Go to the Recipe: Sous Vide Farmer Cheese
When you are talking about the olden days and farmer cheese, why don't you create a recipe that really brings us back to how it was done in the past? All you need is whole raw milk left on the counter under cheese cloth for a couple of days. It will ferment and start coagulating, because of the natural cultures in it. Heat it up gently in sous vide for a few hours and hang to strain. Why add enzymes and cultures, if they are already available?
does contemporary pasteurized milk contain the right cultures?
Mozzarella recipe please!
The past is the past and we live in a modern age. Sous vide allows us to culture at consistent temperatures. Sure you can culture raw milk on the countertop but you will still need to add some rennet and leaving a culture open is a way to invite other bacteria that you may not want leaving you with different flavors. Raw milk does contain natural bacteria and enzymes that disappear when pasteurized but when you add a particular bacteria strain you know what your results will be in an enclosed environment, even with raw milk.
The pasteurization process removes or kills the cultures and enzymes through heat to extend the shelf life. This is why we have to add the right cultures to the pasteurized milk. Any non-homogenized milk will make the best cheese but you get what you can locally from a farmer or local grocer.
will uht milk work with this?
Good question. It is not recommended and may not work. The least processed milks will make better cheeses.
lol
I hear you, however I disagree. You do not need to add rennet, if you are using fresh, raw milk. People in the US are so scared of bacteria, and overcomplicate things. There is a way to do it with just one ingredient - milk, keeping it safe, clean and delicious.
Has anyone tried this using a lactose free / lactaid type milk?
So, whey - let's have ricotta recipe! No way whey should be wasted (or rather ignored)
Past is the past? LOL it is called "traditions" and existed before us and will be kept after us by people who remember history. Yes, sous vide is a good invention but no reasonable person would ignore generations-proofed methods of doing certain things. Cheese is one of them.
Heard that. Dumping whey down the drain is a bummer. Check out this technique for reducing whey and cooking vegetables in it. https://www.chefsteps.com/activities/whey-braised-onions
Thanks for delving into this topic! When I think of fromage blanc I think of something quite soft and spreadable. What is the finished texture like when following this draining protocol? Are the individual curds able to be blended/spread fairly easily or do they retain their structure? I'm looking to make something pipable.
You can turn this into pipe able cheese with ease. You can choose how soft or how firm you want the final product by the time allowed to drain for loose style or press with a weight for firmer styles.
