By Leslie Weinberg
Click here to learn more about Valley Shepherd Creamery and their recent course at Lower Merion Conservancy.
Lemon Cheese
Ingredients
- 1-2 fresh squeezed lemons
- ½ gallon of milk
Note: The less fat in your milk, the lower the yield. Also, pasteurized or homogenized milk is recommended, ultra-pasteurized milk may not work for every recipe.
Equipment
- A big pot
- A thermometer
- A ladle
- A cheesecloth (found at any kitchen supply place)
- A cheese mold or colander
1. Pour the milk into the pot.
2. Heat the milk up to 180 degrees over the course of 15-20 minutes on a medium flame. You don’t want the temperature to heat too quickly.
3. Stir the pot every so often to prevent the bottom from scorching.
4. Turn the heat off when you reach 180 degrees.
5. Give it a few seconds to stop bubbling and pour in the lemon juice.
6. Cover and wait 10 minutes. At this point, the milk solids will separate from the liquids, creating curds and whey.
Note: This cheese is missing the cultures that is often found in more a complex, aged cheese. The addition of that before you add the citrus coagulate, starts several chemical processes in the milk that imparts both flavor and a ripening temperament. There are two types of cultures: mother cultures (ie. sourdough or yogurt) are re-culturable and can be put in milk and used over and other again, whereas most cheesemakers use direct set cultures that are freeze dried, powdered flakes that you add to milk. Cultures can be purchased at a local cheese shop or online.
7. If the cheese hasn’t coagulated by this point, add more lemon juice. Coagulation is a clear separation of curds and whey, you want clear whey, not milky whey. Insert you own galaxy joke.
8. Line a cheese mold or colander with a cheese cloth. Place it somewhere that allows proper drainage.
9. Ladle your curds and whey into the cheese mold.
For a spreadable consistency, you can salt the cheese and use it immediately as a spread on your sandwiches or bagels. You can add herbs or garlic or add some fruit to sweeten your breakfast.
For a Firmer Cheese
1. Wait until all of the liquid drains out of the cheese mold. Cover the ends of the cheesecloth on top.
2. Since cheesemaking is basically a dehydration process, you want to take a cheese press (Jamie filled a mason jar filled with water) and place it on top of the cheese cloth. This will get the excess water out.
3. After 30 minutes, the cheese should be solid enough to take out of the mold and turn over. Put the press back on the cheese for an hour or so.
4. Take the entire thing and put it in a sealed container with a little draining room in the fridge for two days. Rub the outside with salt, before or after refrigeration, to get enough more moisture out.
Cheese Storage Rules
Much like the variety of tastes when it comes to cheeses, each cheese has its own proper storage. Both Jamie and Rich advised against plastic wrap, which can trap ammonia and make it overly strong. Cheese absorbs whatever it is next to over time, so firm cheeses will get a plastic taste. Instead, cheese should be wrapped in waxed paper and kept in a tupperware container or the vegetable drawer. To prevent Blue Cheeses from drying, they should be wrapped in tin foil.
