Curds and whey
Posted: Thu May 25, 2017 9:31 pm
I buy raw milk from England (it's illegal to sell in Scotland except for animal consumption). Since we've been on this diet our milk consumption has dropped dramatically and I really don't want to cancel my order - I know it's stupid but I have the notion that once stopped I'd never get it back and I do love my raw milk and cream. So I decided to make some cheese (that's allowed on the diet).
I used 22 pints of clabbered milk (that's what happens to raw milk, it doesn't become sour it just turns into a sort of lumpy yoghurt and whey).
I decided to make Crowdie, not least because it's the simplest cheese imaginable to make. Put the clabbered milk in a non-reactive (stainless steel) stock pot, covered, put it on the stove on the lowest light possible and leave it - for hours. I then turn off the heat and leave it overnight to let the curd set. No stirring, no coagulant.
Strain the whey off the curds, through cheesecloth, wrap them up and press to get out any further whey. I have an old 1 stone shop weight that works perfectly, on top of a plate covering the wrapped cheese in a colander. Then I salted it - 20g per kg (or however much you like) and that's it. Three 500g batches, which keep really well, although I'll freeze two of them. I sometimes add a little cream as it's quite a dry cheese but didn't bother today. I can always add some when I serve it.
It's a delicious crumbly cheese, not highly flavoured but fresh and just a little bit tangy - a bit like a dry cottage cheese. It's good in just about anywhere you'd use cheese except it's not good at melting or browning - it's better as a filler than a topper, or just plain. It would be great in Yorkshire curd tarts. Hmmm.
Anyway, when not dreaming of Curd Tarts I proceeded to recook the whey (just short of18 pints) - heated to just over 90C, bunged in 150ml white vinegar and we now have straining about 250g (I won't know until it finishes draining) of Ricotta.
Now I just need to work out what to do with the 16 pints of acidified whey - I think we might have the best fed blueberries in the universe! Any other ideas welcome.
I used 22 pints of clabbered milk (that's what happens to raw milk, it doesn't become sour it just turns into a sort of lumpy yoghurt and whey).
I decided to make Crowdie, not least because it's the simplest cheese imaginable to make. Put the clabbered milk in a non-reactive (stainless steel) stock pot, covered, put it on the stove on the lowest light possible and leave it - for hours. I then turn off the heat and leave it overnight to let the curd set. No stirring, no coagulant.
Strain the whey off the curds, through cheesecloth, wrap them up and press to get out any further whey. I have an old 1 stone shop weight that works perfectly, on top of a plate covering the wrapped cheese in a colander. Then I salted it - 20g per kg (or however much you like) and that's it. Three 500g batches, which keep really well, although I'll freeze two of them. I sometimes add a little cream as it's quite a dry cheese but didn't bother today. I can always add some when I serve it.
It's a delicious crumbly cheese, not highly flavoured but fresh and just a little bit tangy - a bit like a dry cottage cheese. It's good in just about anywhere you'd use cheese except it's not good at melting or browning - it's better as a filler than a topper, or just plain. It would be great in Yorkshire curd tarts. Hmmm.
Anyway, when not dreaming of Curd Tarts I proceeded to recook the whey (just short of18 pints) - heated to just over 90C, bunged in 150ml white vinegar and we now have straining about 250g (I won't know until it finishes draining) of Ricotta.
Now I just need to work out what to do with the 16 pints of acidified whey - I think we might have the best fed blueberries in the universe! Any other ideas welcome.
