Neufchatel Cheese

A few years ago my sister Jenifer was manning a booth at the LA County Fair.  She was introducing people to Neufchatel Cheese.  She told me, and all of our family, about this yummy cheese with less fat than cream cheese.  Neufchatel Cheese originally comes from the the French region of Normandy and is molded in the shape of a heart and allowed to cure.   I will be showing you how to make the American version.   Farmers cheese is another term for the cheese.  This cheese takes time, and some special ingredients that you may not have on hand.   Why make your own?  Well if you look on the package of a block of Neufchatel from the grocery store, they have a host of ingredients that help to create the firm texture of cheese that can be achieved by time instead of chemical means.  Truthfully, I love finding ways to make homemade versions of food my family enjoys eating.  The homemade versions always taste so much better.  This spreadable cheese is destined to be spread on homemade New York style bagels, so be ready for the bagel recipe soon.

My husband said this spreadable cheese was like a cross between cream cheese and
whipped cream and the taste was just like the store bought version.

Ingredients:

1/2 gallon Whole Milk
1/4 teaspoon Liquid Vegetable Rennet (can be found on Amazon here)
2 Ounces Mesophilic Starter Culture (can be found on Amazon here)
1 teaspoon Sea Salt

Pour all the ingredients together in a container with a lid.  I used a 1/2 gallon mason jar
for my mixture.  Mix and cover with lid.  Leave on counter for  24 hours.  

 Gently pour curds and whey into a fine cheesecloth lined colander over a large bowl.
Allow to drain for 1/2 hour.

Tie corners of cheesecloth around a wooden spoon resting on the lip of the bowl.  Place bowl
and cheese bundle in refrigerator.  I suspended my wooden spoon throughout the refrigerator
shelf so it had more room between the bowl and bundle.  This bundle will release a lot of whey.  Allow to sit in refrigerator for 10-15 hours.  I did it over night and into the early afternoon.

 What a beautiful gift, all unwrapped and ready to spread, not just yet though.

 Place cheese in a bowl, sprinkle salt on top and gently stir with a wooden spoon.

Scoop cheese into an air tight container, and store in refrigerator for up to a week.

Enjoy!

Neufchatel Cheese

Printable Recipe found Here

Ingredients:

1/2 gallon Whole Milk
1/4 teaspoon Liquid Vegetable Rennet (can be found on Amazon here)
2 Ounces Mesophilic Starter Culture (can be found on Amazon here)
1 teaspoon Sea Salt

Process:

Pour all the ingredients together in a container with a lid.  I used a 1/2 gallon mason jar for my mixture.  Mix and cover with lid.  Leave on counter for  24 hours.  
Gently pour curds and whey into a fine cheesecloth lined colander over a large bowl.  Allow to drain for 1/2 hour.
Tie corners of cheesecloth around a wooden spoon resting on the lip of the bowl.  Place bowl and cheese bundle in refrigerator.  I suspended my wooden spoon throughout the refrigerator shelf so it had more room between the bowl and bundle.  This bundle will release a lot of whey.  Allow to sit in refrigerator for 10-15 hours. 

Place cheese in a bowl, sprinkle salt on top and gently stir with a wooden spoon.

Scoop cheese into an air tight container, and store in refrigerator for up to a week.

Enjoy!

Homemade Mozzarella Cheese

I am on a mission to make everything we eat, crazy, I know.  I love to make food, prepare food, and eat food.  Preparing food is the one passion I can indulge in, so I indulge and everyone wins.  Making mozzarella is pretty easy, but does include a few steps that can be daunting.

You want your own homemade mozzarella?

 Ingredients for this recipe are: 1 gallon of milk (your choice, but do not pick ultra pasteurized Organic, pasteurized but not homogenized is good, raw is best), 1-2 teaspoons Kosher
Salt, 3/4 cup water, 1 1/2 teaspoons citric acid, 1/4 teaspoon vegetable rennet.

 Dissolve 1 1/2 teaspoons citric acid in 1/4 cup water in a non-reactive (stainless steel or
enamel dutch oven, non-stick) stock pot.

 Pour 1 gallon of milk into pan, turn burner on to medium low.

 Heat milk to 90 Fahrenheit, use a clip on thermometer.

Add 1/4 teaspoon vegetable rennet to 1 cup water. When milk has reached 90 Fahrenheit
remove pan from heat.  Add rennet mixture and stir milk slowly bringing spoon up and down
and in a circle motion for 30 seconds.  Bring milk to a stop with spoon, cover with lid and let
sit for five minutes.  Walk away people, walk away.

 Uncover milk and using a long metal off-set spatula or a large spatula cut the cheese
across and down in 1 inch increments.

 Turn burner on to medium heat and cook until it reaches 105 Fahrenheit.  Remove from stove.

 Pour mixture into colander placed in a large bowl. Spin the pan in a circular motion to drain whey from cheese curds.

 Place cheese in microwave safe bowl, microwave for 1 minute.

 Remove cheese from microwave and begin stretching and kneading the cheese and removing as much whey as possible.  The cheese is hot, we used gloves.

 Microwave cheese again for 35 seconds.

 Remove from bowl and stretch cheese and create a ball.

 The formed cheese.

Put cheese ball in ice water to cool.  You have successfully made cheese!

Enjoy!