Farmer’s Cheese

1. In a large pot, pour the milk and bring it to a slow boil on a medium-high heat. Make sure that the milk at the bottom of the pot is not burned.
2. Turn off the stove as soon as small bubbles start to appear on the surface of the milk.
3. Add the vinegar in the pot and stir. Curds will begin to form.
4. Wait for 15 minutes for the milk to sit. Then, add any extra flavors that you would like, such as herbs.
5. Take a large bowl. Place a colander over the bowl and line dampened cheesecloth on it.
6. Pour the curds into the cheesecloth so that all the liquid (whey) is drained in the bowl below and the curds are collected in the cheesecloth.
7. Lift the cheesecloth and squeeze it, such that the solid curds remain safe and the extra moisture is removed.
8. The remains in the cheesecloth are the curds of farmer’s cheese. You can mound it on a plate, while not getting rid of the cheesecloth yet and give it the desired shape.
9. Wrap it tightly in a plastic wrap or put it in an airtight container and refrigerate for an hour.
10. The farmer’s cheese can be kept in the refrigerator for up to a week. Enjoy it as a spread or an ingredient in the recipes.

Trivia

• As the name suggests, farmer’s cheese originated on the farms across the world.
• After skimming the cream for butter, the left over milk was used by the farmers to prepare this cheese.

The cheese may vary according to the style of preparation and the level of its softness.