So, here I am again, posting about a subject I am still very new to. I have decided that it works best for me to make and re-make the same cheese over and over until I feel comfortable with it and have a general sense of how it is supposed to be made.

Quark is a German cheese and is similar to the chevre of the goat cheese world. This is the cow cheese version. It can be used crumbled over salad or pasta dishes. It can be used instead of a cream cheese. And, it can be snacked on with crackers… or without them for that matter.

Quark

I begin by skimming the cream off of my raw milk. And, yes! You can use pasteurized, store bought milk- but not ultra-pasteurized. The cream gets poured out along with the whey and therefore a waste of cream. So, use it for something else!

Ingredients

You will only need a few items to make this cheese. I am not to the point where I can keep a clabber culture on hand (we do not have our own dairy animal), so I purchase cultures to use for cheesemaking.

• 1 gallon whole milk
• 1 packet Mesophilic culture
• rennet (each container has it’s own instructions for how much to use per gallon of milk)
• filtered water

You will also need a few pieces of equipment, most of which I’m sure you already have on hand.

• large, non-reactive heavy bottom pot with lid or cover
• slotted spoon
• measuring spoons
• thermometer
• cheesecloth (butter muslin, flour sack towel, etc)
• colander
• large bowl

Instructions

• Pour milk into a large, non-reactive stock pot.
• Add thermometer and heat to 90* F.
• Turn off heat and add mesophilic culture.
• Let set (bloom) for 5 minutes.
• Pouring through a slotted spoon, add diluted rennet and stir to incorporate.
• Place lid onto pot, set aside, and wait 12-24 hours.
• After waiting period, line colander with butter muslin cheesecloth and place over large bowl.
• Begin by pouring the whey into the pot, through the colander. The mass of cheese will follow. Don’t splash!
• Gather up sides of cloth into a bundle and tie a knot.
• Secure muslin mass, tying it high enough over the bowl that it isn’t resting in the whey.
• Let drain for about 8 hours.
• Untie bundle and set cheese in cloth on the counter top.
• You can easily transfer to a bowl.
• Optional: add about 1 tsp. sea salt (or Redman’s Real Salt)
• Mix and mash cheese together to incorporate salt or leave alone if not adding.
• There you have it!

Simple, right? Most of the time is ‘hands off’ time. This cheese is very versatile. We like it mixed into various dishes, spread onto crackers, or even by itself! And, I made a German Cheesecake with it for Christmas that was yummy!

Let me know if you try it! Subscribe to my emails for more food fun and regular homemaking/homesteading life! Thanks for telling your friends!