The FastDay Forum

This week I have begun my cheese making project.
A few days ago I made quark, which is the first recipe in the Cheese Making Kit. Today I am going to turn it into a quark tart - like a cheese cake. We had it with jacket potatoes the other night and it was delicious.
Today I am making cream cheese which was more complicated, requiring calcium chloride, rennet and Mesophilic culture. All this stuff is in the cheese making kit. I had to heat the milk and cream to 22 celsius, add the culture etc and now it has to sit in the house at about 20 degrees to set. Then I have to drain it in cheese cloth over a colander.
I was surprised when the quark set, even though it said it would; I didn't believe it would until it did. That was just milk and culture. I used the whey in my sour dough bread dough and I think it gave it a certain something. I also added it to my cauliflower soup, as stock and that is good too.
This is an exciting new phase of my life. I am going to make all kinds of cheese. I'll keep you posted.

[janeg]

Wow! Sounds very exciting@Sallyo I fancy making paneer but that is for the future...
Looking forward to your cheese chronicles!

Brilliant project, look forward to reading your thread, I love cheese :0)

This week I have begun my cheese making project.
A few days ago I made quark, which is the first recipe in the Cheese Making Kit. Today I am going to turn it into a quark tart - like a cheese cake. We had it with jacket potatoes the other night and it was delicious.
Today I am making cream cheese which was more complicated, requiring calcium chloride, rennet and Mesophilic culture. All this stuff is in the cheese making kit. I had to heat the milk and cream to 22 celsius, add the culture etc and now it has to sit in the house at about 20 degrees to set. Then I have to drain it in cheese cloth over a colander.
I was surprised when the quark set, even though it said it would; I didn't believe it would until it did. That was just milk and culture. I used the whey in my sour dough bread dough and I think it gave it a certain something. I also added it to my cauliflower soup, as stock and that is good too.
This is an exciting new phase of my life. I am going to make all kinds of cheese. I'll keep you posted.

I am very interested to hear about your successwith cheese. I also bought some cheese making bits and pieces including a book but unfortunately I have not yet started actually making it. However I have often experimented with yoghurt and stained it to make the most deliciously creamy greek yoghurt. I bought the kit because I love quark and always have it in the fridge to make both sweet and savoury dishes, so I thought it might be better if I make it myself. Sallyo, you have given me the inspiration I needed. Thank you.

Being a new word for me (and possibly others), here an informative site about quark:

http://www.cheese.com/quark/

And another one about what to do with the whey:

http://www.farmcurious.com/cheesemaking ... that-whey/

@leramul, just do it! My cream cheese is now straining - not staining - in it's cheese cloth. There is an upside down stool on the kitchen table, with a bowl at the base and the cheesecloth slung over a wooden spoon, holding it between the struts of the stool. It works. I can't wait to try it. Have to wait till tonight. And it's a fast day, so I'll only be allowed a taste.

And thanks for those links, @ADFnFuel. There's so much to learn and experiment with.

@leramul, just do it! My cream cheese is now straining - not staining - in it's cheese cloth. There is an upside down stool on the kitchen table, with a bowl at the base and the cheesecloth slung over a wooden spoon, holding it between the struts of the stool. It works. I can't wait to try it. Have to wait till tonight. And it's a fast day, so I'll only be allowed a taste.

Thanks Sallyo, sorry, of course I meant "straining" I will do it at the weekend. I work full time and find that I like to be around when I embark on any fermenting projects, including sourdough bread and yoghurt.

I have made Chilli Paneer as a Indo-Chinese dish...I will try ur cheese recipe along with it. Thanks for the recipe.