Photo: George's Mom's Homemade Herb Cheese Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 gallon whole milk
- 1 pint half-and-half
- 1 cup white vinegar
- 1/2 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes (not in oil)
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- Extra-virgin olive oil, to serve
Directions
Drill holes into the bottom of a round plastic storage container (approximately 6 inches wide and at least 4 inches high) and set aside. Line a colander with cheesecloth and set aside.
Put the milk and half-and-half into a large pot over medium heat and cook, stirring frequently, until it reaches 195 degrees F. (There will be a slight simmer and the top will be very foamy.) Remove from the heat and slowly stir in the vinegar. Put the colander into the sink and pour this mixture into the cheesecloth. When most of the liquid has passed through, add the tomatoes, basil, and salt and stir gently to incorporate. Gather up the ends of the cheesecloth and transfer the cheese to the plastic container. Set the container on a rack on a sheet pan to catch the whey. Put a plate on top and weight it down with some heavy cans to squeeze out the excess liquid. Let rest for 1 hour, remove the cheesecloth, and return it to the plastic container with the plates and weights. Put it into the refrigerator overnight. To serve, put the cheese onto a plate and brush with a little olive oil.
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By DairyMaid
FL
on April 21, 2011
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Too bad people like gemmich have rude friends who critize her cooking. This is a version of queso blanco or panir (which is made with lemon juice, but it has added cream and is put in a cheese press. I make a lot of panir and I usually hang it in a cheese cloth, but I'm going to go make some in my cheese press according to this recipe. Homemade cheese is an art, and if you don't like the taste of your homemade cheese, it's likely that your tastebuds just don't know what 'real' food tastes like.
By gemmich_9304693
Portland, OR
on December 31, 2007
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After reading all these rave reviews I couldn't wait to make this for our Christmas dinner. The cheese itself had virtually no flavor unless you got a bit of sundried tomato. itDefiantely needed salt, so I put some balsamic on it to spruce it up a bit. no one at dinner was impressed.
By cm.gentry_3485606
Half Moon Bay, CA
on March 18, 2007
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This recipe is nearly foolproof and the variations are endless. I used white wine vinegar and replaced the Kosher salt with a French sea salt infused with French black olives, which was a perfect combination with the basil and sundried tomatoes. My only warning is to watch the milk mixture carefully and stir often since the temperature goes up quickly after reaching 150 degrees. I also recommend that you find a good source of tender, sweet, sundried tomatoes (I have a local farmer who has great ones. It has been a long time since I made this type of cheese so I only made a half recipe. I forgot that about 10 cups of liquid only results in a little less than two cups of cheese. Will definitely make a full recipe next weekend since half of this one will need to go to the neighbor who kindly drilled the holes in the plastic container for me. Might add garlic next time and am thinking that adding minced garlic to the milk mixture before the vinegar is added might cut the sharpness. Thank you, George, for innovative recipes. Some are a bit weird for me but I always enjoy your show. How about some more on fish?
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