How to Turn Plain Yogurt into Greek Yogurt.
You’ll be pleased to learn that making your own Greek yogurt is simple if you appreciate its extra-thick, creamy texture. Greek yogurt is just regular yogurt that has had part of the whey strained away.
Use butter muslin, several layers of cheesecloth, a jelly bag, or even a paper coffee filter to line a colander or sieve. In a big basin or the sink, place the lined colander. Depending on how thick you prefer it, pour in some plain yogurt and let it drain for anywhere between 30 minutes and several hours.
Creating Yogurt Cheese (Labneh)
Cream cheese-like in texture and flavor, labneh is tangier than cream cheese. It is well-liked in the Middle East, where it is sometimes rolled into balls and then preserved in extra virgin olive oil and coated with herbs.
As with Greek yogurt, strain plain yogurt to create labneh, but let the plain yogurt drain for a full 24 to 36 hours in the refrigerator. Place the labneh in a covered food container for storing. It can be stored for at least a week in the refrigerator. Labneh may be kept for up to a month in the refrigerator by first coating the top with olive oil.
Roquefort Cheese
3 minutes for preparation TIME FOR COOKING: 30 minutes 10 minutes for resting.
TIME FOR DRAINING: 30 minutes About two cups of yield
In the beginning, ricotta was made by extracting the final bits of milk solids from the whey left over after creating other types of cheese.
You may still do that, but the reward will only be a meager handful of spoonfuls of ricotta.
Since whole milk is used as a starting point, the technique described here is a little more elaborate.
This recipe makes a lot of creamy, delectable ricotta that will last in your refrigerator for at least two weeks.
INGREDIENTS
1/2 gallon of whole milk
In 2 teaspoons of cold water, 34 of the citric acid is dissolved.
Salt, 1/2 teaspoon (optional)
GEAR
Aluminum, copper, and unenamelled cast iron are not permitted in a medium pot made of stainless steel or another nonreactive material.
Meat, cheese, or candy thermometer
Cheesecloth or butter muslin
INSTRUCTIONS
Place a medium saucepan over low heat and add the milk and citric acid water.
Place a medium saucepan over low heat and add the milk and citric acid water.
If using, stir in the salt.
To stop the milk mixture from burning on the bottom of the saucepan, whisk or stir it often. Use a meat, cheese, or candy thermometer to check the temperature. The mixture will divide into curds and whey after it has gradually warmed to a temperature between 165 and 190°F.
After the curds have developed, turn off the heat and allow the ricotta cool for 10 minutes.
Place a colander in a big basin and line it with butter muslin or many layers of cheesecloth. Place the ricotta in the colander and bundle the cloth by tying the ends together. A place where the curd bundle may be hung to drain for 20 to 30 minutes (I tie mine to the kitchen faucet).
Choose 20 minutes for softer ricotta and 30 minutes for tougher ricotta. Untie the cloth bundle and move the ricotta to a food storage container when the 30 minutes have passed. It will last up to two weeks in the refrigerator.
Paneer cheese with white cheese
CULINARY TIME: One hour TIME FOR DRAINING: 4 hours Approximately 1 pound of yield
Like its Indian cousin paneer, queso Blanco is a mild fresh cheese that retains its structure when cooked, softening but never melting completely.
This makes it perfect for adding to recipes like saag paneer or beans and greens in the Mexican or Indian styles.
The cause? With an acidic liquid, both get curdled (vinegar or lemon juice).
When heated, however, queso fresco, which is prepared with rennet rather than an acid, does totally melt. Queso blanco and queso fresco are quite similar when used raw and crumbled atop salads, but when cooked, they are completely distinct products.
INGREDIENTS
Milk, one gallon, entire
14 to 13 cup lemon juice or white vinegar
GEAR
Large pot constructed of nonreactive material (no aluminum, copper, or cast iron that hasn’t been enameled), preferably stainless steel.
Meat, cheese, or candy thermometer
Cheesecloth or butter muslin
INSTRUCTIONS
Place a large saucepan over medium-low heat and add the milk. As the milk steadily warms, stir it often and check the temperature. Stir carefully while often monitoring the temperature until it reaches 195°F. When the temperature hits 195°F, add the vinegar or lemon juice gradually, a little at a time.
The whey may still seem creamy at this point, but the curds will start to separate from the whey and the milk will start to contain little lumps of dairy product. Until this separation occurs, keep adding little quantities of vinegar or lemon juice.
Allow the mixture to rest in the saucepan for ten minutes at room temperature. The curds and whey will further separate during this period.
Use a few layers of cheesecloth or butter muslin to line a colander. Colander with curds and whey within. Drain the curds for one hour. Make a tight bundle by tying the muslin or cheesecloth ends together. Give the cheese another three hours to drain.
Remove the cloth from your paneer or white cheese and place it in a fresh container.
Keep covered in the freezer or refrigerator. It lasts one week in a refrigerator and three months in a freezer.
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