Our Homage to Fromage

THE ROOT The story of cheese is older than that moldy wheel aging in some underground cellar in the European countryside. The oldest cheesemaking remains were found on the banks of the lake at Neufchâtel, near Rouen, Fran...

THE ROOT The story of cheese is older than that moldy wheel aging
in some underground cellar in the European countryside. The oldest
cheesemaking remains were found on the banks of the lake at
Neufchâtel, near Rouen, France, (of course). In the 5th century AD
Roman soldiers and athletes were fed a diet of cheese, wheat bread
and figs. Ah to be a Roman soldier, sounds like heaven to me. The
old cheesy story goes that shepherds carried their milk in an animal
stomach sack canteen. The reaction of the animal rennet already
present in the stomach sack, with the milk caused the latter to
curdle, and cheese was born. A fine example of making lemon out of
lemonade...or cheese out of curdled milk.

Making a homemade
farmers cheese, a ricotta-like cheese couldnt be simpler or more
versatile. In the most basic of cheesemaking, heat-- with the aid
of an acidic agent such as vinegar or lemon juice--allows the
precipitation or the separation of solid curd (cheese) from whey
(remaining liquid, containing protein, minerals vitamins). It is
obvious why you wouldnt want to waste the leftover whey as its
packed with all sorts of good things, and it has many uses. Use it
in soup stocks, breads, homemade beverages...Because this is a
vinegar precipitated ricotta or farmers cheese, you have an acidic
leftover whey, so keep that in mind for your whey recipes. If youre
using the whey to water or fertilize your garden, make sure that its
used around acid-loving plants only, like roses, azaleas,
gardenias... Just dont throw it away!

THE RECIPE
Homemade
Farmers Cheese

yields about 2 lbs cheese, 3 quarts of whey
time
involved about 1 hour
1 gallon whole, pasteurized milk
½ cup
distilled white vinegar
2 teaspoons salt (use sea salt, kosher
salt...be creative)

Equipment
large pot
collander
large bowl
(to catch the whey)
fine cheesecloth, or butter
muslin/cheesecloth

In a large pot, simply bring the milk to a
slow boil, making sure to stir frequently to prevent burning or
sticking. When your milk has reached a temperature of at least 200
degrees or a boil, slowly add ½ cup of vinegar in small increments
at a time. The separation will begin soon after all the vinegar is
added. Keep stirring until whey is obviously precipitated from
curd.

Remove from heat and allow the contents to sit unagitated
for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, line colander with about a yard of
rinsed, fine-weave cheesecloth. Set the colander in a large bowl to
catch the whey. Strain the curds and whey through the colander. At
this point you can add salt to the curds. The addition of salt also
creates a firmer cheese by drawing more moisture from the curd, so
if youd like to keep it softer and more moist, use salt sparingly.
Collect and lift the sides of the cheesecloth out of the colander
and continue to strain, if a more solid cheese is desired. Your
homemade cheese will last up to a week refrigerated.