collections of cheese recipe

Cream Cheese

Ingredients:
1 gallon whole milk
1 quart cultured buttermilk
1/2 teaspoon salt

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Directions:

Pour milk and buttermilk into a large pan and suspend the thermometer in the milk. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally until the termperature reads 170 degrees.

Keep the mixture on the heat and the temperature of the milk between 170 and 175 degrees. After 30 minutes, the mixture should start to separate into curds (the lumps) and whey (the liquid). Line a strainer with several layers of moistened cheesecloth and set it inside a large bowl. Then lift the curds from the milk mixture and lay them in the cheesecloth. Pour the remainder of the whey through the cheesecloth and save the whey for other recipes (buttermilk). Let curds drain at room temperature for 2 to 4 hours.

Remove the cheese from the cheesecloth and place in blender with the salt. Blend until creamy. Store the cheese in small containers with tight fitting lids and refrigerate.

The cheese can also be frozen, thawed and then beaten again in blender until creamy.

This recipe from CDKitchen for Homemade Cream Cheese serves/makes 1

Mozzarella cheese

Ingredients:
1/2 rennet tablet
1/4 cup cool, chlorine-free water (most bottled waters are chlorine-free)
1 gallon milk (2%, 1%, or skim)
2 teaspoons citric acid

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Directions:

Crush the rennet into the water and stir to dissolve. Pour milk into a non-reactive pot (no aluminum or cast iron). Place over medium heat.

Sprinkle the citric acid over the milk and stir a few times. Heat milk to 88 degrees F. Milk will begin to curdle. At 88 degrees F, add the rennet solution and continue stirring slowly every few minutes until the milk reaches 105 degrees F. Turn off the heat. Large curds will appear and begin to separate from the whey (the clear, greenish liquid).

With a slotted spoon or mesh strainer, scoop the curd into a large glass bowl. (If it's still too liquid, let it set for a few more minutes).

Press the curds gently with your hand and pour off as much whey as possible. Microwave curds on high for 1 minute, then drain off all the excess whey. With a spoon, press curds into a ball until cool.

Microwave two more times for 35 seconds each, and continue to drain the whey and work cheese into a ball. In the meantime, place the whey over medium heat and let it heat to about 175 degrees F. When cheese is cool enough to touch, knead it like bread dough until smooth. When you can stretch it like taffy, it is done. You can sprinkle 1 to 2 teaspoons salt into the cheese while kneading and stretching it. The cheese will become stretchy, smooth and shiny. If it is difficult to stretch and breaks easily, dip it into the hot whey for a few seconds to make it warm and pliable. Then pick it up again and stretch it into a long rope. Fold over and stretch again. Dip in hot whey as needed to make the cheese pliable. When the cheese is smooth and shiny (this takes just a few minutes), it is ready to eat.

Shape it into a log or golf-size balls, then store in a solution of 2 teaspoons salt to 1 cup water.

Note: Citric acid and rennet are available through mail order, some pharmacies or health food stores.

This recipe from CDKitchen for Homemade Mozzarella Cheese serves/makes 12 ounces

Homemade Cottage Cheese Recipe

sour milk
1 quart hot water
cream
melted butter
salt

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Directions:

Heat the sour milk until it reaches 100*. When it reaches this temp., pour into a strainer lined with cheese cloth. Pour over 1 quart of hot water. Let curd hang in cheesecloth until all the whey has been drained off. In a mixing bowl, add enough cream and melted butter to moisten the food. Add salt.

This recipe from CDKitchen for Homemade Cottage Cheese serves/makes 1

Homemade Buttermilk

(This recipe yields 4 servings) Printable Version

• 1 cup whole milk
• either 1 and 3/4 Tablespoons cream of tartar or 1 Tablespoon white vinegar or 1 Tablespoon lemon juice

Add acidic ingredient (tartar, vinegar or lemon juice) to the milk and stir. Let stand at room temperature for 15 minutes. The milk should start to curdle. Stir well before using.

A combination of plain yogurt (3/4 cup) and whole milk (1/4) cup can also be used to replace a cup of buttermilk in most recipes.

Shankleshe Cheese

Hi Ricki, it was a great pleasure taking with you on the phone and exchanging cheesemaking ideas. I am sending you two balls of cheese which we call Shanklish, the word is either derived from Arabic or Turkish, I'm not sure. But it is very popular in Lebanon and Syria and similar to your real buttermilk cheese.

the folloing is Haleems recipe.

Always start with clean equipment and use pasteurized milk.

This cheese is great over salad or with Italian foods. It may also be chopped in small pieces and add 2-4Tbls olive oil, serve with crackers.
First you must make a yogurt.
YOGURT: Heat in a large pot over a medium fire and check the heat by spraying a few drops of water in the kettle to see id the water sizzles (starting it at this heat will keep the milk from sticking so much.) Pour two gallons of milk into the pan and heat over medium heat until it starts to foam, it will be almost boiling. Remove from the stove and cool down for 2-3 hours until the temperature reaches 105-110F. Return to the stove to add 4T plain yogurt (for the active bacteria) and stir for one minute.
At this point, cover and let stand in a very warm place for 8-10 hours. I set my pan on a blanket with a heating pad underneath the blanket and place an additional blanket on top of the covered pan. The yogurt is done when it looks thick and you can press the bottom of a spoon in the top and it will retain the impression of the spoon. Now refrigerate for at least 4 hours.

SHANKLESHE: After the yogurt has cooled, put back on the stove and cut a T or X through the yogurt with a butter knife, going all the way down to the bottom of the pan. This will allow the yogurt to come to a boil over low heat and let the bubbles have a place to come up or escape.
Gently mix in 2 cups of water, 3T. Salt, (pickling or kosher) and bring this mixture to a soft boil over low heat, stirring only a few times at the beginning to mix in the water and salt.
Boil this gently, over low heat until you see curds and whey. Remove from the heat and let stand to cool off for about 4 hours. Once cooled, pour into a strainer lined with butter muslin and apply pressure, (using a weight or a cheese press) until hard enough to mix into balls. It is important to know at this step, the cheese must be pressed firm enough to handle and is easy to knead.
At this point add fresh ground red cayenne pepper (to taste), from 1 to 1 ½ T. and taste to ensure the desired amount of salt and cayenne are present. Knead this mixture until smooth, this is essential to good Shankleshe. Pat cheese into tennis size balls and lay on paper towels to completely dry (this will take at least 24 hours.) You will have to change the paper towels at least 2 or 3 times.
Place s large glass container on its side and fill with the Shankleshe balls. Put the lid on LOOSE and place under sink or in a cool, dark place for 3 to 6 days. (Mold will be visible on the whole outside of the balls.)
Remove the balls and carefully scrape off the mold. Roll each ball in oil (any type) and also roll in crushed thyme (Zataar thyme is the best.) Wrap well, freeze and enjoy!

You have just made a most delicious Lebanese cheese!!!
Haleem Moussa lives in Florida and has the most delicious persimmon trees imaginable!

Leban Cheese

This recipe was sent in from Ursula Weiland in Knoxville TN.

1 gallon whole milk
3 Tablespoons plain yogurt

Bring milk to a boil stirring, cool 1 hour and test with your finger for lukewarm temperature. Add the yogurt with a wooden spoon, put a lid on the pot and wrap with a towel.
Leave alone for 6-8 hours.
Store open in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
Place a paper towel on top and a linen or cotton towel on top of that. Wring the moisture out of towel every 1-2 hours for 1 day.
Keep paper towel on top, this will keep for 4 weeks. We enjoy this like yogurt, adding some homemade peach or strawberry preserves.

This is something my family has made for years, and we were taught to make it this way while living in Saudi Arabia. It is a little more labor intensive than doing it the way you mentioned, but I am sure the results are similar. It does however make a great deal so one must like yogurt. This is also good made up with garlic and herbs to make a yogurt dip for veggies.

Yes, the paper towel is on top of the yogurt, and then I just use cotton drying cloths on top of that, that is what you remove and wring out, then you can either replace the wrung out one, or put a dry one on. Once I have made this I just use 3 tablespoons in my next batch instead of buying more yogurt. The paper towel always remains on top, just lift and replace when serving.