Simple, Fresh Lemon Cheese

Lisa made this cheese with Martha Stewart on "The Cheese Show", November 5, 2009.

This cheese is a ‘stovetop’ recipe, easily done at home with readily available ingredients from your supermarket. It’s a fun thing to make with kids—they love to watch the curds form before their eyes!

Made with lemon juice as the acidifier, you can substitute apple cider vinegar.

Sometimes called queso blanco or paneer and used in Hispanic or Indian food cultures, this cheese can be salted and mixed with herbs for a lovely taste on its own.

Ingredients

1 quart milk *
Juice of 2 lemons
Salt herbs finely chopped (my favorites are parcel and lovage but use chives, dill, rosemary or parsley)
Salt, to taste

Directions

• In a non-reactive pot, heat milk to 185⁰, stirring continuously to avoid skin from forming on surface.
• Turn off heat and stir in the lemon juice. You should see the curds start to form and separate from the whey. The whey may appear a shade of grey green. If the milk does not set, add more lemon juice, a little at a time.
• Scoop curds into a colander lined with fine mesh cheesecloth to drain off excess whey. Tie four corners of cheesecloth together and hang to drain for 1-2 hours. Alternatively, it can be pressed firmly into an open ended mold to make a formed cheese. (You can use a coffee can with the ends cut off, keeping the cheese inside the cheesecloth, press into the form.)
• When drained, unwrap the drained cheese and salt to taste, and add freshly chopped herbs from your garden.
• Enjoy the fresh cheese on toasted bread or on apple slices, add it to your salad or use it in a lasagna.

Yield is about 6-8 ounces.

* You can use goat’s milk or cow’s milk. If using store bought milk for cheese making, do not buy ultra-pasteurized milk.

© Rainbeau Ridge, 2009