Cup Cheese

1. With the help of a sharp knife, cut the thick sour milk through a couple of times. Then, start heating it at 90 degrees F or until the curd gets really dry.
2. Once it becomes really dry, take it off the heat, and put it in a –somewhat- damp cheesecloth bag.
3. After putting the cheese in the cheesecloth, put something heavy on top of it for 12 to 24 hours or until the cheese begins to dry even more.
4. When the cheese begins to dry, you will need to forcefully make it go through a cheese sieve or you can grate it finely.
5. Take the grated cheese and put it in a large wooden bowl, cover it with a “heavy tea towel” and then store it in a warm place for at least 3 days up to 7 days until it becomes ripe and soft. Make sure you are stirring occasionally while it is in process.
6. After the cheese has reached the required consistency, pour it in a skillet and begin cooking. You will need to keep stirring until all the lumps have dissolved.
7. Once it reaches a smooth consistency, add the salt, butter, and give it a good mix. After all the ingredients have been well incorporated, pour it into small cups or bowls.

Trivia

• Cup cheese is known as a part of the Pennsylvania Dutch culinary.
• The reason why cup cheese is called cup cheese is because it was sold in solid cups.
• Now, cup cheese has become a “specialty food.”