# Recipes



## desertshi (Jul 23, 2008)

Anyone have successful, tasty patterns for cheese that use buttermilk or sour milk? ;-)


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## linn (Jul 19, 2005)

This is one you can make without a cheese press.I let my milk really clabber well. I used live-culture plain yogurt to culture my fresh warm milk. 

1 1/2 gallons clabbered milk 
4 TBSP. butter 
3/4 teasp. baking soda 
2/3 cup soured cream 
1 1/2 teasp. salt 
1/2 teasp. cheese coloring (if desired) 
Heat clabbered milk for 30 minutes at a temperature of 110 - 115 degrees farenheit. Strain and squeeze curd until fairly dry. Place curd in mixing bowl and stir in soft butter and soda until well mixed. Let stand covered for 2 1/2 hours. Put on stove in double boiler, adding soured cream, salt and cheese coloring. Cook until it looks like melted cheese. It will take a little while for the curds to melt into the cream. Stir constantly during this process. Turn into a buttered mold. I use a rectangle plastic container. Chill until set and slice to serve. 
Hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do. 

The live culture yogurt clabbers the milk. I strain my fresh milk and stir in the yogurt. My oven has a bread proofing setting that I use in cold weather to keep the milk at the right temp. In warm weather just cover the container and let set until the milk clabbers. It usually takes about 12 hours. This is a good Velveeta substitute. I use it to make maccaroni and cheese, with salsa to make a hot dip, and we love it on crackers.


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## turpelzoo (Jul 4, 2009)

linn - how much yogurt do you use to clabber the milk?


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## linn (Jul 19, 2005)

Probably 1/2 cup per gallon. You can also use buttermilk culture if you prefer.


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## Marianne (Feb 22, 2009)

I've tried this recipe several times, but never have good results. Not something I can slice and serve. And I followed the recipe EXACTLY!! What could I be doing wrong?


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## Marianne (Feb 22, 2009)

Oh, forgot to say...I used buttermilk to clabber the fresh milk.


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## linn (Jul 19, 2005)

Well I don't know unless you are cooking the curds too long at too high a temp. Are you using raw milk, right from the cow. It seems to me that that is how I cultured it, last summer and then I skimmed the cream off the top of the clabbered milk, to use for the sour cream. You might have to add more cream to make up the difference. That is the only thing I can think of. My last effort didn't turn out too well either, but I don't think I drained the curds well enough. I was also using milk that I had pasteurized. I think I will try culturing raw milk, right from the strainer. I made this several times last summer without any trouble at all.
Here is a very similar recipe, doubled from the Heart Of The Home cookbook.

Heat 3 gallons of firm clabber milk for 1/2 hour at a temperature of 110 to 115 degrees F. Strain and squeeze very dry. To this curd, add 1 1/2 tsp. soda and 1/2 cup fresh butter. Mix thoroughly with the hands. Set in warm place for two hours or until transparent. Put in a double boiler and heat slowly. When warm, stir in very slowly one quart heavy sour cream and 2 tsp. salt. Stir until well mixed and melted. It will get stringy, but that leaves when it cools. Pour into buttered molds. Let stand 24 hours. 
You could halve this recipe if you wish. Hope this works for you.


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## linn (Jul 19, 2005)

Marianne, today I made another batch of this cheese. I didn't let the curds get above 115 degrees F. They heated up really fast, even in a hot water bath. I drained the curds through cheese cloth and squeezed them until they were pretty dry. I then crumbled the curds up fine and added the soft butter, working it in well, then I added the soda and worked it in well. I left the curds set, covered for over 2 hours until they had a translucent look. I heated the curds in a double boiler until just warm and added about 1 cup sour cream. It takes a while for the curds to melt, the finer the curds, the quicker they melt. Everything went just as well as it did when I first made this recipe. I think it was because I strictly followed all the steps as well as crumbling the curds up fine. I think I may have been heating the curds too hot before. They won't look ready, but when the temp. reaches 115 degrees, drain them quickly. Hope this helps.


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## desertshi (Jul 23, 2008)

linn...does this create a hard cheese, in that it will melt when you use it? Or is this considered a soft cheese? And by soda, do you mean baking soda? Thanks!


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## linn (Jul 19, 2005)

This cheese has about the consistency of Velveeta cheese. It melts very well. Yes, it is baking soda.


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## highlandview (Feb 15, 2007)

There is one on my blog if you click the link below. But, I also posted it here under a thread called buttermilk cheese.


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## Trisha in WA (Sep 28, 2005)

I am trying this recipe today...I accidently let the curds get too hot (even after your warning (blush)). It got up to 120, but I figure it will make SOME kind of cheese...even if the dogs get it, I am going to keep at it to see how it turns out.


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## Trisha in WA (Sep 28, 2005)

It turned out great! Everyone likes it. I am looking forward to trying it in mac and cheese and heated mixed with some homemade salsa (just happens that we are having nachos tomorrow (big grin))


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## Marianne (Feb 22, 2009)

OK, I Will try this again, and I WILL make it work!!(trying to create a positive mind here!) I probably got it too hot too quick. Gonna try again in a couple of days. Hoping myself good luck! At least the pigs, chickens, dogs, whatever sure don't mind eating my failures! Thanks... I'll let you know how it goes.


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## Trisha in WA (Sep 28, 2005)

Marianne, can you check your thermometer? My neighbor couldn't figure out why her yogurt wasn't turning out. Come to find out her thermometer was off by almost 10 degrees.


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## Marianne (Feb 22, 2009)

Nope...thermometers (2) are fine.

I haven't had a chance to try it again yet. Something has been popping up EVERY day it seems like to keep me out of the kitchen except doing the meals. I require total ALONENESS for cheesemaking so I can't be sidetracked. I usually don't even answer the phone! 

I think I do tend to overheat, or possibly heat too fast even though I do try to keep as slow a heat as possible.

I WILL GET THIS!! I REFUSE TO GIVE UP!!


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