Don't you just love cheese? And there's nothing I enjoy more than making my own. It's cheaper, it's tastier, it's great! When I started to learn how to make cheese, I had a first go with soft cheeses. I was amazed at how easy it was. It really takes only a few minutes of preparations and a few hours of waiting. If you are a beginner in the world of making cheese, this is the perfect way to start. And if you already have some experience on how to make cheese, it is still nice to go back sometimes to the basic taste of a good soft cheese.
So here are a few super easy soft cheeses recipes:
How To Make Labaneh Yogurt Cheese
By using yogurt instead of milk, you can skip the whole curdling stage at the beginning of every how-to-make-cheese recipe. The reason is simple: yogurt is already a product of friendly bacteria that does exactly that! All you need to do, is add some salt. About 1 tablespoon of a quart of yogurt. In order to drain out the yogurt's liquid, place a sieve over a bowl, and a finely weaved cotton cloth, or a reusable paper towel over the sieve. Gently pour the yogurt into the cloth/paper towel. And you're done!
All you have to do now is wait. Cover the yogurt mixture (you can do it with another paper towel) and leave it in the kitchen for about 24 hours and then put it in the fridge so it will get a bit harder. Room temperature is perfect for this kind of cheese, but if you prefer, you can put it in the fridge right a way.
How To Make Lemon Soft Cheese
If you to know how to make cheese "the regular way" out of milk, but still keep it to be easy, this one is for you. In order to separate the milk into curds and whey you need is acid. The most natural and easy way to get acid is from lemons.
Start with a half gallon of pasteurized milk (your regular local milk will do), and heat it up to 165F degrees while stirring. You will actually need a thermometer cause the temperatures are important. You do not want to boil the milk! It is recommended to use a stainless steal pot with a thick bottom to prevent scorching.
Add juice from about 4 small lemons into the pot and stir. Take the pot off the stove and wait 15 minutes. The milk should be curdling at this point. Insert a fine cotton cloth, or a reusable paper towel (the kind that doesn't tear) into a sieve, and place the sieve over a bowl. Make sure the bowl is high enough to catch the milk's liquids without touching the sieve.
Pour the milk mixture from the pot into the sieve, and let it drain out into the bowl at least an hour. Add any some salt, peeper or other spices and herbs to balance the lemon, and your cheese is ready!
More on How To Make Cheese
Obviously this is the only the tip of how to make cheese. Hopefully these recipes will give a taste for more.
Bon Appetite.
