I’ve been making my own cheese and butter over here in Germany. (Yes, I know that sounds horribly perverted). But really, it’s interesting and a lot of fun. So, here’s how to do them both; cook and enjoy at your own risk. This is the first in a few how-to’s. Check out the latest on how to make homemade soda! or Eggnog!

Simple Farmers Cheese:

Get some whole milk (about a liter… or a quart if you’re from the US). Boil it in a pot until little bubbles appear on the side.

Add vinegar or lemon juice to the milk (about 4 tablespoons). The milk should turn into curds and whey. This should happen fairly quickly; if it doesn’t wait a minute and add a little more lemon juice or vinegar until it turns into curds and whey. (Wondering what to do with the whey? Click here. It’s an article from 1910 from the New York Times. Saying that the whey is a most refreshing drink served chilled and with a bit of nutmeg. Personally I think it tastes like a horses ass, but one must try for themselves).

Take a strainer and line it with a cheese cloth if you have one, and if not a crap load of paper towels works just fine. Wrap up the curds in and squeeze them a bit, and then tie it to a stick or a large cooking spoon. Let this dangle over a pot for about a half an hour or an hour or so. By the end you should just have the cheese.

Add a bit of salt (it really helps the flavor) any herbs or spices you want. I did a garlic one that tasted really well (a bit of olive oil mixed with pure garlic). You can eat it right away or wait a day or two for it to age. It should last a week or so and when it’s not good anymore it should be pretty obvious.

There’s some photos below of the process. How to make butter is below the pictures. EAT!

For an even simpler cheese you could just put some yogurt in a cheese cloth or some towels and strain that. It’ll give you a really light yogurt cheese.

If you get really into it you can make some more elaborate cheeses like cheddar, Parmesan, or mozzarella. You’ll need to by some enzymes though (renet is the enzyme you’re looking for). You can get these at a specialty shop or order them online. For some cheese recipes go here or here.

How to make butter. This man down here does a better job at explaining the whole process than I ever well. Enjoy watching. He’s crazy.



