Best Easter White Cheese Farmers Cheese Recipes

TWARóG: POLISH FARMER'S CHEESE

Steps:

• Gently warm up the milk on the stove. By "gently", I really mean it! Aim for a slightly warm (not hot!) temperature.
• If you're using raw milk, sometimes a layer of thick cream forms on top - keep it or remove it (I love full-fat everything, so personally I keep it; but if you're avoiding fats - get rid of it). When using raw milk, no sour cream is needed. Just proceed to Step 5.
• When using pasteurized milk from a store, add 8 heaped teaspoons of sour cream (or more!) per 2 quarts (roughly 2 litres) of milk.There is no need to measure the ingredients exactly, it will work either way.
• Blend milk and sour cream together with a fork.
• Pour the milk mixture into a large container, ideally a large cooking pot - that way we won't have to transfer that milk later on.
• Cover the container (that's optional). Some homecooks leave the container uncovered, others cover it with a cheesecloth to keep the insects away. I use a piece of a muslin square and secure it in place with a rubber band.
• Leave the milk in a warm place, for example: on the kitchen counter. Don't stir it, don't poke it - just let it be.
• The fermentation process can take anywhere from a few hours, up to 2 days. That depends on the temperature: if you live in a hot climate, it's likely to be ready within a day. For me, it took a day and a half to curdle.
• Observe the milk, have a taste from time to time. Once it has curdled, the consistency turns jelly-like and the flavour becomes pleasantly sour - it's ready. The longer you wait, the more sour the milk (and therefore eventually: the cheese as well) becomes.
• Carefully move the curdled soured milk into a cooking pot, try not to break the curd too much. If you soured the milk in a cooking pot from the get-go - just keep it there.
• Submerging the knife into the curd, cut it into large cubes, roughly 2 inch in size.
• Start heating the mixture on a 'low' heat. Slowly, gently. If you have a thermometer, aim for the 97-102°F (36-39°C) range in the centre of the pot.
• While heating, gently stir the ingredients from time to time. Start from the edge and then move to the center of the pot. Aim to keep the same temperature for 30 minutes, up to an hour.
• After that time, let the mixture cool completely (2-3 hours are usually enough)
• Place a strainer over a large bowl, to collect the strained whey. Layer it with a cheesecloth (I'm just using clean muslin squares). Pour the curled mixture in.
• Squeeze off the excess whey. Make a knot and hang to drain for 30-40 minutes.
• After draining, you can make it even dryer by pressing it. Just put something heavy (e.g. a jar filled with water) on top of the cheese wrapped in a cloth. The resulting Twaróg will be firmer and more compact.
• Refrigerate until you're ready to use it.

HOME MADE FARMER'S CHEESE

Steps:

• Pour the milk into a large pot, and stir in a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally to prevent the milk from scorching on the bottom of the pot.
• When the milk begins to boil (small bubbles will first appear at the edges), turn off the heat. Stir lemon juice into the milk, and the milk will curdle. You may need to wait 5 or 10 minutes.
• Line a sieve or colander with a cheesecloth, and pour the milk through the cloth to catch the curds. What is left in the cheesecloth is the Farmer's Cheese. The liquid is the whey. Some people keep the whey and drink it, but I throw it away. Gather the cloth around the cheese, and squeeze out as much of the whey as you can. Wrap in plastic, or place in an airtight container. Store in the refrigerator.

UKRAINIAN EASTER CHEESE (PASKA)

Steps:

• Combine farmer cheese, cream cheese, butter, and egg yolks in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment; mix on low speed to combine. Add sugar, vanilla extract, lemon juice, lemon zest, and orange zest; mix until Paska mixture is smooth.
• Line a sieve with dampened cheesecloth, leaving an overhang on all sides. Place over a plate that will catch any additional liquid that drains out.
• Spoon Paska mixture into cheesecloth. Fold the ends of the cheesecloth over the mixture. Cover with a plate and set a heavy weight on top.
• Chill until Paska is firm, overnight to 24 hours.
• Remove weighted plate and unfold cheesecloth ends. Use cheesecloth ends to lift Paska out. Invert onto a plate and peel away cheesecloth.

EASTER CHEESE MOLD: PASHKA

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine the cottage cheese or farmer's cheese, sugar, cream cheese, and egg yolks, stirring to mix.
• In batches, process the mixture in a food processor, adding an equal amount of cream to each batch, until completely smooth. Transfer back to the bowl.
• Stir in the ground almonds, lemon zest, lemon extract, and vanilla extract. Scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean and add them to the cheese mixture along with the raisins. Mix thoroughly.
• Line a clean, unused 8-cup flower pot with a double layer of rinsed and squeezed-dry cheesecloth. Spoon the cheese mixture into the lined pan, then fold the ends of the cheesecloth neatly over the top. Place a saucer on the cheesecloth, then a 2-pound weight, such as a can, on the saucer. Put the flower pot in a bowl large enough for the liquid to drain into. Refrigerate for at least 12 hours.
• Empty the bowl. Unmold the pashka onto a serving plate and carefully remove the cheesecloth. Decorate with candied fruit, pressing some of the fruit into the pashka to form the letters XP, which stands for Khristos voskres ("Christ has risen").

FARMERS CHEESE WITH GREEK YOGURT (TVOROG)

Steps:

• In a large stainless steel pot, whisk together 1 gallon milk, 35 oz Greek yogurt and 2 Tbsp sour cream. Cover and place in a warm 100˚F oven for 1 hour until luke-warm. (For many ovens, the lowest temp setting is 170˚F, so if that is the case for you, keep an eye on the mixture and take it out of the oven as soon as it's just warm).
• Place the covered pot in a warm room for 24 hours (I put it next to a heating vent on the floor). When it's done, it should become the consistency of sweetened condensed milk and pulls when you lift it up with a spoon. DO NOT STIR.
• Place on the stove and heat again over low heat for 40 minutes or until warm. DO NOT STIR. Heat it slowly, since high temperatures destroy the nutritious protein. Remove from stove and place in a warm room for another 24 hours. It should be consistency of regular yogurt.
• Place on the stove over medium/low heat 40 minutes or until hot. The cheese will separate from the whey. Turn off the heat and let it sit covered for an hour (this helps for the curds to separate as well). DO NOT STIR.
• Place 2 layers of very fine mesh cheesecloth over a large colander set inside a large bowl. Pour cheese mixture over cheesecloth. Keep the leftover liquid - this is called whey - refrigerate it and use instead of water for making the best bread you've ever had!
• Tie a knot with your cheesecloth. To squeeze out excess liquid, place a cutting board either in a baking dish or in the sink. Place tied bag of cheese on top. Set another cutting board on the cheese and place a heavy weight over the top (i.e. a heavy cast iron pot or a large jug of water) and let stand 8-10 hours.
• Unwrap your cheese and it's ready to enjoy! Refrigerate if not using right away. Here are some of our favorite farmers cheese recipes and I have 2 more really really good ones coming soon!