I hesitated to post this till I learned more from Suzanne and other sources I’ve been looking over, but I thought it is probably about time I shared it.  Luckily I’m a pack rat with recipes and files so I still had some rough notes and the ingredients.  Some extra research on the net took care of the rest.  I’ve mostly made yogurt cheese because I was hesitant to make this ever since, now I think I’m brave enough thanks to Suzanne.  There’s no rennet at all in it so it IS really similar to the yogurt cheese.

I helped a friend make it YEARS ago when I was stationed in Alaska, we made a lemon zest one and a tarragon one for a party.  I found the suggestions for the other seasonings on line and they all sound great to me… she said the tarragon was a traditional flavor for this sort of thing though and since I was looking around I have to say that must be true.  I wouldn't have thought of the vanilla, but it sounds interesting, maybe for a desert of some sort?

Buttermilk Soft Cheese

4 cups whole milk

1 1/2 cups whole or low-fat buttermilk (suggest low-fat for first try)

2 teaspoons coarse salt

1 tsp Chopped herbs if desired, such as (but not limited to) tarragon, basil, black pepper, lemon zest, vanilla extract, oregano or red pepper flakes.

Cut at least 3 pieces of cheesecloth into 18-inch squares or use one piece of butter muslin.  Line strainer with about three layers of cheesecloth or the one layer of butter muslin and have it ready in the sink.

Combine milk, buttermilk, and salt in a large heavy-bottomed saucepan, and heat over medium-high heat until mixture has separated into curds and translucent whey, about 8 minutes.

If using low-fat buttermilk, separation occurs at about 180 degrees and the curds will clump together quite well.  When using whole buttermilk, separation occurs at a higher temperature, about 212 degrees, and the curds are finer-grained.  When using whole buttermilk, let curds and whey stand off heat for about 3-4 minutes after separation, so the curds cling together which will help in the straining step.  It’s possible that you may need to ‘cut’ the curds into smaller chunks with a clean butter knife too, it’s a bit doubtful, but not impossible especially if you are using low-fat buttermilk.  There’s a science why it acts differently, but I don’t understand it really…  it’s rare that I don’t want to know the “why” of things, but in this I can accept the “It just IS” answer.

Ladle the contents of the pot into the prepared colander lined with the cheesecloth.  Let the whey drain for 5 minutes or so.  When it seems fairly manageable, Lift the four corners of the cheesecloth and gather them together. Gently twist the gathered cloth to press out excess whey, or just hang from the faucet or over a wooden spoon across a clean container, preserving the whey for baking bread if desired.  

(It’s now that I’d mix in any herbs or flavorings I planned on adding.)

This can be served while still warm as a very soft spread over bread or crackers, or left to drain for an hour or more for a firmer loaf, (though it will never be all that firm).  To firm it up even a bit more, leave it still wrapped in its cheesecloth or muslin and pat it into a flat bottomed container such as a pie plate and chill.  When ready to serve, you can flip it out of its pan onto a plate and peal the muslin off, and let it warm up to room temp.  Just set out some crackers and a knife to spead it and enjoy. 

Let it warm up for around 15 minutes or so to a room temperature to improve the flavor.  (this is true of all cheese IMO)  It will keep a day or two in the fridge, but not much longer.