Leave a CommentShare: |
Subscribe
After posting what to some of you may seem a difficult recipe for homemade farmhouse cheddar, I want to post a cheese recipe that is so fool-proof, so simple, a five-year-old could make it. Seriously.
Hard cheeses aren’t actually that difficult, but if you don’t have any experience with the cheesemaking process, it can appear so. The process of making hard and soft cheese is similar (hard cheese just has extra steps), and once you’re comfortable making basic soft cheeses, hard cheeses will feel much more approachable. If you’re interested in the idea of making cheese but are afraid of farmhouse cheddar, this cream cheese is for you.
There are several ways to make cream cheese, but this uncooked curd method is the easiest and is a relatively light cream cheese. (Some cream cheese recipes call for heavy whipping cream, which makes a richer cream cheese, and require cooking to start the cheese.) This recipe requires NO COOKING (which is why a child could make it) and sets the curd at room temperature, which is assumed to be 72-degrees F. My house is not 72, and my cheese still set. (Your temperature should not be too much lower than 72, though. You may run into trouble if your temperature is lower than 70. In this case, the temperature in my house was around 68 and it still worked. The recommended temperature, however, is 72.)
I also experimented by freezing the half-and-half in advance to figure out if that would work. (Considering I get snowbound sometimes, I wanted to know if I could stock up cream in the freezer.) The thawed half-and-half worked fine. You really can’t mess this cheese up. It’s a great cheese to try if you’re just learning or only want to dabble in cheesemaking.
You don’t have to have a cow. Store-bought cream works just fine!
Making cheese isn’t an all or nothing proposition. Just because you bought the cream at the store doesn’t mean it’s not homemade cheese. You still have so much more control, both from a health and a taste standpoint, in the end product. You can use less or no salt. You can add your own flavorings using your own home-preserved fruits or herbs. I use my homecanned preserves to add fruit to cream cheese, such as brandied apricots. Can you get brandied apricot cream cheese at the store? (I think not!)
You can turn two quarts of half-and-half into your own gourmet cream cheese–and the effort is amazingly minimal. Especially if you get a five-year-old to do it for you. Then all you have to do is stand by with a cracker.
This recipe is from New England Cheesemaking, with notes from me.
According to the recipe, it yields about a pound. It yields more for me in actuality, over a pound and a half.
Printer-Friendly
How to make Easy Homemade Cream Cheese:
2 quarts light cream or half-and-half
1 packet direct-set mesophilic starter or 4 ounces prepared mesophilic starter
cheese salt (optional)
I use half-and-half and direct-set starter. If you’re new to cheesemaking, I recommend using direct-set as it makes life simpler. I’ve become so addicted to making cheese, I plan to start preparing my own starters, but I have a supply of direct-set on hand so I’ll continue to use those until I run out. (Starters are inexpensive. You can buy a 5-pack of direct-set starters for $5.95 here, or for only $3.00 if you order 12 packs. It’s even less expensive to prepare your own starter, which is why I intend to start doing that next. Starters keep for a long time, up to two years, in the freezer, so don’t be afraid to stock up if you like cream cheese. Mesophilic starter is also used in many other types of cheese, including farmhouse cheddar.)
Bring the cream to room temperature. (I have to set mine out for several hours after it thaws.) Pour the cream into a large pot or bowl. Add the mesophilic starter and stir thoroughly. Cover and leave it alone at room temperature for 12 hours. A solid curd will form. (This isn’t the type of cheese where you see a separation of curd and whey–it’s simply a thick, solid curd.)
If your house is not 72-degrees F, it may take longer. Since my house was a little cool, I had to let mine sit for about 15 hours. If it’s not set by 12 hours, don’t worry about it. Just give it a few more hours. When it’s ready, you should be able to put a spoon in the curd and scoop it back. (Similar to the consistency of a firm yogurt.)
Line a colander with butter muslin.
Pour the contents of the pot or bowl into the colander.
Tie the muslin corners together into a bag and hang to drain.
I tie the ends over a long paint stick and hang the cheese over a bucket.
Let it drain anywhere up to 12 hours. The consistency of your cheese will be determined by how long you let it drain. I let mine drain for about 9 hours. The longer it drains, the firmer it will be. I like a soft cream cheese most of the time–a shorter draining period is well-suited to spreads and dips. If I was planning to use it for cheesecake, for example, I’d hang it longer. Experiment with draining times to suit yourself. (There’s no right or wrong here, just what you prefer.) The cream cheese will also become more firm after you chill it when it’s finished.
Butter muslin and cheesecloth are reusable, by the way. (Butter muslin, which is finer, is used for soft cheeses. Cheesecloth is used for hard cheeses.) Rinse the cloth out then boil it in water with a little washing soda. Rinse in fresh water then hang to dry and use again! (You can purchase butter muslin, cheesecloth, starters and other ingredients and supplies from a cheesemaking supply company. The one I use is New England Cheesemaking Supply Company. You can put “cheesemaking supplies” in a search engine to find others.)
Place the drained cream cheese in a bowl and dump it out of the butter muslin. Add a teaspoon of cheese salt and mix it in (if desired–you don’t have to add salt at all!). You can also add flavorings now–if you want all your cream cheese to be the same. Or, go ahead and transfer the cream cheese to containers and flavor each container separately for your own homemade variety pack.
Leave some space in the container so you have room to mix in herbs and seasonings or fruit.
Make cream cheese with chives and onions, nuts and honey, or cinnamon and brown sugar. Add bacon bits or chopped ham. For fruit, I like to use my homemade jams.
How much to add is up to your own tastes. These containers are each about six ounces of cream cheese. (The one larger container is about eight.)
I like to use a couple of tablespoons of jam per container.
For a savory cream cheese, add herbs, garlic, onions or other minced vegetables to taste. For a rosemary and garlic cream cheese spread, I add 1-1/2 teaspoons of dried rosemary and 1-1/2 teaspoons of garlic powder plus an extra bit of salt (maybe 1/4 teaspoon) to about six ounces.
Start out adding less and test to taste until it suits you. Remember that flavor will increase as the cheese sits in the fridge, so don’t overdo it with the seasonings.
Chill the cream cheese after placing it in containers. (It’s best chilled before using, though you can use it right away.) This cheese keeps well in the fridge for a couple of weeks. Use it to spread on toast or in recipes just as you would cream cheese from the store. (Use it to make Cheesecake Cookies! Have you tried my Cheesecake Cookies? This is currently the most popular, most clicked recipe on my site.)
Depending on how often you use cream cheese, do this once or twice a month and you’ll never have to buy cream cheese again! Fresh is always better. And it’s so easy! This entire process could be done by a small child, under adult direction, and would make a really fun project. (Especially for a child who loves to eat cream cheese!)
Who wants some homemade brandied apricot cream cheese on toasted Grandmother Bread? Anyone? (Find my brandied apricots recipe here.) You know what I’m gonna do next? I’m gonna bake up some brandied apricot Cheesecake Cookies! (Yes, you can use flavored cream cheese in that recipe.)
Sometimes even I wonder why I don’t weigh 2000 pounds.
P.S. Little wants to be a cheesemaker when he grows up.
He’s a fabulous assistant in all my cheesemaking endeavors.
See this recipe at Farm Bell Recipes for the handy print page and to save it to your recipe box.
See all my cheesemaking posts here.
See All My Recipes
Printer-Friendly
1:32
am
On a side note though, I recently made your yellow scratch cake, following the recipe to a T, BUT it turned out very thick, almost like bread. Does it really call for 3 cups of flour??? Any help you could give would be appreciated. I sooo want to be able to make up a bunch of these and keep them on hand instead of the store bought ones. Thanks.
3:23
am
Memo to self: buy half & half!
~~HUGS~~
4:57
am
I would love to make my more homemade cheese really soon. I wish I were as comfortable with it as you! Great job!
5:30
am
5:30
am
One of my all time favorite cream cheese flavors is salmon [here they call it salmon spread] We had baked salmon on Friday night and my daughter took the leftover salmon and mixed it with cream cheese, lemon juice and pepper in the blender and WOW! it is so good. I can imagine how yummy it would be with this recipe.
I can’t wait to show her this – I can guarantee we will have a bunch of little containers in our fridge come next Monday.
Thanks Suzanne
5:31
am
5:38
am
5:38
am
6:10
am
6:13
am
6:34
am
6:53
am
6:59
am
8:19
am
I am soooo going to order the starter and make me some cream cheese! I love to make homemade butter so I KNOW I can make the cream cheese!
Thanks Suzanne for all your cheese making directions!!!
Deb
8:55
am
9:01
am
9:02
am
I also wondered why you didn’t weigh 2000 pounds….
UNTIL….
I saw your “ultimate stair-stepper”…that you go up and down several times a day to feed and water the chickens, goats, sheep, donkeys and carry the firewood, get to the vehicle, etc. etc…
I am also thinking your freezers are in the basement too…LOL
You have already burned it off by the time you make it and eat it..
Lucky you! Thanks for the recipe!
PS..My Mother used one of those “long stairsteppers” for years to get to the basement to wash clothes and go to the freezer. She will soon be a 94 year old mountain woman!
9:04
am
Susan
9:14
am
9:27
am
I would not recommend freezing the cream cheese. Ours got frozen by accident at the back of the fridge and when it thawed it was crumbly and not smooth anymore. Not very appetizing. I can’t wait to try the cream cheese. My son won’t eat Peanut Butter so we substitute cream cheese. That way when my goats arrive I will all ready be experienced.
I bet Little will be 200 pounds if he is not careful. very cute.
10:31
am
I’m anxious to try my hand at making cream cheese and only wish I had an assistant as cute as Little. oh….that face
10:52
am
10:52
am
12:24
pm
12:43
pm
I found my recipe in Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon. You should read her book, it’s sooo good! Annnnd it will tell you exactly why you don’t weight 2000 pounds from eating a lot of cream cheese!!
You’d be proud because the recipe in that book calls for raw milk – which means I had to let raw milk sit on my kitchen counter for several days until it made it’s own curd and then strained the whey out of it. It made more of a yogurt cheese, but the cream top from the milk gave it a really nice sweet, creamy texture. It was hard work the first time I did it, but subsequent times have been easier because I know what I’m doing now.
I like your ideas for adding things to it! I need to start making preserves – it scares me!! I can handle cream cheese from raw milk, but not canning! But my mother-in-law got me a canning set for Christmas, so at least I’m prepared.
Thanks, Suzanne!!
12:55
pm
2:02
pm
2:37
pm
2:43
pm
That Little is so cute!!
2:48
pm
3:32
pm
3:47
pm
Great Demo!
Wish my cows would share their milk!
http://www.tailgait.blogspot.com
3:57
pm
And please do post your recipe for the starters. Thank you again, and God bless you!
4:50
pm
6:56
pm
The brandied apricot cream cheese cookies….now they sound positively decadent.
Thanks for the easy cream cheese directions
6:58
pm
8:24
pm
10:30
pm
Little is adorable.
12:57
am
6:23
am
10:30
am
do you think the recipe using raw milk could be made with goat’s milk?
8:17
pm
11:54
pm
Of course, it can be made with goat’s milk! Check out Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon, she’s got all the directions for using raw milk in all kinds of ways!
7:46
am
Thanks!!!
7:51
am
8:52
pm
9:10
pm
10:54
am
Thanks! LOVE your blog!
10:55
am
8:33
pm
I also made a batch of Marscapone cheese. YUM!
9:56
pm
12:02
am
9:30
pm
6:29
am
5:15
pm
1:03
am
10:15
pm
10:54
am
10:08
am
10:29
am
9:17
am
Please enter me into your cheese kit contest.
PS I enjoy your blogs
Mrs H
7:52
am
7:59
am
8:01
am
8:07
am
9:21
pm
6:41
am