You Don't Have to Be a Cheese Whiz to Make Your Own Fromage Blanc
Usually making something like fresh cheese at home is done because it's higher quality, and much cheaper. Today's video recipe for making Fromage Blanc, or Farmer's Cheese, flies in the face of that conventional culinary wisdom. If you consider the fact you need to buy a package of cheesecloth, along with the dairy ingredients, the cost of your cheese is no less expensive than at the store. And, while the results of your homemade cheese adventure will be rich, creamy, and delicious, there are some fantastic brands of fresh cheese available in the better markets, so it's hard to argue that our version will be "better."
So, why bother? Because, for any self-respecting foodie, making a batch of homemade cheese is definitely on the culinary "bucket list." Before you cash in your apron for good, you should experience the magic of watching a pot of milk turned into cheese. And if all this sounds kind of cheesy, so be it. Enjoy!
Ingredients:
1 quart fresh, local whole milk
1 cup active-culture buttermilk
2 tsp lemon juice or white vinegar, more if needed
3/4 tsp salt, or to taste
80 comments:
Awesome.
A pity they don't sell buttermilk in France, or at least around here.
You reckon yoghurt would work? I remember curdling milk trying to make yoghurt for my dad by putting on the yoghurt in the milk when it was too warm.
If one uses goat's milk will one get a reasonable facsimile of goat cheese?
I had no idea it was that easy. I had a peppered goat cheese while I was in Malta a couple of years ago. It was a soft tangy cheese with cracked black pepper pressed sparsely onto the outside. Served on a rooftop in the Mediterranean with friends, and some home made wine, it was quite the fond memory, and something I definitely haven't found here. Do you believe this method would lend itself to that kind of cheese?
yes, it should work with goats milk.
And yes, I believe active culture yogurt would also work fine.
without buttermilk it will still curdle from the acid, but will lack the taste and texture the buttermilk adds I believe.
The milk here is definately key! Local fresh whole milk makes all the difference in the world.
At my house we don't use the lemon juice and we call it ricotta. BTW chef you sound so un-Italian when you say it, but you were probably trained in classic French-I still like you. :)
What kind of Italian name is Jeff? Yeah, I should have pronounced it like Tony Soprano... "Rig-goat"
I'm in the witness protection program!
Actually it wears off when you get to the third generation-we just have to get by Nona and we're good. Thanks for showing everyone how easy it is to make such a cool dish.
Jeff...
Valentino(the Italian part)
You're welcome! I'm not sure who said it, maybe it was me, but "we're all Italian in the kitchen!"
more seinfeld jokes please
-phil
more Seinfeld jokes please
I LOOOOVE that you posted this recipe! Just had to say =)
the spreading-the-cheese-on-the toast act is really bothering me! now I want toast with homemade fresh cheese. I don't really like salty cheese, though, so if I ever made it, I'll omit the salt. I fancy cheese with a hint of sweetness..hmmm..
Hey, Chef John. I should have figured this out on my own. I have the ingredients and haven't gotten around to experimenting. Maybe you know all about this, though, and can offer some advice...
I keep getting lemon-flavored cheese. Three times, anyway. *Kept getting. I probably added too much lemon juice. This video, where you say the temperature has to be 175 first, makes me think maybe I didn't get the milk hot enough and thus had to add more lemon juice to make the milk curdle. My solution at the time, though, was to buy powdered citric acid and try using that instead of lemon juice. (I haven't tried yet.)
Now, my question: Is powdered citric acid really any better or worse than lemon juice?
This was kind of a dumb way to get around to the question, but I think it's a good one to ask.
i've never used the powder, but I really don't think its needed. I would heat the milk on low until you see it begin to simmer (not boil!). then turn it off. You can also use plain white vinegar if you like lemon, but with 2 tsp per quart it shouldn't really taste that lemony.
It may also be the milk. Dont use ultra pasteurized, just regular pasteurized.
Now I'm confused. Over here (http://www.instructables.com/id/S4WVGUAF11S8QGP/) they are making plastic just the same way you make cheese :-o...
?!? :-)
This looks easy enough...I'm gonna try...
This is a keeper recipe in my book. I would be so proud of myself if I made cheese!
I really appreciate the videos you post. I am going to try the hommade cheese this weeked. Thanks for posting the how too's!
Hi Chef John,
First off, thank you for this video. I can't wait to try this in my own kitchen.
I'm writing because my boyfriend told me that you had said that you are planning to do mozzarella, which I was/am really looking forward to. I'm not sure where he got this information, but he is so devoted to your blog that I tease him about having a little man-crush on you. Are you indeed planning to show mozzarella cheese making?
Please consider doing it - I'm not sure that Brian could take the disappointment! Keep on rockin'.
K-wench,
that was a case of bad editing - I said I would show how to make the fresh cheese (which you saw), but when I said it, the mozzarella came on the screen. I may do a demo, but have had a hard time finding fresh cheese curds nearby.
Stay tuned, and thanks!
P.S. I appreciate the man-crush mention. Give him a big bear hug for me...just don't hold it too long.
What exactly does it taste like??
like a cross between ricotta and cream cheese.
Very tasty...used it in the savory crepe recipe.
Easy to make, with awesome results. We're smitten. Thanks Chef John!
Glad you gave it a go. It is whey cool.
would you also show how to make fresh mozzarella? Thank you!
Hullo Chef John,
Would there be a special/proper way to age this cheese that would avoid horrible things growing in it? And how long could it be done for?
Sorry I'm anonymous (don't have time to register). Just to be clear, my name is James and I live in San Francisco. Point made.
Anyway, wonderful video! My question is when you leave the cheese to sit awhile to "ripen," are you leaving it at room temperature or in the refer? I can wait to try your recipe and plan on adding dried blueberries to sweeten thing up.
Thanks again.
-James (Not Anonymous).
Chef John you ROCK!!! I just caught this video by chance on youtube, I don't even remember how but it caught my eye. I thought it was going to be some 20 step process impossible to accomplish at home...but no. It was so simple! KUDOS!
that looks so good.
I'm tempted to try it. But i dont see it going so.. smoothly lol
Hi Chef John,
Is there something I could use instead of buttermilk? I heard some people just add lemon-juice to regular milk. Is that ok? In your recipe there is already lemon-juice so I suppose I can just make it without buttermilk. I would really like to try this recipe because I love cheese but there's no buttermilk my country! :(
I love your "death by chocolate" recipe! [a.k.a. "chocolate lavacake"]
give it a try without or use yogurt instead.
This is strictly a fresh cheese, not meant to be aged. It's good for about a week.
Hello,
i just tryied 2 different sortes of this cheese.
the first one i left blank and just added the salt.
but on the second one i added salt and chives.
well, i am going to try them tomorrow, so i am really looking forward to it!!!
What's the difference between this cheese and the Lebanese Labneh? Because I saw that it is about the same way to be done, with the cloth etc..
all cultures fresh white cheese are made the same basic way.
can you make chocolate cheese using chocolate milk? I'm sorry, the though crossed my mind a week before I saw this!
chocolate cheese? I've never tried or even thought about it. I suppose you could, but that has lots of other "stuff" in it so it may not be too good. I think you should try!
Dear Chef John, Thank you for enlightening the masses. I used white wine vinegar b/c that's what I had on hand. Otherwise, followed inst exactly.
My cheese is a little dry, not creamy at all. It only sticks together when cold and compressed. At room temp, it quickly separates into little round pieces, similar to foam 'beans' in a stuffed toy.
What did I do wrong?
Jennifer in Alabama
Hi, Chef John. Loved the vid, have always wanted to have a go making cheese, this looks so simple. In NZ dairy prices have rocketed, it now costs $17 a kilo for a cheddar. I can get my hands on milk straight from the cow and have some ?'s. Can I use unpasteurised? Can I age the cheese made this method. Thanks so much, Kiwi from Nz
I would google some cheese expert sites. Check out about.com's cheese site. Tell her Chef "American Food Guide" John sent you.
Chef, does the temp of the buttermilk have any effect either way? Is it better to have it room temp or cold? Thanks
Nanci in Atl
I just tried it, initially it was a lil crumbly and the taste was ok. But when I cooled it a few hours in the fridge! OH MY GOD!!! It was a lil creamier, and was soooo good!!! I'm gonna mix a spoonful of cream in it to smoothen and add chives. THANK YOU CHEF JOHN!!! HUGS!!
the temp of the buttermilk isn't a huge factor, but not ice cold. I measure it out and leave it out while the milk is heating up.
Hi from Portugal.
I just made this, i was kindy sad when the milk started to curdle it was not like i saw in the video but when i took it off i was beautiful, its in the fridge now but it tastes good now :).
Thanks
saw it - did it - loved it.
right now i am doing it again...
Thanks Chef John!
For some reason, I also thought you were going to make mozzarella :(
I've always wanted to make my own mozzarella but I have no idea where to get rennet and citric acid except online, and I haven't yet gotten over my reluctance to eat things that came from the internet.
thanks so much for this recipe Chef John! I FINALLY MADE CHEESE!!!
Chef John, this recipe was an instant hit in my house. I used vinegar instead of the lemon juice and ended up with a fantastic cheese!
This was the first recipe I've tried on your site (newbie, obviously, lol), so now I'm thinking I'll check out your site to add a new dish to the menu every week. Thank you for a great recipe site!
~Janet~
thanks! please tell a few hundred friends about the site!
My husband just made this cheese an hour ago after seeing the video on YouTube. I'm looking forward to trying it.
hi,
i tried your method, and im in norway, i din quite get the milk,but i got yogurt and i think it turned out quite well, moreoever i was wondering, how long could the cheese last?
should last about 5 days
I just made this and mixed some chili and chives though. mmmmm..
You should have your own NPR show, like your voice and poise.
Ok, I used goat's milk instead of buttermilk but it never curdled or wheyed. It's still liquid hot milk. I used 2 tsp of lemon juice then another tsp. but no more. I didn't want lemon cheese. Should I try next time to put half cup buttermilk, half cup goats milk into the cup of milk? I had also used lowfat milk. Not sure if that affects it. thanks.
I don't believe lowfat will work as well, and also it may be ultra pasteurized instead of pasteurized. But, the most important factor is the butter milk. You can't sub goat's mil for it, there not the same acidity and the goats milk has not active cultures.
I spoke too soon Chef John. In one last desperate attempt, I added vinegar and turned up the heat. I poured the mixture in the strainer and let it drain and before I knew it, Goat cheese appeared. It sort of snuck up on me. I thought for sure I had ruined it with all the vinegar I had put but I decided.... to follow your instructions.... so the next day I put a little olive oil and cracked pepper on top and it tasted devine.....Thank you!
Next time I will certainly use the buttermilk and pasteurized whole milk. Thanks for your quick response. your'e the best! Take care :O)
I made this with fat free buttermilk and skim milk. It's all I had, so I figured I would try it. I had to add probably twice the amount of vinegar, but then it separated great. I ate it warm with some crackers.
Mine tasted very much like mozzarella. It even had the same texture and fell of mozzarella. It wasn't creamy at all. I assume that the skim milk and fat free buttermilk was the issue.
My whey never became as clear like video. Instead of laddling I poured slowing from pan and was able to gather all the curdes. I now can say I made cheese before I died! I'm going to crush some fresh garlic and dried basil and stir in. Oh and Chef John, I think I've fallin in love with you...Ok thats a bit over the edge, but I have fallen in love with your video recipes!!!
thanks, I'm flattered! But, it happens all the time, it's quite normal...the love, not the whey.
I saw this on youtube. and i just ahd to try it. I'm adding my own herbs to it... I was wondering if there is a difference if you use milk bought from the store (like the name brand milk....) or the milk you get from like.. a farmer...? I just used what milk i had on hand heh...
Well! we'll see how it turns out!!! ^_^
thanks!,
Ethilia
Chef John I can also now say I made cheese before I died! Mine was made exactly per your recipe but unlike in your video the whey remained as white as the curds. Do you know why this is and does it matter? The cheese was great!
not sure, maybe the milk?
Tried this today and it worked PERFECTLY!!!!
1 litre milk + 250 g natural yoghurt + 40 ml lemon juice + salt to taste
I followed all indications, temperatures, times, and everythuing went perfect. Nothing strange with the flavour nor the texture. Now it's resting overnight, so I will try it tomorrow to see how the flavour developed.
Thanks for the excellent, detailed and clear indications. Now teach us how to make other types of cheese, please!
Regards from Barcelona.
so one day during the summer my boyfriend and i were supposed to go to the beach, but instead it rained and we found ourselves on youtube, learning how to make cheese. so, we had to try. that night, we had our homemade cheese and tomatoes and toast for dinner. romantic, i know, hahahaha but it was so awesome to do it ourselves. ive been hooked on your site since, and have made the french toast, the pizza dough. ciabatta bread, mushroom ragout, and about a gazillion other things including mayo. youre awesome, and keep posting! we love you!
:D <3
thanks! i luv u 2 too.
okay so im not sure if this will work but here goes...I'm doing this speak and show for 4-H and its about making sheep cheese or at least hopefully i might have to change it if this dosent work out.So can i use sheep's milk? ugh this is really driving me bonkers please answer quickly.
From someone going bonkers!lol
sorry, i have no idea, ive never used sheeps milk.
dang!!!well thanks for answering so quickly chef John i think ill try it anyways.
bye.
Thanks for all the great recipes. Can you double or quadrouple this recipe? I have a one gallon (4 quarts) milk jug.
Thanks,
Matt
yes, no problem.
Chef John:
This is a fantastic recipe! How would one go about infusing other flavors/ingredients such as peppers or garlic to this cheese?
Thanks!
Chef John,
I've used this recipe a few times the last few days. I keep getting a cheese that is not very smooth, it comes out very crumbly.
I've tried vinegar and lemon juice. Can lemon juice be from concentrate?
Also I've seemed to need closer to 4 teaspoons of vinegar.
Any suggestions on how to make it smooth and creamy like in the video.
Thanks
I imagine it's the quality of the milk and/or the fat content. The lemon juice should be fresh, but it's probably the milk.
I've made cheese accidentally a few times, lol. But thank you for the recipe, I can't wait to try it intentionally! :D Will let you know how it goes!
Could this cheese be used to make Kanafa, my favorite middle eastern desert made of soft cheese, filo, and sugar syrup? WOW!
ive never made, it but sure
Thanks for this recipe. I substituted homemade yogurt for the buttermilk, since that is unavailable here. I had a bite and it was really good! It's in the fridge now and I will try it tomorrow. Where I am cheese is very expensive, so this is actually about 1/4 to 1/8 the price of cheese in the grocery store!
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