We've talked about raw milk before. Remember?
No? You don't? You don't care? Okay, never mind.
End of post.
…
Just kidding!
While it is rather expensive to purchase raw milk, the health benefits are fantastic. We've decided to make it a priority to purchase raw milk, and while that may not be every homestead's priority, it's still something worth looking into. After reading the chapter on cultured dairy products and milk in Nourishing Traditions, that we talked about last week, I was very anxious to give some of the cultured products a try. We already make and drink kefir daily, but I've been really wanting to venture into cheese making…
Crazy, I know. Just go on. Say it. I'm crazy.
Luckily, for me, my friend Aileen does too. And since we regularly have “craft nights” together, I'm thinking that we can make room for a “cheese night” as well.
So, in order to start small and build my foundation of knowledge, I decided to make two different items: cream cheese and whey. It's really like only making one product, seeing as whey is the runoff of the cream cheese, but never-the-less. We are left with two items at the end of the process and that is rewarding! I used the Nourishing Traditions recipe for making this. Although, like multiple other “recipes”, it shouldn't really count as a recipe. More of a process. I'm going to give you the recipe I used, which is made from raw milk. It must be raw. MUST.
When normal pasteurized, homogenized milk goes bad…it really goes bad. Like putrid. Gag-worthy, really. You can smell it. Bleh. However, when raw milk “goes bad”, it doesn't really putrify like pasteurized milk. Instead, it starts to culture and therefore, takes on a cheesy smell. Because guess what cheese is! Cultured milk! I love it when things made sense. My point is this: do not let the idea of this scare you. At the end, you will not be left with a product that tastes and /or smells like something died in your milk carton. In fact, it will be the opposite. Deliciousness, I tell you.
Your cheese will only be as good as your milk – so make sure that you get raw milk from grass fed cows. It makes a difference. If you are looking for a milk source in Washington state, let me know. I will send you the contact information for a wonderful dairy here.
Phew. That was a lot of words again.
Raw Cream Cheese and Whey
Step One: Pour your milk into a clear, glass container. Like a large mason jar. Then, let it sit out on your counter for 1-4 days until it begins to separate.
Step Two: Line a strainer with cheese cloth and place the strainer over a large bowl. Pour the milk into the cheese cloth, so that the liquid can drain out into the bowl underneath. Let it sit out there for a few hours while all the liquid drains off. Gently press on the cheese, if you must, to remove all the liquid. I, of course, had to sit there and mess with it. Because that's just the way I am.
Step Three: After the strainer has quit dripping liquid, voila! You have made cream cheese.
Step Four: Place the cream cheese into a glass container and store in the refrigerator (it will keep for up to a month!). I added a pinch of salt to mine to up the flavor a little bit (chives would be delicious, as well!). Then, I smeared it on some toast to make sure I wouldn't die before I recommended this recipe to my readers.
So far, so good.
That's a relief! It almost has a feta like flavor, but slightly milder. It could easily replace store-bought cream cheese or mayonnaise on sandwiches or crackers. I bet this would just be divine if it were made with goat's milk. My friend Kendra just bought some goats and has been milking them – Hey Kendra, give this a try with your milk and let me know how it turns out!
Step Five: Pour the run-off whey into another glass container and store in the refrigerator as well. This will keep for up to six months in there! Now, let's talk about whey for a moment: What the heck is it and why the heck would we drink it?
I'm so glad you asked.
Whey is the run-off liquid/by-product of cheese making.
Whey has protein.
Whey has amino acids.
Whey can cure an upset tummy. Big time.
Whey promotes healthy digestion (digestive bacteria!).
Whey is a great source of minerals.
Whey can be used to lacto-ferment vegetables.
Slip a wee bit in the kids' smoothies. They'll never know.
Unless they read my blog. Then, they'll know.
But do it anyway.
While it's not exactly elaborate cheese making, beginning to culture dairy products at home is at least a start to where I'd love to end up someday. That is, owning a vineyard, dairy, cow-calf ranch, chicken farm, and greenhouse. In Tuscany.
Dreams, people. Dreams.
For now, I'm wonderfully satisfied with this delicious cheese.
The end.
Kendra at New Life On A Homestead
LOL, just call me out, why don’t ya! Actually, I’m DYING to make stuff like this with my goat’s milk. I’ve been freezing what I’ve milked the past week though, for soapmaking. Actually, when we bought the goats the owners de-wormed them for us, which was nice. But we didn’t realize you aren’t supposed to drink the milk for two weeks after worming. Woops. Well, I happened to stumble upon this recommendation while reading about my goats. So, for the first week we drank that milk out of ignorance, but this week we’ve been holding off, just to be safe. Supposedly the medicine these people used is okay and there isn’t a milk withdraw period, but then I read somewhere else that there is no milk withdraw period because it just hasn’t been tested.
ANYWHO… that’s why I haven’t been able to experiment with the milk yet. But you better believe next week I’m all in it!
The recipe I plan on trying for goat’s milk cream cheese is a little different. It calls for making yogurt first, then draining that overnight through cheesecloth for fresh cream cheese in the morning. I guess the only difference is adding yogurt cultures to the milk before draining the whey.
I’m anxious to make homemade ice cream with the goat’s milk. I’ve been making it with fresh cow’s milk. It’s SO GOOD! Except we keep getting little chunks of butter in an occasional bite, lol. I guess it’s the churning that’s doing it to the fresh cream. Since goat’s milk is naturally homogenized I don’t think I’ll have that problem.
Okay, that’ my guest post for you 🙂 I’ll let you know how the goat’s milk cream cheese is once I get a chance to try it!!
ArtsyNina
Impressive. You’ve got guts. I’m still working up to it. And you make kefir, too? I gotta start trying to do some of this stuff…
Monica
I had to work up the guts too. Society wants you to believe you will die from raw milk. Here I am three years later. I won’t go back, if I can help it!
Naomi Aldort
Of course they do; how else will they keep making fortune selling pasteurized dairy from dirty unhealthy cows?
Unknown
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Cindie
Kendra, I wonder if i could use my ice cream maker without freezing the bowl first to make butter. As for making the cream cheese, I can’t wait to make it myself.
Laura
Do you put a lid on the jar or leave it open>
Shaye Elliott
I put a lid on it.
Laura
Thank you!
Monica Loar
I put a paper towel or coffee filter secured with a rubber band.
Evelyn
Shaye, I used this recipe to make cream cheese. I also used raw milk. It took four days. But, I don’t think the cheese came out right. It tastes really sharp, and not very good. Could you give me some direction.
Monica Loar
A trick I have used successfully is to put the jar into the back of your oven with the light on.
Jennifer
So I’ve got raw milk that is about a month old. Since it is starting to taste sour I’ve been using it to bake with. But I’m curious if I could use it to make whey. Maybe my whey would be sour. Thoughts? Thanks!!
Shaye Elliott
That’s pretty old for raw milk – I’d stick with baking with it!
tasha
My milk has been sitting out for about 3 days now.. but still has all of the cream sitting on the top.. does this seem right??
hoping it looks more like your picture by tomorrow..
Shaye Elliott
It should! It takes a bit longer in colder weather.
Monica Loar
I take the cream off after sitting out, but before separating from the whey. Instant sour cream, better than store bought.
Michelle
I made whey a while ago and after the cream cheese smelled really sour so we did not eat it. What is the whey supposed to smell like?
Shaye Elliott
The whey shouldn’t really have a smell. You may have let it go too long.
Sue
My whey has a nutty, blue cheese smell. Is this an issue? I have quite a bit of it (for me anyway as I’m just 1 person) and I want to use it if I can even if just to brine chicken. It was from my 1st batch of clabber I made about a month ago so it was experimental. I’ve since made it again and it was much more simple as I knew more what I was doing.
Catie
Hi. I’m wondering if I can make cream cheese with raw cream only. Will that work or does it have to be milk instead? Thanks!
Mel
Do you have any advice on how much milk to use? I would like to experiment, but don’t want to use too little…
Shaye Elliott
Good Questions! You can use any amount of milk to make raw cream cheese and whey but I usually use at least a half gallon.
Karis
I took week old raw milk an left it in a sealed mason jar for 3 days it did not visibly separate but when I poured it out on a dishcloth it was clumpy like cottage cheese. I have it hanging up right now to let the whey drip, but my question is, my house smells like a foot. It’s got a powerful Parmesan smell and taste to it. Is that right? Should I have left it out for less time?
Shaye Elliott
Ha! All milk is different, as are cultured temperatures in our house and such. Keep trying and find the happy medium that you like!
Fawn
Did you make this with raw goat milk yet ? How did it turn out ?
Jessica
So excited to be trying things with our raw milk-which is divine and I owe you, big time, for talking it up so much! I’ve been wanting to switch for, like, 100 years! You gave me the push I needed to make the switch for my family. (And now I’m starting my own blog right here in your comments-sorry) my question: we tried the cream cheese method and it worked beautifully. We totally got the ‘feta spread’ taste with ours but maybe a bit stronger. Do you think we’re good to eat it? If it went to far will it make us sick or is it preference in taste that determines how long you let it culture?
Flavia
Can I mix the raw militar Roma temperature and misophilic starter culture and let it sit for few days? Will I be able to make more starter and freeze it for my next batch?
Sarah
what is the farm you know in WA state that sells raw cow’s milk? We have purchased from Pride & Joy Dairy in Granger and from Dungeness Valley Creamery in Sequim. Thanks for your input
Nancy
If the cream cheese taste sour, what can be done with it? I did this with raw milk the day or two after I didn’t want to drink the milk. Now it’s quite strong and sour. Is the whey still good?
Elizabeth
I would also like to know what can be done with sour cream cheese. I tasted mine this morning, and its basically inedible. I wonder what I did differently to make it so sour.
Kevin Broome
The last two times I have made cream cheese this has happened to me as well. The cream cheese was too sour to taste. I can’t figure out what I am doing differently. That said, I had to leave the milk out on the counter for close to 4 days before it clobbered. So it seems to make sense that it would go sour in that time.
Kim
I would try using a different culture, make sure it’s 90 degrees F prior to adding it and don’t disturb for at least 24 hours unless it’s hot out, if so check sooner
A seedling mat can keep temp around 70 or I leave the oven light on but turned off.
I ALWAYS keep it dark as light can change the taste over time
Hope this helps
CMP
I get my raw milk from another party, so it is chilled by the time it reaches my hands. Do you know whether it is safe to leave the raw milk out for days AFTER it has already been refrigerated for a few hours?
Kim
Yes, I get mine same way
I use culture every time bc the existing bacteria isn’t always identical and I don’t like to waste
I used to worry about knowing if was bad but I can assure you that you can’t mistake if that happens
It’s so bad that you wouldn’t eat if paid to if genuinely bad not just sour
Monica Loar
Mine is always cold. I buy it from the Amish. When I want to make cottage cheese or cream cheese, I put it in the oven, with only the light on. After two days it’s separated, even if at first it doesn’t appear that way.
Monica
Thanks so much for your advice. I successfully made cheese and loved it! I use the whey in cooking, but have also made gjetost with it. Wonderful! Next, I found a recipe for Mexican caramel sauce from whey. Sounds so good!
Naomi Aldort
You say: “Step One: …. let it sit out on your counter for 1-4 days until it begins to separate.” At what temperature? You are assuming that a room temperature is always sufficiently warm… but those living in the cold north, often have 60 degrees in the house and lower at night. Can you specify the needed temperature?