Depending on how dry you want your cheese, it will need to drain from 4 -
12 hours, hanging around looking tasty. As it is hanging you can
begin thinking about how good it will taste, and what you would like to
put in it. Crushed pineapple, with coconut and walnuts is very tasty
on fruit, with cake, or on pancakes. You can also make a savory
cheese that is perfect for crackers and breads as a spreadable
cheese.
You can add dill, garlic, salt, and pepper to taste. I particularly
enjoy it on saltines, served with Kipper snacks, a phenomena that hasn't
exactly caught on here in the Midwest but is available and delicious
anyway. Look for these with the tuna in the grocery store.
They are a lightly smoked, boneless fish fillet canned and ready to eat.
Once your cheese has drained, it will look dry and crumbly to the touch
and now it is time to season it. Here are two recipes I have made and
enjoyed, one sweet and one savory. As the French would say, Bon Appetite!
Pineapple Spread
Use this nice spread on toasted bagels, slices of cake, pancakes or any
number of things. Or, you can eat it with a spoon when nobody is
looking....
1/2 to one gallons worth of Fromage Blanc.
1/2 can crushed, drained pineapple
3/4 cup chopped walnuts
3/4 cup sweetened coconut
Sugar to taste
1/2 teaspoon un-iodized salt, sea salt, or cheese salt.
Blend together and chill. Get inventive and have fun, add raisins,
dried apples or anything that sounds good, it probably will be.
Garlic-Dill Spread
This
is my favorite way to prepare Fromage Blanc
1/2 to 1 gallons worth of Fromage Blanc
finely minced fresh baby dill to taste - three tablespoons or so
2 or 3 crushed garlic cloves, or 1/2 to 1 teaspoon garlic paste.
1/2 - 1 teaspoon un-iodized salt, sea salt, or cheese salt.
Helpful hints,
buy fresh dill, and mince a bit at a time and add it,
until it tastes like there is
almost enough. As the cheese sits, the
flavor will develop. You may put it in a cup, or cheese mold, or eat as
is.
Buy the
Fromage Blanc
packets from www.cheesemaking.com it is all in one, super easy and super
affordable.
Get a cheap wood burner and burn holes in food grade plastic, like yogurt
cups, butter tubs and more to make nicely shaped cheeses.
Use the freshest milk you can get, sneak them from the back of the cooler
if you buy the milk.
If you use buttermilk, take your last two cubes of frozen buttermilk and
put it in a sterile pint jar, top it off with milk and let it sit around
at room temp for 24 hours, and now you have a whole new batch to freeze
for more cheese or baking!
Helpful sites on the web for more information:
Buy supplies:
www.cheesemaking.com
http://www.grapeandgranary.com/
I have ordered from both these companies, and had a very positive
experience. Cheese making has easy packets with rennet and culture all in
one. They both have kits and various supplies and equipment at good
prices.
Learn more:
http://biology.clc.uc.edu/fankhauser/Cheese/
http://schmidling.com/making.htm
http://www.dairygoatinfo.com/
www.cheesemaking.com
I have read tutorials and learned from all of these places and also had a
good experience there as well. Good luck to you!
