds are firm and break away from the sides of the pan. The temperature should drop no lower than 85°F. If the temperature does drop below 85°F, slowly reheat to correct temperature.

3.

Cut curds into 2-inch cubes. Let stand 15 minutes undisturbed. Line a colander with a double layer of butter muslin. Pour or, using a perforated shallow ladle, spoon the mixture into a lined strainer. Fold the excess cloth over the curds and set the colander in a large bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate to drain 8 hours or overnight.

ABOUT CREAM CHEESE

According to the food manufacturer Kraft and their Web site,
www.kraft.com
, cream cheese originated in the United States in 1872 when a dairyman in Chester, New York, developed a rich-tasting fresh cheese made from cream as well as whole milk. Then in 1880, New York cheese distributor A. L. Reynolds began distributing cream cheese wrapped in tinfoil wrappers, calling it Philadelphia Brand.

But why did he call it Philadelphia? Reynolds adopted the name “Philadelphia Brand Cream Cheese” for the product because, at that time, top-quality food products often originated in or were associated with the city and were often referred to as being “Philadelphia quality.”

4.

Transfer the drained cheese to a clean bowl, season to taste with salt, and stir well. The cheese is ready to be used in flavored cheese spreads or for cooking.

Store the cheese in an airtight container and refrigerate up to 2 weeks.

MOLDING CREAM CHEESE

Spoon the cheese into small molds and refrigerate until firm. Unmold the cheeses, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for up to 2 weeks.

COTTAGE CHEESE

Commercial cottage cheese is made from cow’s milk
and has a mild flavor and moist texture, with large or small curds. The acidity of homemade cottage cheese may vary with the curd size. Large-curd cottage cheese tends to be more acidic because it uses rennet for coagulation. The curd size of commercial cottage cheese is simply a matter of the processing. “Farmer’s cheese” and “pot cheese” are names given to fresh cheeses that are similar to cottage cheese; they are a little firmer and drier.

Cottage cheese is equally good made with whole, low-fat, and nonfat milk, and it’s extremely versatile. It goes well with fresh vegetables or condiments, such as peppers, olives, or pimientos, as well as with fruits, such as pineapple, peaches, or berries. Low-fat cottage cheese can be used to replace higher-fat cream cheese in desserts such as cheesecake and pastry fillings, and it’s good in savory baked dishes such as lasagna.

LARGE-CURD COTTAGE CHEESE

INGREDIENTS

1 gallon milk, whole, low-fat, or nonfat

¼ teaspoon liquid rennet

2 tablespoons water

¼ cup cultured buttermilk

1 to 2 teaspoons salt

I give a recipe for large-curd cottage cheese because it’s easier to make than small-curd cottage cheese, which takes about 30 hours. To make creamed cottage cheese, stir a little heavy cream or half-and-half into large-curd cottage cheese just before serving.

1.

Pour the milk into a large, heavy-bottomed pot and heat over low heat to 95°F. Check temperature with a thermometer.

MAKES ABOUT 4 CUPS
PREP TIME: 25 MINUTES

2.

Dissolve the rennet in the water in a small cup. Stir the dissolved rennet into the milk for 30 seconds. Stir in the buttermilk. Remove from heat, cover, and let stand 30 minutes to 1 hour or until solid curds form.

3.

Cut curds into 1-inch pieces. Heat the curds with the whey over low heat to 110°F, stirring gently to bring curds from the bottom to the top (stir for the first 5 minutes, then every 5 minutes). It will take about 30 minutes for the curds to reach 110°F.

4.

Pour or ladle the curds into a colander lined with a double layer of butter muslin. Let the whey drain about 5 minutes, then gather together the edges of the muslin and rinse the cheese under cold water, squeezing while rinsing.

5.

Squeeze the cheese dry, then transfer to a medium bowl and add 1 to 2 teaspoons of salt to taste. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use or up to 2 days.

FARMER’S CHEESE

INGREDIENTS

1 gallon whole milk

1 cup plain yogurt

¼ teaspoon liquid rennet

¼ cup cool water
(55 to 60°F)

1 to 2 teaspoons salt

This cheese will take the shape of any mold into which it’s pressed. Serve it unmolded with crackers and fresh fruit, such as sliced apples and pears or fresh strawberries.

1.

Pour the milk and yogurt into a large pot. Heat over low heat, stirring, until the temperature of the mixture reaches 95°F. Check temperature with a thermometer.

MAKES ABOUT 1 POUND
PREP TIME: 50 MINUTES

2.

Dissolve the rennet in the water in a small cup. Stir the dissolved rennet into the milk for 30 seconds. Remove from heat, cover, and let stand 30 minutes to 1 hour or until solid curds form.

3.

Cut the curds into 1-inch pieces. Heat them with the whey over low heat to 120°F, stirring gently to bring curds from the bottom to the top (stir for the first 5 minutes, then every 5 minutes after that). It will take about 30 minutes for the curds to reach 110°F.

4.

Pour or ladle the curds into a colander lined with a double layer of butter muslin. Let the whey drain for 1 hour or until it stops dripping from the cloth.

5.

Transfer the cheese to a medium bowl and add 1 to 2 teaspoons of salt to taste, stirring well.

6.

Line two cheese molds with a double layer of butter muslin. Fill the molds with the cheese, fold the butter muslin over the top, and place about 2 pounds of weight on top. Press for 4 hours in the refrigerator. Remove cheese from molds and remove cloth carefully. Use right away or cover and refrigerate up to 1 week.

RICOTTA

It is simple enough to buy a carton of ricotta cheese
off the grocery store’s shelf, but making fresh ricotta at home is remarkably easy, and the creamy, slightly sweet homemade version is so much better than the rubbery mass you find at the supermarket. Plus, all you need are three everyday ingredients and about an hour.

Ricotta is traditionally made from the whey left over from making buffalo mozzarella, sheep’s milk pecorino, and so forth. Actually, it’s not a cheese but creamy curds. The curds are literally cooked twice, hence the name “ricotta,” which means “recooked” in Italian. The leftover hot whey of milk used for cheese making has milk solids and a protein called albumin, which solidifies under high heat. When the whey is reheated (recooked) the solid milk parts are skimmed off to drain, and this is called ricotta cheese.

But delicious fresh ricotta can also be made by using readily available cow’s milk — or a blend of cow and goat’s milk. This
ricotta tastes and smells like the milk it is made from, so use the best and freshest dairy you can find. You can control the consistency of your cheese by the length of time you drain it. For a drier ricotta, drain for 15 minutes or more; for a ricotta that’s a bit creamier, drain for less than 15 minutes.

The cheese is delicious eaten plain or use it for many sweet and savory dishes. You can use your homemade ricotta in almost any recipe that calls for cottage cheese. It can be used instead of cream cheese to make cheesecake. You can also stir in some herbs and eat the mixture on crackers.

Ricotta salata is a Sicilian specialty made from drained and dried ricotta. It’s used in salads, grated over pasta, and stuffed into some fritters.

HOMEMADE RICOTTA

METHOD 1

INGREDIENTS

1 gallon whole milk

4 cups (1 quart) cultured buttermilk

Salt

I found that this method works best with whole milk. The whey, or creamy yellow liquid that separates from the curds, can be used in any recipe calling for sour milk or buttermilk or in the Twisted Whey-Wheat Rolls on
page 174
.

MAKES ABOUT 1 POUND (2 CUPS)
PREP TIME: 20 MINUTES

1.

Combine the milk and buttermilk in a large, heavy-bottomed pot and heat it until it reaches 180°F. Check with a thermometer, stirring occasionally. Once it has reached 180°F, remove the pot from heat and let it sit for 30 minutes to allow the curds to form. Do not stir the milk mixture or the ricotta will have a grainy, thin texture.

2.

Line a colander with a double layer of butter muslin. Pour or ladle the curds into the colander carefully and let drain for 1 to 2 hours, depending on how dry you want your ricotta.

3.

When the ricotta has drained, transfer it to a bowl, break it up, and stir. Add salt to taste. Use right away, or refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

HOMEMADE RICOTTA

METHOD 2

INGREDIENTS

1 gallon whole milk

⅓ cup white vinegar

1 teaspoon salt

This method takes a little longer for the curds to form, and the resulting product has a slightly tangy flavor due to the vinegar. Its creamy texture and great taste will make you want to eat it right out of the bowl.

1.

Heat the milk in a large, heavy-bottomed pot until it reaches 185°F. Check with a thermometer. Remove from heat, add the vinegar and salt, and stir gently just to mix. Cover the pot and let sit for 2 hours to allow the curds to fully develop. Do not stir, or the ricotta will have a grainy texture.

MAKES ABOUT ¾ POUND (1½ CUPS)
PREP TIME: 20 MINUTES

2.

Line a colander with a double layer of butter muslin. Pour or ladle the mixture into the colander carefully and let the cheese drain for 1 to 2 hours, depending on how dry you want your ricotta.