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Farmers Cheese

Farmers Cheese Recipe

Farmers Cheese is fresh mild cheese with a crumbly texture and subtle flavor.
Course Dessert, Snack

Ingredients
  

  • 1 gallon whole pasteurized milk
  • 200 g whole milk plain yogurt
  • 150 g sour cream

Instructions
 

  • Pour the milk into a big pot.Turn on the stove to low heat, place the pot on top and cover with a lid. Warm it up for 15 to 20 minutes.
  • Combine the sour cream and plain yogurt then warm them up in the microwave for 30 to 60 seconds. The mixture should be approximately the same temperature as the milk, and it will also be more liquid and easier to stir in the milk.
  • You can check the temperature of the milk with your finger, it should not burn the skin, or you can use a thermometer. The temperature of the milk should be somewhere in between 92- and 95-degrees Fahrenheit.
    Next, pour the yogurt mixture into the milk and mix everything very well. Cover the pot with a lid and place it in a warm place for up to 24 hours. I like to preheat my oven to 120 degrees Fahrenheit, turn it off and place the pot inside.
  • After about 20 hours and my milk has a thick consistency, almost like the consistency of store-bought yogurt, and it has a nice “sour” smell and taste.
  • The next step is to warm up the milk over low heat to separate it into whey and soft curds. Cover the pot with a lid and heat it for about 50 minutes.
    *I want to bring to your attention that the milk should not be boiled. If you think that by increasing the heat you will make the process faster, you’re mistaken. If the milk boils, the cheese will have a rubbery structure.
  • Next, place a sieve on top of a large bowl and cover it with the cheesecloth folded into two layers. Pour the hot cheese mixture into a sieve. Let it sit until most of the whey drains into the bowl.
  • Next, we need to tie the corners of the cheesecloth and hang it to drain the rest of the whey. Usually, I tie the cheesecloth to the spout of the kitchen faucet and let the leftover whey drip into the sink.
    You can also use a wooden stick. Tie the cheesecloth around the stick and hang it above a deep pot. Make sure that the cheesecloth doesn’t touch the bottom of the pot.
  • After 3 hours my farmers cheese is ready. Usually I’m transferring it to an airtight container and keeping it refrigerated for up to a week. From a gallon of whole milk, I got 965 grams of farmers cheese.

Notes

It’s better to use whole pasteurized milk instead of ultra-pasteurized, as the cheese will have a lot of body and flavor.
2 percent milk will also yield good results, even though the cheese will be thinner and less rich in flavor.
Do not use expired milk, thinking of speeding up the process.
For more dry Farmers Cheese, hang the cheesecloth and let the whey drip for several hours.
Store the Farmers cheese in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.
Keep the fresh whey refrigerated in a tightly sealed glass jar or container for up to 1 week.
You can freeze farmer cheese wrapped in a plastic food wrap and placed in a Ziplock freezer bag. Upon thawing it, however, the texture won't be the same but a bit crumblier.